Scuba friendly sunscreen?

[redgym]

Unless you're olive skinned or darker, I don't think 30 is enough. But ask your dermatologist.

I am fair skinned and burn easily, and my derm recommended wearing 80 SPF on my face. She admitted that its only better on the margin, but why not have the most protection possible? Obviously if I didn't burn easily I wouldn't wear anything nearly as strong.

 

[Hoomi]

I swear by my hat.

The Tilley is the best hat I've ever worn and with the straps they build in, they stay comfortably on your head. Worth every penny.

Tilley Endurables - The Finest Hats and Travel Clothing in the World

Also, nearly impossible to destroy, which is another plus.

I have one of the Tilley Hemp hats, and I have to say, it is the best hat I've ever had.

Note also that the Tilleys have a pocket inside the hat, which can not only hold things like copies of your ID and medical information, it also has a foam insert which will keep the hat floating if you drop it in the water.

It's easily washable (a BIG plus). I toss it in the washing machine, and when the cycle is done, I just stretch it a bit and then wear it while it dries (which feels really nice during Arizona's warm weather).

They're not cheap (mine was around $60 a couple of years ago), but if something happened to it, I'd buy another one without hesitation just as soon as I could.

I found out a couple of weeks ago that my dermatologist recommends them to a lot of his patients.

 

[DandyDon]

I swear by my hat.

The Tilley is the best hat I've ever worn and with the straps they build in, they stay comfortably on your head. Worth every penny.

Tilley Endurables - The Finest Hats and Travel Clothing in the World

Also, nearly impossible to destroy, which is another plus.

Uh, nice hats. I don't think that anyone needs to spend $72 on a hat to get one that works tho. Oh, I have a couple of dozen various hats and I have spent much more on some of my Stetsons, but for a dive boat hat - Wal-mart has some good ones too. Most people in my hometown are outdoorsy and we wear a hat or cap anytime we go outside - day or night, summer or winter. Just don't buy one of the non-hats with see thru mesh; they're a joke.

Sometimes I wear a cap with a bandanna stuck under the sides to drape over my ears and neck. That helps too.

 

[rsldonk]

Ok, just got back from Cozumel. Nobody really enforced the biodegradable sunscreen stuff (or the no knives or gloves thing for that matter), but I bought a bottle of the Mexitan stuff anyway. I figured that I may as well not kill the reef any more than I had to. This is the best sunscreen I've ever used. It feels good on your skin, kept me from burning (I generally turn just ever darker shades of red instead of getting any sort of tan). I just bought the SPF 30 version, but it worked great, better than the spray on SPF 85 stuff I also took that just felt sticky when I applied it. By the end of the week, I had given up on the spray on stuff and was just using the Mexitan. I didn't get at all burnt and I didn't feel sticky or anything.

 

[Hoomi]

Checking our local stores, I found that the Burt's Bees sunscreen uses the same active ingredient as the Mexitan sunscreen (titanium dioxide), and most Wal Marts should have it in stock for about $15 a tube.

Burt's Bees products aren't cheap, but my wife has always been happy with their stuff when she's bought it. Since I can't find the Mexitan products anywhere locally, and we're leaving for our dive trip first thing Friday morning, I'm planning on picking up a tube of the Burt's Bees sunscreen this week.

 

[Hoomi]

The Wal Mart grocery store did not have the Burt's Bees sunscreen last night, despite have other Burt's Bees products. Both Target and Wal Mart (and many other retail chains) carry Burt's Bees products, so if you go looking for it and don't find it at one, check another store.

One interesting caveat from a Web MD skin assessment I took this morning:

There is some preliminary research that may indicate that chemicals in some sunscreens may increase the risk of developing skin cancer. More research needs to be done in this area before definite recommendations and warnings can be stated. However, use of sunscreen is still recommended.

No mention on the Web MD page of which chemicals are possible carcinogens themselves. I may do some more research and see what information I can find on other pages.

 

[drbill]

I don't know if I've already posted here or not, but I've found a product (Soleo) that is the best I've ever used in my life. I can apply Soleo lightly in the morning, stay out in the sun all day and do three dives, and come home to no burn at all. I have also seen the product praised as being environmentally friendly towards marine life. It is very impressive... try it.

 

[Web Monkey]

about to dive in "warm" water for the first time.... anyone recommend a good sunscreen that won't have my mask sliding all over the place or run in my eyes while diving?
thanks!

I use a hat with a back flap on the boat and a wetsuit and beanie in the water.

Black rubber has a really high SPF and doesn't wash off.

Terry

 

[drl]

The Whole Foods in the Chicago area has just started carrying a sunscreen called Caribbean Solutions that is advertised as being reef-friendly. I don't know how waterproof it is, and the highest spf they had is 30, but it is the first I have seen locally that is reef safe.