Although it’s often overlooked, sun protection is an important safety issue for boaters.
If you’re a boater, it’s not exactly a newsflash that you’re going to be spending a significant amount of time in the sun once the summer season arrives. You’re probably not too worried about it, because you carry plenty of sunscreen and hats, and honestly, we’ve come a long way since the baby-oil tanning days of the 1970s and ‘80s.
We have indeed, but here’s the thing. Boaters spend an average of 5.7 hours on the water per outing, and we’re not always aware (or we forget) that we receive an additional 10 percent of ultraviolet exposure reflected from the water. Then there’s the additional 10 percent reflected from the boat itself.
That’s a lot of UV radiation. And without protection, you’ll burn in about 20 minutes.
Raising awareness.
“Everything is amplified when you’re on a boat,” says Diane Selzer, marketing director for SureShade, a manufacturer of telescoping boat shade systems, and its Sun Safe Boating initiative. “With reflections from the water and the fiberglass, you’re getting a double whammy. People don’t realize how it adds up.”
SureShade launched Sun Safe Boating in spring 2016, along with Sunbrella Marine and the National Safe Boating Council. Lakeland Boating participates as well, as a media partner. To support its public-awareness campaign, Sun Safe Boating has designated the month of July as Sun Safe Boating Month, and it has connected with Winner’s Circle Charities, founded by Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. As a longtime boater and a skin cancer survivor, Schmidt supports the initiative through sharing his personal story and promoting sun safety on the water, including tips on how he protects himself.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to make this a top-of-mind issue, to put light to it as much as possible,” Seltzer explains. “Our mindset has changed over the years. We’re more health-conscious, and we do have a better understanding of the long-term impact of sun exposure. Unfortunately, people aren’t really talking about it — or acting on it.”
Seltzer says the organization hopes to raise awareness at the industry level, as well as among the boating public. “Sun protection tends to get overlooked when we talk about safety issues on the water,” she says. “As an industry, we need to talk about more than just life jackets.”
Important tips for sun protection If we were being honest, a lot of us would admit that we put sunscreen on in the morning. Some of us reapply once more during the day (maybe). We wear our hats, and we call it good. We need to do more. “We advocate an integrated approach to sun safety,” Seltzer says. “It works best.”
- Wearing sunscreen is a given, but here’s the twist: No matter what you’re doing, be sure to reapply every two hours.
- Wear sun-protective clothing. That means in addition to sporting a hat, include a long-sleeve cover-up in your boating wardrobe. SPF protective clothing is best.
- Protect your eyes with UVA/UVB sunglasses.
- Seek shade whenever possible, particularly between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun is most intense.
If your boat doesn’t currently have an onboard shade solution, start exploring the available options. You won’t regret it. “Adding shade had always been an afterthought,” Seltzer says. “In fact, before SureShade came along with its retractable sun-shade systems, most builders didn’t even have a factory option. They left it up to boaters to come up with a solution, if any.” Today, a variety of integrated shade solutions are available to boat manufacturers, dealers and boat owners. Those solutions are deeply appreciated when you want to continue enjoying the outdoors rather than heading indoors or below decks.
Sun safety for children
If you have children, their safety on the water is your top priority. You insist they wear their life jackets, you make sure they always have “one hand for the boat,” and you watch dockside and boat-ramp entries and exits like a hawk. When it comes to sun safety, it’s helpful to have a checklist for each child. In the chaos that inevitably ensues as you rush to get out the door in the morning, it’s easy to overlook something.
- Kid-friendly sunscreen. Choose SPF 30-50 products that are mineral-based (rather than chemical-based) with a higher percent of zinc oxide. Try to avoid the sprays; while convenient, these don’t provide uniform protection, and some of the ingredients aren’t advisable for the lungs.
- A wide-brimmed hat, preferably with an adjustable drawstring so you won’t be fishing it out of the water at some point during the day.
- UVA/UVB sunglasses. No, most of us didn’t wear sunglasses on the water as kids — but back then, we didn’t fully understand the potential for eye damage. We do now.
- SPF protective clothing (cover-ups and swimsuits). This provides great protection for all ages, and they’re the preferred alternative to sunscreen for infants younger than 6 months.
- Umbrellas. If you don’t have an outdoor shade option on your boat, these will work in a pinch.
- Books, games and toys. When the kids need to spend a little time out of the sun, they’ll appreciate having something fun to do. You’ll appreciate it too.
To learn more, visit SunSafeBoating.com.
This article was written by Heather Steinberger and originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Lakeland Boating magazine.
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