Sun Protection Tips: From a Carolina Beach Traveler

Every visit to Kiawah Island usually involves a painful lesson in sunburn. These “ouch” moments always return to rear their ugly head despite bringing adequate supplies and varieties of sun block and sunscreens. While lotions are most common, I will pause and give kudos to the sunscreen manufacturers for coming out with canned “sprays” that make application a slam dunk time saver.  These easy spray-on applications go on evenly and oily messes are avoided. The process is great for families as kids can be lined up and sprayed in a matter of a minute. The spray on style of sunscreen also makes it easier to spray one’s own back when there is no assistance available. That being said, we still packed our thick 50 spf lotion as “back up”. The lotion is much cheaper, but I will still gladly spend the extra money to get the spray on stuff. Stores will usually carry these items on sale early spring (right before spring break). I was able to get two cans of spray on SPF50 for about eleven bucks back in March.

The painful lesson learned on our beach trip last year was getting a sun burned back. On my first trip to the beach that year I was under the false pretense I was adequately coated  with block all afternoon. The return to the umbrella was met with gasps from others stating how red my back was. It was evident the salty and sandy surf had washed away the lotion off my back leaving it exposed for a few hours. Sleep was a challenge for two nights during that trip. This year, I went into our vacation prepared with a u/v protected swim shirt.  The shirt set me back a measly nine dollars and did the job. Trying to find a swim shirt for kids is a snap at large retailers such as Target, Kohl’s, or Wal-Mart. Trying to find swim shirts for adults is not as easy.  Search engine pursuits under adult swim shirts had me directed to upscale beach attire e-stores that were pretty pricey, though a little over the top. I resorted to purchasing a black u/v protected workout shirt at Meijer for a paltry nine bucks. It did the job all week!

This June 2013 trip to South Carolina did not disappoint. I got burned again but in a different spot, my head and feet. The feet and head seem to be the last places I would have considered “covering up”, but they were exposed. My head was exposed as I had worn a visor to the beach. My feet were never sprayed so they were lobsters at the end of the day. Taking away a few burns from the past few years I have managed to highlight key reminders to myself to stay burn free at the beach:

Keys to staying burn free on the beach:

1.       Umbrella – Spend adequate time under the umbrella.  Bring one or rent one if you have to. It is money well spent and you will return home burn free. It is also a great way to catch up on your reading and keep your snacks and beverages cool.

2.       Sun block Sprays – This is a great way to quickly and frequently stay protected from solar rays. Perspiration and frequent trips in and out of the water will remove the initial application of block. Spray on screens or blocks will make this step a breeze. Many people get burned because they avoid re-applying protection when it involves creams or lotions because it is such a hassle.

3.       Sun block on Hands and Feet – The two most forgotten areas must be protected. Remember to apply block on tops of feet. Sandals and water socks are not enough protection as they still allow small holes to expose feet. Keep the head protected by wearing a light breathable hat. Leave the visor at home. Also spending adequate time under the umbrella will protect the head.

4.       Use Water Resistant Sun Screens and Blocks – Opt for the lotions and sprays that hold up to water. Some of these products will resist water for up to eighty or ninety minutes. In the Carolina sun and surf, I would reapply every hour. Reapplication is also mandatory when salt and sand remove the protective screens.

5.       Swim Shirt – This extra protection from the sun will be a lifesaver for the shoulders, back and chest. Go with a swim shirt or workout shirt that has u/v protection label. Light t-shirts or undershirts will not work as they allow harmful rays to penetrate the skin, especially if the top gets wet.

2013 Summer Trip to Kiawah

The 2013 family trip to Kiawah was fun as always and included a few new activities.  The temperature for the last week in June averaged a high eighty degrees Fahrenheit and was extremely humid. The water temperature of the Atlantic appeared in the low 80’s and the tidal pools were even warmer. It is interesting as the tide recedes and leaves behind several of these little pools for the kids to play in. One of these tidal pools left behind several horseshoe crabs resting on the pool bottoms. These crabs sort of camouflage themselves by burying themselves on the sand bottom floor and are very difficult to spot. These prehistoric looking crabs are very sinister looking, but totally harmless as they do not bite or sting.

As fun as the beach was, I had my limits with a very hot low country summer sun. Day one of vacation was spent almost entirely on the beach. Despite the constant re-applying of sun block, I managed to get the tops of my feet and my head (was wearing a visor) burnt. Next time I will dedicate more time under the umbrella.

We managed to get in some biking on day two. We biked the trails in the East Beach area through Tennis Club, Turtle Point, and up along Dolphin Way. We found a few golf balls by the Turtle point golf course as we biked. We also managed to circle back by Night Heron Park. We took a stroll through the Night Heron Nature center to show our youngest the cool island critters on display. He was enamored with the Alligator pen featuring four young gators. This trip also allowed me to check out the recently added Night Heron water park which was very impressive. The downside to this water attraction is that the resort does not allow non resort guests to pay daily admission for use of the pool. You have to rent though the resort to get access to the pool. Biking back to the villa, we saw several species of birds along the trail including Osprey and a few herons.

The golfing for the week included a trip to Kiawah’s Oak Point just off the island. The course was in pretty decent shape and played very quickly as there were not too many golfers pushing us during mid day. It was a very hot round of golf, though we had a cooler of several bottles of ice water to keep hydrated. Our other round of golf for the week was at Legend Oaks in Summerville (over an hour from Kiawah).  That course is also in decent shape due to numerous rains the low country has experienced in June.

One of the highlights of week was the Wednesday trip to Bohicket Marina for the Children’s fishing derby. The marina hosts this event every Wednesday in the summer. The derby lasts one hour and costs only five dollars. The admission includes use of fishing poles that are already baited with squid. The top anglers in their respective age category receive a t-shirt. I am proud to say two of my three kids won. My youngest caught a 13 inch Whiting and my daughter caught an eleven inch toad fish. Toad fish are very ugly and seem to have numerous teeth. I was happy that the staff unhooked  that little monster and spared  me that unfortunate task. Our middle child came up empty at the fishing derby and was a little upset. He was a good sport congratulating his siblings, but I felt I had to make it up to him. His grandfather and I took him to Rhett’s bluff pier/boat launch later that day to try and catch him a fish.  His good sportsmanship paid off as he caught a baby shark off the pier. He was elated to finally land a fish.   

This was our 12^th or 13^th trip to Kiawah (I have lost count) and it was as fun as our previous trips. We added a few twists and turns this time around such as Kiawah River fishing, Marina fishing, and a half day trip to Folly Beach.  I am already missing the low country and look forward to the next trip and creating more family memories.