Best Sunscreen for Water Sports

Sun protection is vital for people who play water sports. You’re in the sun and water having a great time, but you’re exposing yourself to the sun’s damaging UV radiation for long periods of time. Sometimes, the water can work against you by intensifying the sun’s light. This makes sun protection and in particular a quality sunscreen an important part of any water sport.

Water sports include a lot of activities both on and in the water. As such, this guide provides you with the best sunscreens for kayaking, diving, snorkeling, water polo, canoeing, dragon boat racing, jet skiing, paddle boarding, rowing, sailing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, white water rafting, windsurfing, and yachting.

In all of these sports, your first steps should always be getting UV-rated clothing and swimwear, planning your activities when the sun is less intense (early morning and late afternoon), and using available natural shade to your advantage. You’ll still have areas of your body exposed and that’s where your sunscreen comes in. If you choose the right one, it will protect you against increased risk of melanoma and the skin-wrinkling and sagging effects of the sun’s light.

Buyer’s Guide

 

Water sports require a sturdy sunscreen that provides great sun protection while resisting both the water around you and the intense physical exercise you’re completing. This means there are a few features the best sunscreen for water sports must have:

Broad spectrum protection

UV radiation is split into two components. UVB that causes immediate damage in the form of sunburn and UVA that alters deep skin cell DNA, increasing your risk of skin cancer and worsening skin wrinkling and sagging. Every sunscreen you use should protect you from both – which is known as broad spectrum protection.

To guarantee you’re getting this awesome level of protection, make sure your sunscreen’s packaging is labeled with ‘broad spectrum’ or ‘UVA/UVB protection’. If a sunscreen doesn’t have this, it only protects you from UVB and leaves you open to the far more damaging UVA spectrum. These sunscreens put you in danger, so don’t buy them.

Water sports often involve intense sunlight and leaving a lot of your body exposed. This makes broad spectrum protection especially important for you as the consequences of inadequate protection are far more serious for people who expose themselves to this extent.

As broad spectrum is the only way to go, all of the sunscreens recommended on SimplySunSafe offer this protection.

Best SPF for Water Sports

Despite its widespread use, sun protection factor (SPF) is not well-understood by consumers. Very few people can give you the correct definition, they just know is higher is better – but how much better?

SPF indicates the amount of time a sunscreen protects you for. To get this time you multiply the SPF by the amount of time it takes you to burn without protection. So if you take 10 minutes to burn without sunscreen, with an SPF 15 sunscreen it should take 150 minutes (15 times as long). If you take 5 minutes to burn normally, you’ll only be protected for 75 minutes by the same sunscreen.

But this formula doesn’t tell you that much about a sunscreen’s effectiveness. Most sunscreens only last for 2 hours after application (less when water and sweat are involved). This means an SPF 50 sunscreen won’t provide the prolonged protection the math above suggests. For this reason regular reapplication, sun-protective clothing/swimwear, and seeking out shade should form a large part of your sun protection strategy.

There are a couple of other issues with SPF as a measure of sunscreen effectiveness:

• It only concerns UVB radiation (the sunburn one) and not UVA. For UVA you need to check the active ingredients to ensure you’re getting quality protection (more on this below).
• The time calculation based on SPF is made even more unreliable because it also depends on the intensity of sunlight you’re in and the thickness of the layer of sunscreen you applied. These extra variables mean the time you’re protected for is impossible to know.
• The standard SPFs marketed make people think the protection offered by SPF 30 sunscreens is double that of SPF 15 sunscreens. This isn’t true as you’ll see in the table below.

To clarify some of the confusion SPF creates, let’s just look at the level of protection each SPF rating provides from UVB radiation:

SPF Rating	UVB Protection
None	0%
2	50%
15	93%
30	97%
50	98%
100	99%

That’s better, isn’t it? Now you can clearly see that SPF 30 offers great protection and anything above this doesn’t do much more for you. The difference between SPF 100 and 30 is only a tiny 2% increase in protection despite what people think when they see these numbers in stores. That’s why the FDA has imposed an SPF 50+ cap on sunscreens – so people aren’t mislead into thinking higher SPFs are a lot better when they’re not.

So which should you be using for water sports? I’m going to defer to the experts on this one and agree with dermatologists that SPF 30 offers enough protection for everyone. If you have particularly photosensitive skin (you’re quite fair) you might opt for the higher SPF just to be safe. Having said that, SPFs above 30 don’t offer a whole lot more protection so if you do buy these products you shouldn’t be paying a whole lot more for them.

Physical not chemical

Not all sunscreens work in the same way. Broadly, sunscreens are classified as either physical (sit on the skin and reflect light away) or chemical (absorbed into the skin and absorb light before it reaches the skin). Research shows physical sunscreens stop more light reaching the skin across a broader spectrum. It’s that simple – physicals work better, so use physicals.

Physicals have other benefits that really seal the deal:

• they last longer on the skin
• are less likely to cause irritation
• work straight away (no 20-minute wait)
• have a longer shelf life

There are also further downsides to chemicals. Most chemical sunscreen active ingredients are endocrine disruptors (they mess with with your hormones). The most dangerous of these chemicals is oxybenzone. It is scarily common amongst the sunscreens of the biggest skincare brands, despite being essentially blacklisted by human health authority the EWG.

To ensure you’re getting the good stuff, check the packaging of your sunscreen for ‘physical’ or ‘mineral’ labels. If you can’t find this, double check the ingredients list. You want high levels of either zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide and no oxybenzone.

Water-resistant

Water sports involve rigorous exercise and lots of water. This means you need a sunscreen that stays where it needs to be so your broad spectrum protection can do its job properly. This also helps to prevent getting sunscreen in your eyes – something everyone wants to avoid.

Water-resistant sunscreens will do this tough job for you. They go through testing to ensure they’ll continue to offer their advertised protection despite you sweating and splashing through water.

Due to regulation changes you won’t find ‘waterproof’ or ‘sweatproof’ sunscreens that claim to last for hours and hours anymore. The rules changed and now what you will find are sunscreens rated as either 40 or 80 minutes water-resistant. Restricting the resistance claims to shorter times also remind people to reapply regularly (as instructed) which is half the battle to keep yourself protected.

Water sports are intense and require the best water-resistance available, so you’ll want to stick with 80-minute water resistant sunscreens. This doesn’t seem that impressive, but this is the best indication you’ve got that your sunscreen won’t lose protection or sting your eyes while you’re in or on the water.

Another thing to look for is sunscreens marketed for ‘sport’, ‘water’, or ‘ocean’. These usually have high water resistance and have been tested under the relevant conditions. People who review these products have used them in a similar setting to you and so the feedback they give is more relevant and therefore informative. If it’s highly rated/recommended, it’s probably good.

Get lotion not spray

The FDA has been warning against the use of spray sunscreens for years. Despite this, their market share has been increasing. This is because of the great job companies do convincing people it’s a more convenient method of application. But this ‘convenience’ comes at a cost.

Breathing in sunscreen chemicals is a more direct method of exposure that can lead to lung injury. When sunscreens contain nano and micro-sized particles, the risk of injury is even greater. This form of exposure is particularly damaging to children (a big target of spray sunscreen marketing!).

That’s bad enough, but there’s more to this story. It is believed spray sunscreens often provide inadequate protection as the ‘convenient’ method of application makes it difficult to create a consistent and sufficient layer of sunscreen to fully protect users.

Although FDA bans have been threatened in the past, spray sunscreens are currently still legal. In the meantime, companies must come up with evidence to prove these products are safe. It’s been years and this data still hasn’t been provided. Until they can show them to be safe, SimplySunSafe won’t recommend them.

Appropriate for daily use

Water sports are a lot of fun. In the summer you might even get the chance to do them everyday. This means you’ll need a sunscreen formulation gentle enough to not cause your skin any trouble with daily use.

If you’re a water sportsperson with sensitive skin you should be especially concerned with what you’re putting on your skin. For you I recommend the BADGER Sport Sunscreen. It has just five ingredients and is 100% natural – there are no surprises and irritation is extremely unlikely.

Best Sunscreen for Water Sports Comparison

 

5 Best Sunscreens for Water Sports

 

After thorough research that combined discussing issues with customers, reviewing customer feedback, examining manufacturer specifications, and participating in skincare and sports forums SimplySunSafe has chosen the 5 best sunscreens for water sports. All 5 physical sunscreens offer broad spectrum protection, have an SPF of 30 or more, have 80-minute water resistance, and are gentle enough for daily use.

1. BADGER SPF 35 Sport Sunscreen

Last update on 2023-10-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Badger SPF 35 Sport Sunscreen is a physical sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection through a high concentration (22.5%) of its only active ingredient, zinc oxide. This sunscreen has one of the simplest formulas on the market as it has only four other ingredients – sunflower oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, and sunflower vitamin E.

This short list of ingredients is certified as 100% natural and 98% organic, making Badger Sport Sunscreen a great product for people with sensitive skin. As long as you don’t react to one of the five ingredients, it’s unlikely this sunscreen will cause you irritation, no matter your previous history with other sunscreens.

Its suitability for sensitive users extends to its smell. Although unscented, this natural sunscreen has a mild, oatmeal fragrance that is unlikely to offend even the most sensitive nose.

As required for water sports it has the highest marketable water resistance at 80 minutes. In fact, much of the negative feedback on this product surround the fact that it is difficult to remove once applied. This speaks volumes about its water resistance and simply makes it more suitable for providing protection to water sportspeople.

Badger Sport’s natural ingredients are also biodegradable, non-nano, and safe for coral reefs which gives people who want to use it in the ocean peace of mind.

The high concentration of zinc oxide provides awesome and balanced UV protection. As it sits on your skin (as all physical sunscreens do), it does take a bit of effort to rub in properly and will leave a white cast on most skin tones. But this is a small price to pay for the amazing and lasting protection offered by Badger Sport Sunscreen.

Badger Sport has also been featured on SimplySunSafe as the best sunscreen for surfers, the best fishing sunscreen, and as one of the best waterproof sunscreen available. This product ensures you’re getting one of the best on the market!

2. thinksport Sunscreen SPF 50+

Last update on 2023-10-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Thinksport Sunscreen SPF 50+ is a broad spectrum sunscreen that provides physical protection using 20% non-nano zinc oxide. This high-SPF formulation offers market-leading, balanced UV protection to its users. BADGER Sport Sunscreen’s simpler formula was the only reason it edged out the number one spot on this list of water sport sunscreens.

Thinksport, the manufacturer of this sunscreen, has an amazing reputation for making products with the safety of consumers in mind. To list just a couple of examples, they follow the advice of the FDA to the letter, they don’t use any ingredients known to harm users (like oxybenzone), and they don’t produce spray sunscreens. In fact, thinksport Sunscreen was the first to pass Whole Foods premium care requirements, a testament to thinksport’s dedication to consumers.

Dermatologically recommended and used used by professional athletes, thinksport Sunscreen is made of natural ingredients including the oils from sunflowers, jojoba, olives, raspberry seeds, and cranberry seeds. It doesn’t have added fragrance and its natural scent is inoffensive. These features combine to make this sunscreen gentle and safe for use on sensitive skin.

It doesn’t feel oily on the skin (so won’t grip or equipment) and has the maximum 80-minute water resistance. This means it’ll stay put regardless of how much water and sweat you encounter.

Like most physical sunscreens designed for sport, thinksport Sunscreen does leave a white cast on most skin types, though this fades during use. This provides a handy reminder to reapply as necessary while you’re on the go.

This product comes in both 3 ounce and 6 ounce tubes so you can choose between convenient, travel appropriate size and better value for money.

3. BurnOut Ocean Tested Physical SPF 30+

Last update on 2023-10-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

BurnOut Ocean Tested Physical SPF 30+ is pretty much summed up by its name. It is a physical sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection and can survive the swell and surf of the ocean. It uses a high (20%) concentration of zinc oxide to achieve this great level of balanced protection.

BurnOut is another great suncare company. They work very hard to ensure their products are environmentally safe as they know that’s where they’re going to be used. BurnOut Ocean Tested Physical if free from chemicals, parabens, petroleum, and PABA (the bad stuff). It’s also biodegradable, ocean-safe, cruelty-free, and vegan (the good stuff). This combo makes for a clean, green product anyone would be happy to buy and use.

BurnOut Ocean Tested Physical’s features don’t stop at its environmental safety. It’s smooth texture makes it easy to apply and feels nicer than most other physicals. This natural sunscreen works well on sensitive skin as its hemp seed oil, aloe vera, and antioxidant vitamins work to nourish and hydrate the skin. It doesn’t use added fragrances and its natural sunscreen smell is mild and inoffensive.

Originally designed (and tested) for use by ocean athletes, BurnOut Ocean Tested Physical has the highest 80-minute water resistance level. Like the other sport physicals listed, it does take a bit of rubbing in and will leave a white cast on all but the lightest skin tones. But when you’re having a blast in the water you won’t have to worry about your sunscreen doing its job.

This product has received a number of negative reviews in its time. A lot of these reviews concern a formula change that happened a number of years ago. The good news is that BurnOut reacted to this constructive criticism and their formula is back to its former glory – retaining the highest possible EWG rating.

4. Goddess Garden Sport SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen

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Goddess Garden Sport SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen combines both zinc oxide (6%) and titanium dioxide (6.4%) to offer physical, broad spectrum protection to its users. Although the concentration of these active ingredients are lower than the other sunscreens for water sports, it is still provides effective and balanced UV protection.

Goddess Garden is an environmentally-friendly company focused on sustainable business practices. This woman-owned company represents their principles by maintaining a low carbon footprint and supporting organic farmers, local schools, and family-friendly organizations.

Goddess Garden Sport Natural Sunscreen embodies these values as it is biodegradable, reef-safe, gluten-free, cruelty-free, vegan, non-nano, non-GMO, and is packaged in a recyclable container. It contains certified organic ingredients and has no added fragrance, making it suitable for sensitive skin. It also hydrates dry skin through the included aloe vera.

Designed for athletic use, Goddess Garden Sport has the highest water-resistance level at 80 minutes. It won’t run or streak because of water or sweat. This, as usual, means this product leaves a white cast on the skin, despite marketing materials suggesting it goes on clear.

PLEASE NOTE: SimplySunSafe only recommends the lotion version of this sunscreen not the spray version. I agree with the concerns of the FDA about the risks of spray sunscreens as mentioned in the buyer’s guide. Also be aware that the negative feedback on this product often relates to the spray version and faults with its packaging – not the recommended lotion.

5. Raw Elements Eco Formula Sunscreen SPF 30

Last update on 2023-10-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Raw Elements Eco Formula Sunscreen is an all-natural, physical sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection using 23% zinc oxide, the highest concentration of active ingredient on this list. Naturally, this means the sun protection offered by this product is impressive and well-balanced.

Raw Elements Eco Formula is full of natural ingredients and is hypoallergenic, making it great for people with allergies and/or sensitive skin. Some of the ingredients, like the sunflower oil, green tea, black tea, hemp seed oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax are certified as organic by the USDA. These ingredients give this sunscreen antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which helps to moisturize and nourish your skin.

This product is biodegradable and reef-safe which means it can be used in the ocean without fear of harm to the ecosystem. It also has the highest 80-minute water resistance. These features combine to make this sunscreen a great fit for the environmentally conscious water sportsperson.

Raw Elements Eco Formula is quite thick and probably has the least pleasant texture of the sunscreens recommended here. It also has quite a strong, natural sunscreen smell that some people might find a little too much to handle. This product is still a great sunscreen that offers fantastic protection, but these cosmetic touches are the reason it fills the last spot on this list.

Conclusion

This guide should have helped you make a decision about the water sport sunscreen that best suits your needs. Hopefully it has also provided you with some useful knowledge about what to look for to find an effective sunscreen.

Based on the must-have features outlined, the best sunscreen for water sports is BADGER SPF 35 Sport Sunscreen. Whether it’s kayaking, snorkeling, rowing, sailing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing BADGER Sport Sunscreen has what you need. Having said that, all five options are great sunscreens that will get the job done. Just think about what you need and choose the one best suited to you.

If you’re a dedicated water sportsperson who has a sunscreen you know works brilliantly, let me know in the comments. I’ll do some research and might just add it to these recommendations.

FAQs

Q: How to apply sunscreen for watersports?

A: It’s a good idea to apply sunscreen before you enjoy water sports, or else your skin will burn. You should put on an ounce of sunscreen 20 minutes in advance and make sure it is a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection factor above 30. You will need to reapply sunscreen every two hours, no matter the water activity.

Q: How do you choose sunscreen for watersports?

A: There are some factors to consider when choosing sweatproof sunscreen for watersports. The first thing to do is make sure you get a broad-spectrum sunscreen that is safe for the skin on your face. Most sunscreens target UVB rays, but in the marine environment, UVA rays penetrate all layers of your skin and, more importantly, penetrate deeper than UVB rays. 

It’s also important to pay attention to both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as they provide an extra level of protection against UVA rays.

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