Swimming in harsh sun - good waterproof sunblocks or UV swimwear?

IslandBreeze

Castaway
Hi
Where I live there is no indoor swimming, only an unshaded outdoor pool or the sea. As we're in the tropics, the sun is pretty harsh. I've been using Boots Soltan Factor 50 sunblock which claims to be water-resistant but you can feel it lifting off your skin as soon as you enter the water and I'm getting sunburnt when I swim. I really want to keep swimming, it's the only exercise I enjoy and it's the easiest to do in tropical heat. I swim almost 2 km a day and I'd be gutted to stop.

So my question is, does anyone know of a good sunblock that would protect me in water for about an hour?

Also good swimwear. At present I'm wearing a lycra gym shirt over my swimsuit to protect my shoulders but the seams rub in the water and it's making me sore. I've seen "raysuits" on equatorsun for about £45. Does anyone know if they are comfortable to swim in? Does the UV protection work? Due to my location, if I buy them I can't return them so I'd love to know if anyone uses them. Link below:

http://www.equatorsun.com/addProduct.jsp?id=67

They look like they would be deeply unflattering on a flabby mummy tummy?:(
 
I use Banana Boat brand. I'm very fair skinned, and can burn in the middle of winter. They do a very good water/sweat proof spray on block in factor 30. And a cream in factor 50. Both are very good. It's an American brand, so can be hard to get hold of, but it's worth the effort.
 
Thanks for that Witchy, I shall look for it online. Do you happen to know any UK suppliers?

My family are all Irish - doesn't really give you the kind of skin that can handle even English sun, let alone this. I've just ordered some swimming goggles with full UV protection as the glare on the pool is really strong and blue eyes just aren't going protect my retina without some help!
 
I managed to get this years supply at Superdrug. But I don't know if they do online ordering.
 
I find Boots Soltan absolutely dreadful. Not only am I fair-skinned, I'm allergic. Five minutes of the kind of sun you're in will not just burn me and leave me peeling for days, it'll also bring out a severe heat-rash and give me all kinds of other complications. So I spent a great deal of time trying a variety of Factor 50+ sunblocks, believe me :D

The best I've found is Nivea Sun Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF50+, available from Boots, Superdrug, and most supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, etc). Retails at around £11 for a 200ml bottle, but toward summer most places offer it on a 2 for 1 deal. You need to apply it 15 minutes before you head into a pool for it to stick around, but it tends to last a good couple of hours in water, and 4-5 out of water, even if you're sweating.

Also for emergencies I have a Tesco Sun Protection Stick which is rated at 40spf. It's no good for wide coverage, but for a quick application to the face, ears and neck before I can get to a bottle of cream it's indespensable.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for that Crazy Brit, Nivea should be easy to get hold off. It annoys me that the Soltan claims to resist water for hours and it doesn't at all. They shouldn't claim those things when they're not true.
 
That suit looks good. I havn't tried one of those but a friend has one along the same lines & she loves it. They're a bit like wet suits & do a certain amount of holding you in. I feel for you, I have similar colouring & it's a pita!
 
Thanks Maxi. It would be good if the suit did hold my tummy in! I always envy friends who have part-mediterranean backgrounds, they tan so nicely. This celtic skin was not designed for exotic travel, years of evolution have seen to it that it's best suited to being in boggy, wet, cloudy lands - booooooooo.

I'll have to measure myself and see if the suit is large enough to fit me.
 
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