SPF Somewhat Explained

There are a many misconceptions surrounding the three little letters we trust to protect our skin from the harmful UV rays that pound our skin while we fish, surf, hunt, or simply enjoy the outdoors. The SPF number does not correspond to a specified time of protection from harmful rays, but a level of protection from the suns intensity.

Think about it this way, you're using SPF 40 on July 4 in the lower Laguna Madre, which shares roughly the same latitude as Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and your identical twin brother separated at birth is fishing in the Gulf of Maine off the New Hampshire coast. You both fish from 10 am until 3 pm. Your exposure time is both five hours; however, the intensity of the suns rays grows more intense as you near the equator so you are experiencing the stronger solar onslaught. Since you have identical skin and have both applied SPF 40 sunblock, one could assume you were equally protected, not so, your northern brother would have more protection due to the weakness of the suns rays.

The SPF number simply corresponds to the overall strength of the sunblock not the amount of time it will protect you in the sun. So always remember these three things when battling UV:

• Re-apply after every wade or long hike
• Apply liberally every two hours regardless of activity
• Never forget the sensitive areas: Ears, Eye-lids, Back of Neck