Wetsuit

Improvements in wetsuit design and construction over the years have significantly reduced the problem. Using dry lubricants or Vaseline can also help some. But Vaseline is a petroleum-based product. So over time it will attack the neoprene in your wetsuit. The bottom line is heavy activity in even a modern lubricated wetsuit can still cause a rash.

If you want to eliminate the problem entirely your best bet is to wear what is called a rash guard. Rash guards are very tight fitting under garments, designed to be worn right against your skin underneath your wetsuit. They are usually made out of stretch lycra or spandex to reduce friction and ensure a tight fit. Many of them are made with the seams on the outside for an even smoother skintight fit. So even though it may look like you are wearing your shirt inside out that is the way you are supposed to wear rash guards.

Not surprisingly, Australian divers who spend a lot of time in the water invented rash guards many years ago. Surfers and divers there still refer to them as “rashys” or “rashies”. The rest of the world has come up with a whole host of names for rash guards to help commercialize them. The term surf shirt has become almost as popular as rash guard. But both terms refer to the same form fitting stretch nylon shirts.

Dive skins are a variation of rash guards that are full-length jumpsuits. They are one-piece undergarments that cover you from your neck down to your ankles with the same rash protection you get from rash guards.

Even surfers who don't wear a wetsuit will wear rash guards to keep their skin from rubbing against the surfboard. Sometimes it is just too hot out for a surfer to wear a wetsuit. But bare skin sliding up and down on a waxed surfboard is bound to leave a mark. In this case, rash guards offer the best all around solution for surfers.

Rash guards have become so popular that dozens of other sports have picked up the friction reduction idea. Football, baseball and soccer players the world over use rash guards, not only to reduce skin friction problems but also to wick away moisture. Some martial artists use rash guards because it makes it tougher for your opponent to grab you. Rash guards have proven to be a great all in one protection for your skin. Any and all sports activities that involve skin friction have found a use for rash guards.

The latest craze is to promote the UV sun protection afforded by rash guards. Most beach and ocean activity involves as much exposure to the sun as to the water. Lets face it; there just isn't much shade from the sun out on the ocean. Just about any advertisement you see these days for rash guards will boast of great sun protection. Often the SPF ratings for rash guards are up in the 150 plus range.