This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Beware of the Sun When Fishing

Anglers often don't understand the consequences of long-term sun exposure until it's too late. Here's how to protect yourself.

Looking back more than 50 years, you'll find an entire generation of anglers who wish they had known the effects the sun had on their skin.
And we’re still learning.

According to some sunscreen dealers and dermatologists, sunscreen — despite the advertisements — is never waterproof. So people should apply sunscreen at a minimum of SPF 15 every 30 minutes. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends on its website an SPF of at least 30 be used year-round. Consider that long-sleeve cotton T-shirts only provide an SPF of 10.

Fortunately, skin-care technology has advanced along with awareness of ultraviolet sun rays.

Find out what's happening in Bloomingdale-Riverviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Decades ago, sunblock was hardly available. Getting a bronzing tan was the important thing — taking of the shirt and riding around on a  bicycle in preparation for Key West companionship.

"Up until my 30s, it was kind of sissy if you put sunscreen on," said Capt. Thom Smith, a Tampa Bay area fishing guide. "It's laughable now. I've never been the macho type, but it was kind of a macho attitude that all the guys seemed to have."

Find out what's happening in Bloomingdale-Riverviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The macho-man attitude wears off once the effects set in. Especially when a knife strips a sample of someone’s face or a nose is removed or a man is robbed of his taste buds — sometimes permanently — due to cancer radiation.

Capt. Doc Lee, a 62-year-old Bay area freshwater fishing guide, recently was treated for skin cancer and was afraid he would lose his taste buds. Lee's favorite thing to eat, of course, is fresh-fried speckled perch. "It would have almost made it not worth it," Lee said. Fortunately, Lee's taste buds grew back.

But UV rays are almost unavoidable. The problem on the water isn’t just that the harmful rays come from above. They also reflect off the water and sunglasses, giving off some 360 degrees of sun exposure.

Eventually, white bumps and brown blotches char forearms, and an aged person’s skin simply begins to fall off.

Maybe we can stand to be a bit pale after all, the trade-off for our skin and our health.

Captains and anglers have their cover-up techniques, some of which are more effective than others. Some dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen before leaving the house and reapplying throughout the day, every 30 minutes.

Although a Bimini top boat helps, tightly-woven clothing is the best defense. Sun Precautions, for example, is a clothing company that offers products that are tightly woven, yet lightweight and breathable.

Capt. Mike Myers of reelshark.com wraps a scarf around his face and dons gloves cut off at the fingertips. The face covering helps block rays reflected off the water. Large straw hats, full-length pants and long-sleeve shirts also are ideal.

That, of course, is too uncomfortable for most.

But when someone realizes the uneasiness of skin cancer, the trade-off is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the majority of boaters wait until they begin seeing blemishes and white spots to take action.

Preemptive strike, perhaps?

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?