Sun Protection Swim Shirts

Swim shirts are the lightweight sun protection choice for keen swimmers. Initially worn as rashguards by surfers, swim shirts are now part of everyday swimwear. They don't slow you down much.

Loose fitting water shirts provide comfy sun cover, feel good and dry quickly. With an airy fit they are ideal for many water sports. You can layer them for warmth or fun fashion.

Cool Cotton for Hot Weather

Locals in hot countries usually swim in cotton clothes which provide a refreshing cooling effect in addition to sun protection. They soak up more water than sports clothes and dry slowly so you can keep your cool for a while. Cotton also feels soft on the skin, both wet or dry.

Thin cotton hoodies and long pants can be optimal swimwear for tropical climates. In tropical climates, dark thin cotton hoodies and long pants protect your skin from the sun. The cooling effect of evaporation from wet fabric avoids heat stroke. This combination is especially useful when shade is limited and sun exposure is intense.

Sun Protection

Physical Barrier: Long sleeves and pants cover more skin, blocking direct exposure to harmful UV rays, reducing the risk of sunburn and long-term skin damage.

UPF: Even thin cotton provides some Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF), though not as high as specialized fabrics, but still better than bare skin. Dark colours work better.

Cooling Effect of Wet Cotton

Evaporative Cooling: When cotton gets wet, the water in the fabric evaporates slowly, drawing heat away from your body and helping you feel cooler.
Heat Transfer: Wet cotton conducts heat away from your skin more efficiently, providing a cooling sensation.

Breathability and Comfort

Air Circulation: Thin cotton is breathable, allowing air to circulate and sweat to evaporate, which helps regulate body temperature.
Comfort: Cotton is soft and less likely to irritate the skin, even when wet.

Reader Comment

by Toey, Chiang Mai, Thailand

When my friends and I go to the lake, we don't need any swimwear. We jump into the water in the clothes we already wear, like tees, jeans, and hoodies. They keep us safe from sunburn and dry in the heat on our way home.

Windshirt and Windpants

Anoraks and windshirts have a loose airy design that keeps you covered but well ventilated when moving around. Made from a breathable fabric they are comfy to swim in and dry quickly in the breeze, ready for another dip. Combined with thin nylon pants they make a cool sunsafe swimsuit you can wear all day long in and out of the water.

Reader Comment

After School Swim

by Rodney, from Poole in England

Me and the lads rock our sun shirts or swim pullovers to school every day, you know, the proper thin, quick-dry UV ones, basically yelling “we’re getting drenched the second the bell goes!” Pair them with jeans, trackies or them loose beach pants and we look peng strutting round the corridors, total summer rebels, school or pool, who cares. Proper summer freedom, innit? Can’t beat it. 😄

As soon as that final bell screams we’re off, absolute mad dash to the beach or the school pool, shoes flying, bags dumped. No changing, no towel faff, just yeet ourselves straight in fully kitted! Massive cannonballs, belly-flops, the lot. The first splash hits like *whoosh*, cold shock, massive grins, everyone howling “YESSSS!” while water pours down our faces and soaks every inch.

Then the real fun kicks off. We’re in there for a solid hour, sometimes two, and the wet clothes just make everything ten times better. Jeans go proper heavy and dark, clinging to your legs like a second skin every time you kick or dive, feels mad when you push off the wall and they drag a bit, then billow out when you surface.

Sun shirts become very shiny when soaked, sticking to chest and back in this cool, slippery way that’s weirdly comfy. We’re bombing each other, doing underwater handstand contests, racing across the pool doing silly strokes, front crawl with jeans on is comedy gold, legs feel like they’re in treacle!

Someone always starts a chicken fight on shoulders, everyone slipping and sliding off ‘cos the fabric’s so slippy when wet. Proper chaos, laughing till your sides hurt, water up your nose, hair plastered flat.

The best bit? When the sun’s still blazing but you’re properly chilled from being in so long, those UV shirts keep you from frying AND stop that horrible goosebump shiver you get in normal tees. They hug you all warm and snug under the water, like wearing a very thin wetsuit. We’ll float on our backs for ages, arms out, letting the waves or ripples rock us, shirts ballooning up with air pockets then slowly sinking again, feels like you’re half-bobbing in some tropical film.

Afterwards we pile out, dripping everywhere, still buzzing. Long hot shower to rinse the salt or chlorine (and warm our fingers back up), then walk/trot home in the wet gear. Jeans squelching with every step, sun shirts flapping cold against your skin at first, then slowly heating up as we move. Wind catches the wet patches, makes ‘em flap and stick again, feels alive, proper free.

By the time we hit our doors the jeans are only damp round the hems and the shirts are basically dry-ish. We smell like sea or chlorine for the rest of the evening and we love it. Absolute best way to finish a school day, hands down. Wet clothes gang for life, innit? 💦😂