Whether it's a summer's day at home or a surfing session under the tropical sun, protecting your head and eyes from the sun is often quite difficult for water sports enthusiasts. Hats, caps, sunglasses - everything that works great on land flies around your ears from wind force four or the first catapult, only to disappear into the blue depths never to be seen again. Nevertheless, there are some solutions on the market that are quite practical.
You should know about sun protection: Everyone has an individual quota of sunlight that can be tolerated per day without health consequences such as sunstroke or sunburn. How high this is depends largely on your skin type, but also, for example, on your diet and fluid balance. This means that it is often not necessary to spend the entire day surfing with goggles or a hat on the water. If you apply sun cream early in the morning, top up this protection regularly and use the following accessories during the sun-intensive midday period, you should get through the summer in good shape.
Hats and caps for surfing
Yes, you can argue about the style factor of some headgear. On the other hand, there's nothing less stylish than a fat sunburn or a missed session because you're curing a sun-induced buzzing headache.
Models like the ION Beach Hat (1) or the Surf Hat from Surflogic (2) not only offer a padded strap around the chin to prevent lift-off, but also an extra stiff brim that won't flap around in front of your eyes even at 15 knots.
The same applies to the Surf Cap from ION or the comparable Surf Cap from FCS. You are well equipped for moderate wind conditions and protected from the sun.
Even bandanas sit tighter on the head, which are also very popular among bikers and are available for less than ten euros.
Tip: Secure hats, caps and bandanas with a small strap to prevent loss, e.g. on the zip of the neo!
Hats and caps reach their limits when the wind picks up or you head into the surf. In such cases, neoprene accessories have a clear advantage as they normally sit firmly on the head.
The Neoprene beanies from ProLimit for example, are available in various thicknesses from around 25 euros.
The Dawn Patrol Surf Cap from Rip Curl sits even better on the head thanks to the chin strap. The two-millimetre-thin neoprene prevents your head from overheating even in summer, but the cap is ideal for the transitional period in combination with a wetsuit without a fixed bonnet. The only drawback is that you don't necessarily want the warming effect in the tropics.
Sun protection for eyes, nose and hands
Eyes, nose and hands are fully exposed to the sun when windsurfing. The eyes are particularly maltreated at spots with backlighting.
The only option then is to wear selected sports glasses, for example from Adidas: With their curved shape, they allow water droplets to roll off the back, are extremely light at just 43 grams and are polarised. However, you should definitely make them buoyant with a neoprene goggle strap and also attach the strap to the neo to prevent them from getting lost.
Special sun creams are a tip for the nose and hands. The creams from New Layer are quickly absorbed, waterproof, free of microplastics and substances that are harmful to marine organisms.
Rashguards have long been popular among water sports enthusiasts, which are made of stretchy material. When pulled over a short sleeve or shorty, they provide pleasant cooling and protect against sunburn.
A big problem are the hands, which are usually fully exposed to the sun on the boom. The only option here are accessories such as the Amara Gloves from GunSails. Resistant material on the inside protects the fingers from blisters, while thin material on the top blocks the sun. Only the grip comfort suffers somewhat.
