Help me out here, because this has been bugging me. The gym has an outdoor lap pool that I use during the lunch hour. During the summer, it is packed with kids. I have noticed that quite a large number of the young boys (grade school) are wearing rash guard shirts. About half are short sleeve and half are long sleeve. Few of the girls have them. What’s the deal?
I don’t think they are self-conscious b/c most of them are normal, skinny(ish) kids. I thought it was over-protective parents (sun exposure), but, few girls wear them. Is this the new style? It has to be horribly uncomfortable. Most of them are baggy and not form fitting. That would drive me nuts.
The other day, this boy was taking a swimming lesson. He was trying to swim with a baggy long-sleeve rash guard shirt and baggie board shorts. The poor kid had absolutely no chance of actually swimming in that. It killed me that the instructor did not understand that.
Oh! Why can’t they wear jammers, goggles and swim laps. Why do kids have to look and behave like dorks?! And be non-aero to boot?! You should talk to the swim instructor.
Oh! Why can’t they wear jammers, goggles and swim laps. Why do kids have to look and behave like dorks?! And be non-aero to boot?! You should talk to the swim instructor.
You are one of those parents who makes their kids wear rash guards in the pool! Bwaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaahaaaaaaa!
No really, you need to speak to the instructor and staff so you can tell them how much you know and how you “participated” and finished a few IM in around 14 hours because (insert excuse) were forced to walk 24 miles of each marathon.
I put my son in one, because at day camp I know he won’t be putting on sun screen after the pool so he frequently wears it all day. They are out side all day except for the swim, and I don’t want him to have to deal with a sun burn carrying a backpack every where for the rest of the week.
I do put him in a tighter top so it isn’t as uncomfortable
I figured it was sun protection but I don’t understand the girls not wearing them. I also don’t understand why so many are so baggy. Seems uncomfortable.
A kid in last weekend’s meet swam one race in an ill-fitting rashie. The thing was so baggy that the poor kid could barely lift his arms to swim freestyle. Granted, it was an 8U heat and I doubt he’d have been setting any records without it, but I felt bad for the little bugger especially as he came in dead last by a very long margin.
I guess his parents decided the risk of less than a minute of deadly UV exposure just wasn’t worth it.
Agreed. All my kids wear them. Helps to prevent life jacket rash as well as the sunscreen thing. My 11 year old can go in and out of stores without having to remember a shirt. They are all pretty snug though.
As a 40 year old who spend many years in the sun, I just had my first basal cell removed on my face. If I had to have any kind of skin cancer, this is the one, but I’d rather keep my kids covered when they can.
It seems to keep them cooler. A hop in the water off the boat and the shirt stays wet and keeps them cool when they get out.
I usually wear a upf shirt when out all day. I wear a loose fit button down, but if I was not so chubby I would wear the tight ones.
Having a super pale daughter I can tell you that it is near impossible to find a girls rash guard. I’m pretty sure they don’t exist. I’ve looked everywhere the past two summers. I’m guessing this is why most girls do not wear them. I put my daughter in a white boys rash guard. Even a one piece suit doesn’t cover enough.
I always figured the rash guard shirts were the perfect combination of moms worrying about sunburn and the kids being down with looking like little surfers. Everybody is happy . . . . .
