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What to Wear Deep Sea Fishing in Florida: The UPF 50+ Guide
Ask anyone who has spent a full day offshore out of Delray Beach: the fish are only half the battle. The other half is eight hours of Florida sun bouncing off the water with nowhere to hide. We are a brewery, but we have spent years on these boats - and this is the exact kit we wear.
Why cotton fails offshore
A cotton tee soaks up spray and sweat, clings, chafes, and offers roughly UPF 5 when wet - almost nothing. Sunscreen helps, but it sweats off, gets on your grip and your bait, and nobody ever reapplies on a hot bite. The offshore answer is built-in protection you put on once at the dock.
1. A UPF 50+ long-sleeve sun shirt (the non-negotiable)
Our UPF 50+ long-sleeves block 98% of UV all day, and the protection is woven in - it never washes out or sweats off. They are cut light (4.1 oz microfiber) so a long sleeve is genuinely cooler than bare skin in direct sun, and each one is made with REPREVE® fabric woven from 16 recycled bottles. Start with the Drink or Swim UV long-sleeve - it is the shirt we grab first.
2. A mesh-back trucker hat
You want shade on your face and ventilation everywhere else. A structured six-panel with a mesh back does both - that is why the Anchor Snapback is our best-selling item, full stop. Snap it tight; the outriggers do not care about your hat.
3. A UPF neck gaiter
The most burned real estate on any boat: the back of the neck and the ears. A light UPF neck gaiter covers neck, ears, and face on the run out, then drops to a scarf at the rail. It also doubles as sunglass wipe, sweat band, and ice-wrap on brutal afternoons.
4. The rest of the kit
- Polarized sunglasses - you cannot sight-fish without them, and your eyes burn too.
- Non-marking deck shoes or sandals - captains notice.
- A dry layer in a zip bag - the run home is colder and wetter than you think.
- Water. More than the beer. We say that as a brewery.
The one-trip test
Wear the full setup once - sun shirt, mesh hat, gaiter - and you will feel the difference at the dock that evening: no burn, no sunscreen film, energy left for the fish photos. Everything above ships free in the U.S. on orders over $75, straight from our home in Delray Beach, Florida.
- The founders, Saltwater Brewery