All too true.
Watch your eyes,too. Wear your shades of choice proudly!
So true! On that note I cringe at all the shapers/galssers who don’t wear full face masks. Eyes are like sieves, they suck in resin fumes…hello more cancer!
Years ago when I surfed everyday I had these spots on my eyes between the pupil and nose. My eye doctor told me it was UV damage, and I had to get extra dark sun glasses. I don’t get to spend as much time in the water and the spots have disappeared, but I still wear dark glasses outside. A lot of my friends use dark glasses while surfing. I wish I could find
a pair of sunglasses that I could see out of in the water. I’ve tried a couple, even the goggles that swimmers use, but I haven’t been able to see very well with them.
In December of 1978 I was hit in the face with a loose board, I almost lost my eye. I couldn’t see for a couple of weeks, then I couldn’t see through my right eye for months. Luckily for me, I worked in a photo processing lab just before my injury and I was used to being in complete darkness, but I had to stay out of the water for a long time. That was a very rough time in my life.
Being forced to stay out of the water can just about drive you to insanity. I used to walk down to the beach, sit there watching the waves and cry.
Take care of your eyesight, it’s something we tend to take for granted. I’ve had to have my eyes covered for extended periods twice in my life. You can surf if you can’t walk, talk, hear, but without sight you can’t surf.
Sharkcountry,brah,like you I grew up in the sun,by or on the ocean.I recently had 2 retinal detachments in my right eye.Now I am getting a cataract,so Doc says to wear sun protection at all times.I tried a bunch,they suck when you wipe out.I finally found the answer,they are expensive,cost me 200 bucks,but ,can’t stay away from the surf,so,i got them,they are called Kurtis goggles,check it out,the site is Kurtis USA.I always wear them now,at first it was hard to adjust,but i got used to them,you can duck dive with them on ,and they have a leash(came in handy today )and they float,and don’t hurt when you wipe out.just wish they were cheaper,but,hey ,they are not made in China!Aloha Brah
I started rocking the Barz…they are great for those afternoon sessions.
Searching the web for information on how to better protect better ourselves from the sun, I came across this interesting info :
http://www.skincancer.org/sun-protective-clothing.html
Among the information it says, dark colors protect you better than white ! To me this is really new information as I always thought white would reflect the rays better (I was trustfully wearing a snow white rash guard on my annual surfing trip to the caribbean…) .
But then, on the same website, they sell what is supposed to be the best protective longsleeve T-shirt, and it’s white !
Good links Pierre. Thanks for the research. There are lots of options at outdoor clothing stores, too. Bottom line, which we all agree on, is to be aware of the danger. A good friend died from skin cancer in his mid 40’s. Don’t give up the sun necessarily… just be smart when you’re in it.
You almost have enough Swaylock points for that new toaster you’ve been wanting!
Found some apparently good protective clothing on sale here (includes a UPF 50+ surfing rash guard) : http://www.coolibar.com/specials-men-s.html
Dude, pigment or skin color doesn’t have anything to do with getting skin cancer. Bob Marley. Sunburn? Blacks can get sunburn! And for sure, you may not get sunburn but you can still get the cancer.
Everyone knows too much exposureto the sun is not good for the skin much worst we can get is cancer. Sunblock can be a good protection.
Hi
This is an important thread...glad its being discussed ! I live in Sydney AUS and of course have had plenty of sun in my 53 yrs. I too had a basil cell carcanoma cut out of my left forehead....23 stitches in a zig zag pattern. The plastic surgeon did a great job.
Okay..... I thought ...when I take off my bandage I can show my surfing teenage kids the effects of not looking after your skin. I mistakenly hoped that this event might shock them into covering up.....guess what......they said no way will they surf with hat, etc i even have to remind them to put on the sunscreen !
The problem is that it just isn`t cool to cover up ! We have plenty of advertisements here and government campaigns aimed at reducing skin cancer....young guys/girls just aren`t taking it in.
Now if I just stopped this post right here some might say "Can`t put an old head on young shoulders" or "typical conflict of baby boomer vs generation Y".
There`s more to it than that.....the number of times I have received comments about "my funny looking hat" (its a trucker style rip curl model") is numerous! Who makes the comments ? Surfers my age do ! It seems to be some male ego issue going on here.... Last Summer by chance there were about half a dozen of us longboarders together. All my vintage and 5 of the 6 were wearing hats.The guy not wearing the hat had to make a derogative comment about wearing hats. He was odd man out but still had to make the comment.
Further...Do we see surf caps/hats worn by surf pros...not many...does it restrict their vision? Do we see caps/hats worn in the Billabong/Ripcurl sponsored "non competition" surf trip type film clips...not many.
Maybe as time goes on things might change...Our skin and health is more important than our image..if you must let your surfing do the talking.
P.S.
Its true that some brand/styles of cap/hat do not stay on after wipeouts...keep shopping around til you find one that works.A vee type strap that goes in front and behind each ear works for me. For what its worth hats cut out the glare and enable you to see much better if you surf at sunrise/early morning as well.
good comment about the hat.Don’t forget sun protection for your eyes also.
Good that you brought up the hat issue. I’ve been wearing a bucket-style hat lately and haven’t had any real practical issues with it. I did pin up the rear brim a bit so that it doesn’t interfere when I paddle.
I’ve been taking a lot more precautions: long sleeves and hats at all times, a bit of red wine every day, ongoing Solaraze cream treatment, the perioding burnings/cuttings, and another cream called Episoft A, my skin is looking better than it has in years. At my last appointment, the doctor said that we can go six months before the next one. I haven’t heard that in a while.
She also said that doctors are really questioning the ‘permanent damage’ theories, and starting to think that with the right diet, sun avoidance, and treament, long term reversability is possible.
Mahalo.
Well folks, since my last post on this thread, in spite of all the prevoius surgeries and radiation treatments, the dreaded Big C came back with a vengeance. This time most of my right cheek was removed along with the entire maxillary nerve which was infested with the same aggressive squamous cell tumors that previously were removed from my right temple area and from my right eyebrow. The reconstruction involved cutting all the way down my neck, around my ear, across my cheek, down my nose and nearly to my chin. Don't ask how many stitches, even the surgeon lost count. Then a proceedure called gamma-knife surgery treated the part of the nerve inside my skull which couldn't be reached with the knife, as more tumors were making their way toward my brain stem. Then before we could start radiation, another tumor popped up on my lip, so it was back under the knife once more. When we started radiation, the healing of the other incisions came to a halt, and my mouth was burned so badly I couldn't eat. After I lost 35 pounds (I only weighed 180 to begin with) the doc had me admitted to the hospital to have a feeding tube inserted into my stomach. As of now I have quit both the radiation and the chemo, have started to gain back some weight, and am just beginning to be able to take food by mouth. Needless to say, all of this has meant no surfing, shaping, or many other enjoyable pursuits for now 5 months and still counting. Heed all those warnings---take every precaution to avoid over-exposure to the sun. No one should have to go through this. After all this, there's no guarantee that I'll be cancer free or even that I'll be around next year to post or follow your posts. TAKE CARE ALL!
cahivet,
Thanks for the follow up and warning. I'm not that careful. Good luck and keep up the good fight. Mike
our prayers with you.keep fighting.you will be back on a board.aloha
Hang in there CAHIvet. Thoughts and prayers are with you.
That’s some heavy stuff. Hoping for nothing but the best for you CAHivet.
Several years back, I had a scab on my lower lip that persisted for months. I would go visit my mom and she kept telling me to go get it checked out. Finally went to my derm and she biopsied it and sure enough, came back positive for squamous cell carcinoma. A long day of moh’s surgery and a good chunk of my lower lip was removed.Have since had them removed from my nose, temple and forehead. I’m currently going through a topical cream treatment called “aldara” that may or may not be effective. It’s cheaper than surgery, but whatever it doesn’t take out, the doctor will.
Bottom line, if you have spots that scab and don’t heal, don’t ignore them, go get it checked out by a reputable dermatologist. It’s somewhat costly, but it can save your life.
Second bottom line, if you’ve got the skin type (prone to skin cancers), stay covered up, wear a hat and opaque type sunscreens.
Hey CAHIvet sorry about your condition.
You hang in there , prayers are there for you.
Kate
http://www.caring.com/news/experts-optimistic-about-melanoma-vaccine
CAHIvet, good to catch up with you the other day, seems like we started our problems with skin cancer around the same time. You have a good holiday , glad everything went well at UCLA , Melakaleki Maka, KP