Editor’s Note: The following #RADGEAR is done in partnership with the good folks at Zinka, who are celebrating 30 years of keeping neon awesome.
The sun is trying to kill you. Constantly. Don’t look at it, because you’ll go blind. Be happy that the Earth is so far away from it, because we’d all melt if it were any closer. But also be glad we’re not any further away, because everything would freeze if that were the case. Get outside and enjoy it, because you’re a lazy ass if you don’t. But gee, if you spend too much time soaking up her rays she will give you a horrible and painful disease.
With all that said, I don’t wear sunscreen. Health warnings and scoldings from doctors be damned. There may or may not be any correlation to that name of mine (there is), but I’ve never had to worry much about getting burnt. And that’s led to a lifetime of paying zero immediate consequences when forgetting to wear the ever important sunscreen. I know I’m not alone in this boat. So many of us spend a lot of time in the water or on the beach without going through the motions of lathering up. So for those of you sharing that same struggle with yours truly here are four simple tips that might help you develop that healthy habit of applying sunscreen every time you play in the sun. Even if she is trying to kill you…
Don’t forget it on overcast days.
You’re not supposed to skip wearing sunscreen just because there’s a little bit of cloud cover. The Skin Cancer Foundation says clouds block as little as 20% of UV rays, so you’re still getting a significant blast of sunshine whether you realize it or not. And then there’s debated logic that UV rays reflect off of cloud cover, making it even more dangerous to be in the water without skin protection.
So make it a 365 day a year habit, that way you don’t give yourself the chance to get out of the routine in the first place.
Keep a bag or container with all your gear, including sunscreen.
Some people have ridiculous set ups that need to be loaded into their car in order to go surfing. A mat or plastic container to stand over when changing. Maybe a bucket or gallon jug for rinsing off. A container with wax, wax combs, fin keys and of course extra fins themselves. Personally, I have a boardbag and a backpack in my car at all times to keep it as simple as possible. Inside that bag: obviously those basics. And definitely sunscreen. It’s actually pretty silly how much more regularly I apply sunscreen since I started keeping some SPF in my car. Although, it does contradict the lesson taken from the below tip…
Don’t wait until you get to the beach.
It’s firing. You’ve put your suit on as quickly as humanly possible, bummed a spot of wax from the guy two parking spots down, and waiting a single second longer before darting into the ocean could cost you a chance at the wave of your life.
At least that’s the logic.
If you’re waiting until you get to the beach to pull out the sunscreen you’ve lost half the battle already. Especially when you’re anxious to get in the water it’s just that one extra step that’s far too easy to ditch. Which can help with…
Place sunscreen next to your toothpaste.
This is the one that’s actually helped me. You brush your teeth, right? No? Ok this is awkward.
Brushing your teeth is that morning and night ritual that’s taught to us all from the moment we’ve built up enough trust from our parents that we won’t take a brush and choke ourselves with it. Your toothpaste probably sits in the same spot, on the same shelf, every day when you wake up. So why not throw a tube of sunscreen right next to that minty paste, reminding you that the sun is in fact right outside, waiting to kill you?
