The last thing I do before I depart the dock for a charter is ask my guests “Has everyone put on Sunscreen?” I’m not a lucky Irishman, my dermatologist tells me I’m a fair-skinned Irishman who has already done enough damage from years of sunburn. I’m not the sunscreen police either as my grandchildren claim, I just care. Truthfully, I grew up in a generation that used baby oil and lemon juice for a tan. Graduated to Hawaiian Tropic with absolutely no SPF protection because I loved the smell of coconut oil! None of us knew anything about SPF protection.
I was motivated to write this blog for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, because I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a full-day with a wonderful family mom, dad and 12-year old, adorable twin girls. I watched mom lather the girls often during the day with a bottle of sunscreen they picked up at Walmart the previous day. By 3:00 p.m. the girls were absolutely fried and wanted to go in. All they wanted was no more sunshine and AC! This charter went from everyone having a blast to a badly sunburned family and a charter cut short because of it! Secondly, and a few weeks later, I took out another family and mom, dad and teenage kids stood on the bow and sprayed each other down with an aerosol sunscreen. When we got back to the dock, I noticed orange/brown stains in the gelcoat and on the vinyl seats. You could actually see the imprint of their thighs. These stains were a bear to get out. None of my standard boat wash and cleaners worked. I had to use harsh chemicals and a lot of elbow grease which took off the wax. I decided to research this seeking an answer to my delima and thanks to Google, got quite an education. By the way, I called the family to check on the twins and mom said they had spent the past two days inside their condo watching TV, neither wanted to go to the pool or down to the beach. Both girls got water blisters on their shoulders, forehead, feet and thighs. Yuck!
Let me answer the question “what does sunscreen have to do with operating a boat charter business?” As usual, google took me down a rabbit hole. My motivation again was finding out why some sunscreens do work and others don’t and what chemicals caused the stains that were so difficult to scrub out. Running charters, we want to be remembered for a fabulous day on the water, family bonding etc. Not a boat charter that ruined a family vacation because of sunburn! Quick disclaimer: This degree of sunburn happens primarily in May and June when many of the tourists that come down are out in the sun for the 1st time to kick off summer. I also wanted to avoid hours of scrubbing chemicals off my boat from sunscreen, if at all possible.
Today, you will find few people, kids or adults who aren’t aware UV rays are dangerous and cause a multitude of skin problems including cancer. In reality, even though they are aware of damaging UV rays they aren’t particularly aware there are extreme situations where one has to be far more cautious than other times. Boating is one of them! The reflection coming off the water and freshly waxed gelcoat magnify these dangerous rays significantly. That’s why they have timers on Tanning Beds! Without proper protection, there will be a “price to pay.” From my research, it’s easy to conclude sunburn occurs because they are using a product that does not perform as advertised or they are not using it as directed on the label or they are not using sunscreen at all. My position on sunscreen is simple – use on the boat the one you use early, often and generously as per the directions on the label and does not contain Avobenzone or Oxybenzone which are the two chemicals that stain vinyl and Gelcoat. All provide some protection when applied (some better than others). Captain Mike and your skin will thank you!
What you need to know
Don’t fall victim to Savvy Marketing! There are over 1,300 products available with SPF. Labels include Face, Sport, Allergan Free, Recommended by Dermatologists (only takes one), Babies. Water Proof and Sweatproof. Think Excedrin! There is Excedrin for Headache, Excedrin for Migraine and Extra Strength Excedrin. If that’s not enough, there is also Excedrin for Tension Headache and Excedrin PM Headache. It’s confusing because when you read the label you discover they all have the exact same ingredients. It’s marketing, so Labels and fragrances are not a reliable method to choose a sunscreen.
Safety should be the 1st consideration when choosing a sunscreen. We have to trust what the FDA says knowing they are behind other countries in the regulation of sunscreens. If safety is a concern, a great resource on the web to further educate yourself is EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) new 2025 Guide to Sunscreens and their new Verified Sunscreens where they have endorsed 244 out of thousands with specific ratings for effectiveness and hazards. Chances are the one you are putting on your skin IS NOT on their list! Here is a link to great data regarding safety from their scientific research The trouble with ingredients in sunscreens | EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens.
There are two types of sunscreen ……. Physical and Chemical. Physical (mineral based and my personal preference) with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide (both approved by FDA) as the main ingredient are the safest and most effective sunscreens. However, if vanity is part of the decision, they aren’t the most popular. They are oily, thick, hard to wash off and noticeable to the naked eye. However, they provide superior (non-chemical) sunblock, stay on your skin longer especially when you are in and out of the water and they allow the least amount of skin penetration. Chemical sunscreens have grown significantly in the past decade. They tend to be cosmetic in nature with fragrances, dry faster and wash off easier. But you need to be aware there is controversy over the safety of certain chemicals in these sunscreens. How much of these chemicals make it into the bloodstream and what are the long-term effects when some of these chemicals can be detected months later after 1 application in both urine and blood tests. Physical sunscreens “block” harmful UV rays where Chemical Based are designed to “absorb” harmful UV rays.
