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Being in the water snorkeling, swimming, and diving is one of our favorite activities. Like many outdoor activities, these expose you to the sun. So if you’re out exploring beautiful places like Dry Tortugas National Park, Turks and Caicos, or Grand Cayman, we’d like to share a suggestion about snorkeling sun protection: wear clothing!
What to wear for snorkeling? A shirt like a rash guard, swim pants or leggings, and a head cover will protect you from the sun for as long as you’d like to be in the water!
Let’s discuss some reasons why clothing is the best snorkeling sun protection, the kinds of snorkeling sun protection clothing to consider, and where to find things.
Snorkeling sun protection options: lotion and clothing
There are generally 2 categories of snorkeling UV protection we’ll cover here: clothing and lotions/creams.
We highly recommend relying on clothing for sun protection over lotions and creams. Clothing is much more convenient, doesn’t wash off in water, and doesn’t pose potential chemical risks to aquatic life.
Lotions and creams wash off in the water and must be regularly reapplied. It’s easy to miss a spot when applying them (I’ll save you the story of the time I forgot to apply lotion to a spot on a friend’s back!). Getting lotion on surfaces like boats causes a slippery mess. There is also concern about the chemicals used in lotions causing harm to delicate marine life like coral.
Benefits of relying on clothing for snorkeling UV protection
- Clothes don’t wash off
- Good clothing is reusable for many years
- You can’t miss a spot on your back when wearing a shirt
- Clothing protects from jellyfish, rocks, and other hazards
Even with clothing, you’ll often need to use a bit of lotion for your face, ankles, hands, etc. to avoid a snorkeling sunburn. Prefer clothing that minimizes the necessary lotion. When choosing a lotion, ensure it is reef-safe to protect delicate aquatic ecosystems.
Clothing? For swimming?
The idea of using clothing for sun protection was always in the back of my mind as a fair-skinned Ohioan. Thinking of it usually resulted in memories of a water-logged cotton shirt of a favorite basketball team. That’s admittedly not fun. However, it took getting into snorkeling with Amie, who had found comfortable and performant clothing, to convince me that clothing was absolutely the right choice.
I fell out of love with being at the beach and in the water for years because of the hassle of using sunscreen and the risk of getting a severe burn. Now that I am covered up with clothing, the amount of time I spend in the water is only limited by my enjoyment and energy! Changing my sun protection strategy has rekindled my love of being in the water.
What to wear snorkeling?
OK, so you’re starting to see the point. But how do you know what clothes to wear for snorkeling? This isn’t the time for that teeny-tiny bathing suit. Unless maybe you’re doing a photo shoot.
Here is the warm water snorkeling clothing to look for:
- A rash guard, swim shirt, etc.
- Swim pants
- Possibly something to cover your neck and head
Like any outfit, look to cover your upper body, lower body, and possibly neck and head. When shopping for snorkeling attire, ensure it has a UPF of 50. Some fabrics can still let UV radiation through.
The materials used in snorkeling clothes are lightweight, dry quickly, do not feel waterlogged, and provide excellent sun protection. I think these options are better than swimsuits for snorkeling.
In colder water, wetsuits will provide thermal and sun protection. We won’t discuss those in detail here as wetsuit choice is a whole different topic.
With those few articles of snorkeling apparel, you’ll be covered head to toe and ready to explore without worry!
Snorkeling rash guards & swim shirts – What to wear to snorkel for upper body sun protection
Rash guards are our choice and the most common snorkeling sun protection clothing we see others wearing. You’ll find a few kinds of swim shirts on the market. Look for long-sleeved shirts with a loop in the front bottom that you can tie your swim pants through.
A rash guard is great to use as a snorkeling shirt. They’re tight-fitting, come in many styles, and provide sun protection to boot. With shirts for snorkeling, you want something where the sleeves and bottom of the shirt will stay in place. Shirts with a tie loop at the bottom are great for this.
Searching for “rash guard” or “swim shirt” on Amazon or other sites will show you many great choices in an array of colors. Just make sure they are UPF 50 rated and you’ll be protected all day by your snorkel shirt!
Big-name brands include Roxy, O’Neill, Quicksilver, and Hurley. Though many other brands also sell them.
Some interesting features to consider are zippers for easy donning/doffing like this Hurley rash guard and rash guards with hoods. Amie likes her zippered swim shirt. We’ve not tried one with a hood but they look very promising for neck protection!
Swim pants for lower body sun protection
Swim pants are like loose-fitting tights which are quick drying, lightweight, and offer UPF protection. They tie at the waist and sometimes have a small interior pocket. I’ve been using the Ubestyle swim pants as my snorkeling pants for over a year and like them. Amie has the Ubestyle women’s swim pants and also really likes them
Though we are seeing more snorkelers wearing shirts, we rarely see people wearing pants while snorkeling. The backs of our legs are exposed to the sun for long periods while snorkeling. I’ve loved using swim pants to avoid sunburns in the water, on boats, and on the beach.
Head and neck sun protection
Many people will simply use some sunscreen lotion for their neck and face which can work well. For those of us with thinning hair, some type of snorkeling head cover is required. Headbands, tight-fitting hats, bandannas, swim caps, and lightweight neck gaiters are all very workable options here.
If you try to use a snorkeling hat, ensure it is tight-fitting and has a strap to keep it secured. Aside from diving hoods made from wetsuit material, there aren’t a good deal of purpose-made pieces of clothing but you can make something work using the options above.
I’ve recently taken to using a BUFF CoolNet UV neck gaiter for head and neck protection. You can tuck one end into the collar of your rash guard and then pull the other end up over your head just past your hairline for protection! With the strap of my mask over the gaiter, it stays in place well and it protects my receding hairline from the sun. Such a gaiter also helps hold your hair back out of the way of your mask.
Update You can also now find a few companies making rash guards with hoods! We haven’t tried these yet but they promise to easily solve the issue. You could put the hood up and then put your mask strap over it to keep things in place. We’ll update here when we try one for our snorkeling outfit! Let us know if you’ve found any you like.
Other items to wear when snorkeling
Beyond what we’ve covered, you might consider a few other items
- Swim socks or booties. These can give you sun protection over your ankles and protection from fins, rocks, and sea life.
- Gloves to protect your hands and wrists from the sun
Wrapping up
So what do you think? Do you have an idea of what to wear snorkeling? Do you use sun protection clothing for snorkeling? Any other tips that I’ve missed here? Let me know below and enjoy exploring and meeting new underwater friends!
