BOAT DOCTOR /// BOATINGLAB56 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2018
CHECK OUT MORE BOATINGLAB TESTS AT BOATINGMAG.COM.AFTCO
SIRIUS LS TECH
closed with white mesh to allow
movement and ventilation and
keep the sun protection uniform
over the body. The fabric is
comfortable on the skin, wicking
moisture away and giving the
shirt a cottonlike feel. Pleated
pockets are smallish, not large
enough for an iPhone 8, but
trim, so if you’re a fl y-fi sherman,
you can expect to cast without
snagging.
FABRIC: 100% polyester
UPF RATED: 50
STAIN RESISTANCE: 100%
UV BLOCKED: 99%
UPS: Thumbs up for the button
pocket fl aps, which I prefer over
Velcro, and the sunglass temple
slot for keeping glasses secure.
DOWNS: Oh drat, I still want
to button my iPhone 8 in the
pockets.
COST: $58
AFTCO
SIRIUS SS TECH
Like the long sleeve, this one
had the same comfortable
fabric that didn’t cling, get
clammy in sweaty conditions
and offered cool breathability.
It is dressy and sporty all at
once, and when we doused it
in barbecue sauce and coffee,
let it dry and washed it, it came
out perfectly clean, so fi sh away
and look great doing it. Why
can’t all garments be this dura-
ble? It’s designed to cross over
from sport to offshore fi shing,
and we’d be unconcerned about
fi sh blood or bait stains.
FABRIC: 100% polyester
UPF RATED: 50
UV BLOCKED: 99%
UPS: A full cut gives ample
room for mobility, but the de-
sign is sleek for keeping fi shing
lines free.
DOWNS: We would like to
see this design in a solid color,
though checks are all the rage
today.
COST: $54AFTCO
SAMURAI LS
The fabric feels like a second
skin but offers a mobility that
makes its feather-light design
more comfortable than going
shirtless, as we did back in
the day before the ravages of
sun damage were known. The
sleeves fi t snugly around the
wrist but have enough elas-
ticity that they can be pushed
up over the elbow when doing
dirty jobs like checking motor
oil or cleaning fi sh.
FABRIC: 100% polyester
UPF RATED: 50
UV BLOCKED: 99%
UPS: Its near-naked feel offers
cooling breathability, surprising
in full-coverage T’s.
DOWNS: A pocket somewhere
would sure be handy — maybe
a pouch like on a hoodie.
COST: $35PHOTOS: JON WHITTLE (6), RANDY VANCE (2, BOTTOM RIGHT)AND
ANOTHER
THING!
We wondered if sunscreen
sprayed on clothes would
increase their UPF. We got some
No-Ad 50 UPF aerosol spray
and doused a spot on a white
shirt that scored poorly. The
area we covered with sunscreen
blocked nearly 100 percent of
UV light in our test, and after
one wash still provided good
protection. Interestingly, the
spray was invisible except when
UV light was shone through it.
The sunscreened fabric was dis-
tinctly darker than the untreated
fabric. So, if you don’t like
sunscreen on your skin, treating
your garment defi nitely cuts
UV light and keeps your skin
grease- and chemical-free.Yokes with vents
add comfort,
mobility and insect
protection while
moving moisture
away from skin.AFTCO’s lighter checks
and plaids broke the mold
by blocking far more UV
light than most fabrics.Cuffs are elastic and
snug for keeping insects
out and, for anglers,
eliminating line-
snagging buttons. No-Ad SPF 50
Sunscreen turned
this failing-UPF fabric
into a winner. The darker
violet hue is the protect-
ed portion.