If you stumbled across our online store or this blog and have no idea what a rash guard is you may be thinking, “how weird”, or “that’s disgusting!”.

Don’t worry… we’ll explain what a rash guard is and after reading what we have to say you just may even want one!

Rash guards, (also known as surf shirts, swim shirts, rashies and other names I probably haven’t heard of), are thin, tight-fitting shirts made of a lycra/nylon blend.

They’re designed to provide rash, abrasion and UV protection in and around the water. They can vary in SPF rating but our rash guards are some of the highest rated shirts, providing SPF 150+, (UPF 50+), protection wet or dry – that’s higher than any sunscreen on the market today.

Rash guard shirts fit skin tight so they stay put in the water and surfers have been wearing them for decades to protect their skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun as well as from painful rashes that can develop from laying and rubbing on their surfboards.

With all the dangers of skin cancer that have been discovered over the years, rashguards are no longer only being worn only by surfers but they are becoming a staple in many families arsenal of UV protection.

Cheaper, easier to use and longer lasting than any sunscreen, they’re perfect for the entire family and are especially great for kids who hate sitting still for their sunscreen application or getting out of the water for their re-application.

More recently and with the popularity of MMA and grappling, rashguards are now worn for skin protection in almost all forms of martial arts.

So… now you know rash guards are not something weird or disgusting but something helpful and protective that you and your family may actually want to use.