There’s no denying that sunshine can make you feel good. People tend to be more cheerful on sunny days. You’re never too young or too old to be harmed by the sun. This may sound strange to you, because without the sun’s warming rays, life on earth could not exist. But the sun is both friend and foe. It is responsible for more than 90% of skin cancers, now occurring at the epidemic rate of 700,000 new cases a year in the United States.

Sun protection is a vital part of your physical fitness program. To a large extent, the firmness and health of your skin depends on how well you follow sun-protective techniques throughout your life.

Melanoma strikes about 40,300 Americans every year, and kills more than 7,000 including nearly 500 in Florida. Sun exposure is the main cause, and the most at risk are people who experienced sunburns as a child (1 sunburn being the minimum).

Start the day by applying a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects from both types of ultraviolet rays, A and B. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Reapply sunscreen every two hours when outdoors, even if you are using a “waterproof” sunscreen.

Use enough sunscreen; “You need close to a tablespoon per limb and you really have to slather it on and rub it in”, said Margaret Tucker of the National Cancer Institute.

To avoid developing allergies to sunscreens, New York University dermatologist Robert Friedman advises avoiding products that contain para-amino benzoic acid (PABA). Products that may also cause problems contain benzophenones. Use sun blocks containing zinc oxide, talc or titanium dioxide.

Wear a Hat. Best choices are closely woven hats with 4-inch wide brims

Wear sunglasses. Look for glasses that shield between 90-100% of UV light.

The sun’s rays can harm the inner structure of the unprotected eye, causing cataracts. The sun’s rays are more intense when they bounce off of sand, water, snow, concrete and other reflective surfaces. What’s more, you’re not free from solar exposure on overcast days, since 70-80% of the ultraviolet rays pass right through clouds and haze.

No one is immune to the sun’s harmful rays. The greatest risk is for individuals who have fair skin that burns but doesn’t tan, freckles, blond, red or light brown hair, and blue, green or gray eyes.

Use a little protection and a lot of precaution. Following a lifetime sun fitness program will help you enjoy the outdoors while keeping your skin healthy throughout the years.

Most people believe that clothing is the most effective sunscreen – and most people are wrong.

Now matter how good a sunscreen is in a laboratory, it has to pass the test under the sun, and to pass that test, it has to stay on your skin and not wash off into the atmosphere which is a real challenge in Florida.

Most products now eschew the use of the once popular PABA as the primary guardian against the twin demons of UVA & UVB and make a point of claiming they are PABA-free. While PABA is an effective sunscreen, up to 20% of the population may be allergic to it.

It is important to verify that your sunscreen is broad spectrum, affording protection against both UVA & UVB. The pain comes from UVB, the rays that actually cause sunburn. But the real menace is UVA, the insidious rays that not only cause cancer, but lead to aging and wrinkling of the skin.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a cumulative risk – it all counts, and the more rays you bag in your youth, the greater your danger of contracting skin cancer later in life.

In regard to your children’s sun habits, insist on application of quality sunscreens every time they go out to play. Instill sun management habits at an early age.

There are three basic types of skin cancer about which we should be concerned. Basal cell carcinomas are manifested as rough, scratchy areas on exposed areas of the skin. One step up the danger scale from basal cell is squamous carcinomas. These bad boys will have a hard feel to them “almost like a horn”. They are more aggressive than basal cells, particularly on the lips. The words you don’t want to hear are “malignant melanoma”. If someone in your family has suffered from melanoma, your own risk is greater. Melanoma strikes the young and is now the most common cancer affecting women between the ages of 25 and 30.

Fortunately, thanks to innovative advances in sunscreens, there’s no need to push the panic button.

Just use an effective sunscreen!

Sources:

Associated Press article; July 5, 1997

L.A. Times/Washington Post News Service ; 1997 The Skin Cancer Foundation; 1993

Florida Sports; June 1997

The chances of being bitten by a shark are miniscule. Here are some common sense ways to reduce your chances of ever being bitten by a shark:

• Before entering the water take a few minutes to watch the ocean, which you should be doing to examine waves, drifts and riptides anyway. Look for schools of baitfish, birds diving for fish, shiny flashes of fish, spinner sharks jumping, fins, etc. These are all signs of marine activity that indicate probable shark activity. Do not go in the water. No wave is worth a shark bite. Really, even if it is head-high-glassy-perfectly-lined- up-A-frames. No wave is worth a shark bite.

• Don't think that there are no sharks in the shallows, this is where the little ones lurk and this is where you are most likely to get bit here in Florida. The young ones are new to the feeding game. The churned-up, murky, wave disturbed waters confuse them and they bite anything they encounter. They really don't like human flesh and will bite and then let go, which is of little comfort to those bit, but should help in under- standing that they mean you no harm and that you should avoid situations in their environment that will confuse them. Once you reach about ankle high water you are in their world, plan accordingly.

• Obviously, don't go in the water if you're bleeding even the slightest, from anywhere at all. Sharks are attracted to blood of any sort. Oh, by the way, a Band-aid will not help keep the smell of blood from their nostrils.

• Don't wear jewelry or anything shiny. Though you might imagine that your bling-bling attracts favorable attention on land, in the water all it attracts is hungry sharks.

• Avoid making erratic, nervous, frenzied motions in the water as they attract sharks that there is wounded prey in their environment. Stay calm when you wipe out.

• When trying to convince yourself that the small sharks are not to be worried about, imagine a missing finger or toe or trying to limp around with a severely lacerated achilles tendon. Sorry for the reality check.

• Keep in mind that the dawn patrol and dusk hours are prime time for shark activity and bites as the dimished light decreases their vision which increases the likelihood of your being bit.

• Respect the ocean, as it will always be more powerful than you.

Color Your Surfboard in 4 steps: 1. Use water based opaque pain pens. Uni Posca is the most popular type, but any water based type will do. They are available at most art stores for under $4.   2. If your board is new, you're in luck, but any board can be colored. If it isn't new, clean your board with acetone to remove all wax and dirt.   3. Let your creative side lose. You can trace lightly in pencil first or just go for it. If you make a mistake just scrape off or lightly sand with a high number sand paper, 600 or 800. Don't wash it off with water or try to clean it with the acetone or any other liquid.   4. Let your artwork dry. Then seal it with Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear spray it lightly, let it dry then repeat several times up to 6 times to make it permanently sealed.

Here's a sample of artwork done by Jenna: