Columbia Wear

By Jeff Weakley, Associate Editor

Is it possible to improve on the fishing tee shirt? In a word, yes.

Despite the recent popularity of those dressy, ventilated, pastel “flats shirts,” something tells me tee shirts are set for a comeback. For some of us, they never really went out of style. I, for one, have stayed faithful to my old cotton tee shirts. You know the ones: mostly white, or used to be white, stained now in a tie-dye of oyster mud, bonefish slime and ballyhoo poo. I like long-sleeve tees best, as they save on sunscreen.

As summer of ’08 sets in, however, I can’t help checking out the new selection of lightweight, sun-protective, moisture-wicking tees. They’re more expensive, for sure, but possibly worth it, for both comfort and long-term health.

The big drawback to ye olde cotton tee shirt is that it absorbs and retains sweat, becoming awfully heavy and hot. Also, lightweight cotton doesn’t offer as much sun protection as you might think. A dermatologist once related to me that the average bargain tee shirt offers an SPF of only about 5, perhaps even less if it gets wet.

Hook&Tackle

Fabrics with tighter weave, such as polyester, and various reflective coatings can raise the Sun Protection Factor, or the new certifying standard for garments, Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). Basically, UPF 20 means your skin is receiving one-twentieth the level of ultraviolet exposure. Australia—very proactive about fighting skin cancer—has a formal standard for testing garment UPF, explained at www.arpansa.gov.au. In the U.S., garment makers can voluntarily ascribe to industrial standards, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). There is also apparently some “fudging” of figures; one hopes the U.S. eventually settles on a universal system to inform consumers. In general, if you can’t find a specific UPF certification, or a third-party seal of approval (such as the Skin Cancer Foundation), there may be reason to doubt the actual UPF. Nevertheless, a tight weave and some proportion of synthetic fibers suggests an improvement over thin cotton. Darker colors, too, reduce UV exposure.

Makers of golf clothing, pushing $1.5 billion in annual U.S. sales, picked up on two other benefits of polyester blends: knitted “microfiber” poly shirts are stretchy and comfortable, and the fabric carries moisture away from your body, cooling you in the process. These are great qualities for skiff anglers who spend summer days on what amounts to a floating hibachi. But, there’s probably a fisheries law somewhere against throwing a castnet dressed like Arnold Palmer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you have a typical fisherman’s physique (read beer gut), you may want to steer clear of those tight-fitting poly muscle-tees—though I hear some guys say they’re great for wicking moisture away beneath those collared flats shirts. To each his own.

If you’re a fan of plain old tee shirts, here’s a few that’ll keep you feeling, and looking, cool on the water this summer.

These are all inherently quick-drying and treated with anti-microbial finishes to fight smelly bacteria colonies; one such compound is AEGIS Microbe Shield.

Where we were able, we list UPF certification standards on these garments.:

Columbia Wear
Skiff Guide Long Sleeve Tee
100 percent polyester
UPF 30 (ASTM6603)
8 colors
S-XXL $34.99
www.columbia.com

Hook&Tackle
Solar Dry Shirt
65 percent micro poly 35 percent cotton
Vented back
UPF 40
4 colors
Men’s M-XXL $35
www.hookandtackle.com

ExOfficio
ExO Dri Long Sleeve Crew
85 percent poly, 15 percent cotton
UPF 20+ (ASTM6603)
15 colors
Men’s S-XXL $40
www.exofficio.com

Redington
Wild Fly II Crew
All-polyester knit with mesh front pocket
UPF 30+
3 colors
Men’s S-XXL
Women’s XS-XL $35
www.redington.com

UnderArmour
Men’s HeatGear Blue
Camo Loose Full Tee
81 percent 5-ounce PolyArmour(tm) / 19 percent Elastane
UPF 30+
4 colors (incl. camo)
S-3XL $34.99
www.underarmour.com

ExOfficio

Keeps Out Sun, Lets Out Sweat

In general, the less permeable the surface, the better the protection against UV rays. Hold fabric up to the sun—the less light gets through, the less risk of skin damage. But doesn’t that sound like a recipe for a hot, clammy garment? I asked Steve Bendzak, General Manager of ExOfficio, about how performance poly fabrics overcome this paradox.

He explained that the secret is “intimate” yarn—multiple fibers knit closely as one, for a greater hydrophilic (“water-loving”) surface to absorb moisture. “This spreads moisture over a larger surface area, so it has a larger area to evaporate,” he said. “As the moisture evaporates, it cools you down—much like how your body sweats.”

At the same time, the synthetic fibers refract UV rays better than natural fibers, such as cotton.

ExOfficio garments are made from Dri-release fibers, produced by Optimer company. The fibers can be woven in combination with cotton, wool and others. For details, see www.drirelease.com

Only catch is, don’t run the things through the dryer with fabric-softening dryer sheets—they’ll kill the anti-microbial qualities.

Hold On to Your Hat

Shade for weary eyes, vital protection for the scalp: Hats are now available in various levels of certified Ultraviolet Protection. This one’s a Wallaroo Explorer ($36, at an online retailer), a polyester microfiber hat rated 50+ UPF. That figure is backed by fabric testing at the Australia Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

Only thing this fellow needs now is a good dose of sunscreen, or a Buff or some other face and neck covering.

SWA