Sleeveless Rash Guards

About Rash Guards

When you plan to spend a day enjoying water sports, you might also want to plan on spending that day wearing a rash guard. These swim shirts, as they're also called, protect your skin in several ways.

First, rash guards act as sun blockers, with the highest quality brands eliminating as much as 98 percent of harmful UV rays. This means no worries about a painful sunburn any place the fabric covers.

Second, rash guards protect against sand abrasion. Anyone who has ever spent time at the beach knows how rough and dry it can leave your feet. Now feet have extra tough skin, so just imagine how abrading sand can affect the softer skin on your arms and torso. Spend some time readjusting yourself on a slightly gritty surf board, and you'll understand exactly what we're talking about.

Rash guards are typically made from a durable blend of nylon and Lycra. This fabric is form-fitting, and it dries quickly too. This means your shirt has what it takes to keep sand away from your skin, yet it remains breathable.

Why Sleeveless Rash Guards?

We've established that rash guards offer a certain level of skin protection. Now let's talk about styles.

Swim shirts are available in several sleeve lengths. Long sleeve rash guards offer the highest level of protection. Short sleeve rashies offer moderate protection for those who want at least a little exposure. Sleeveless rash guards offer no coverage on the arms beyond the shoulder cap.

Added Mobility

Sleeveless rash guards may be the swimwear of choice for several reasons. Although the shirts are designed to move with you, a sleeveless shirt still offers slightly more mobility when you need to raise your arms above your head. This can be important when you're participating in a sport like kite sailing, where your arms need maximum flexibility to deal with strong winds. ===Doubles as an Undergarment A sleeveless rash guard can also serve as an undergarment for wet suits and dry suits. They actually protect against chafing caused when damp skin rubs against neoprene for any length of time. The sleeveless variety is easier to accommodate beneath a necessarily snug fitting wet suit that can be difficult to pull on over the arms.

Tips for Buying Sleeveless Rashies

• Opt for darker colors whenever possible. They are more effective at blocking out UV rays.
• Don't buy a rashie with a UV protection factor of less than 50.
• UV protection levels drop when the fabric is stretched to the max, so be sure your swim shirt fits the way it's supposed to. Go up to the next largest size if necessary.
• Even though you're searching for a sleeveless model, choosing a cap sleeve design still offers more protection than a tank.
• Always choose medium to heavy weight rashies. You'll pay more, but they're worth it for the durability and greater UV protection they provide.

Let's Go Shopping

Sleeveless rashies are made for both men and women, so let's look at a sample of what's available.

For Men

• O'Neill 24/7 Sleeveless Rashie Crew Shirt: Here's a rashie that certainly doesn't look like one. Wear it by itself or under your wet suit.
• Exceed Entity Sleeveless Rashie: This rashie was designed for the water sport all-rounder. Wear it under your wet suit, or by itself as you swim, snorkel and surf.
• Jet Pilot Sleeveless Swim Shirt: Jet Pilot is a very hot brand right now. This rashie looks and performs equally great on land or in water.

For Women

• O'Neill Skin Tank Top Rash Guard: This tank top rashie offers the minimum amount of coverage of all the rash guard styles, even if it does offer sun protection on the meager amount of body it covers. Since this model seems to be designed for fashion rather than true function, plan to wear a lot of sun block.
• O'Neill Printed Cap Sleeve Rashie: This model offers only the slightest hint of a sleeve and full coverage from front to back. The tiny polka dot pattern gives the shirt a feminine look that's not over the top.
• Body Glove Aura Women's Cap Sleeve Rashie: Bare from the shoulders down, this sleeveless rashie hugs your figure as the name implies. This model comes in three decidedly feminine color combinations that are sure to please surfer girls of all ages.