If you see this ‘bass bandit,’ don’t be alarmed

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The big bass is impressive but the mask is what catches the eye in this photo from Canyon Lake resident Paul Clare. Wondering at his incognito appearance, The Friday Flyer asked Paul about his face covering and got a good lesson in sun protection.

Photo provided by Paul Clare.

He explained that, after his dad wrestled with a bout of skin cancer on his face about six years ago, Paul tried to get educated about doing whatever he could to protect his family and friends from the sun, since they all love to get outdoors every chance they get.

Even his business involves outdoor sports. Paul is the founder and owner of Cartel Board Company (since 1996), which makes flow boards for artificial waves, body boards for surfing in the ocean and camera handles for GoPro cameras, among other products (www.cartelboardco.com).

Paul says his dad wore sun screen every day, along with a hat, but still got skin cancer. As a result, Paul started checking out face shields, which he says are very popular these days for fishing and make him look like a “bass bandit.”

He says, “We have all heard of and used rash guards, hats and umbrellas, as well as a long list of sunscreen products, to help protect us and our families from the sun. They sure do help keeping that burn factor under control while out and about in Canyon Lake.

But not totally new, lesser known items include face shields and arm sleeves. These products are cheap and easy to get and still leave some room for style while hitting it up on the blazing hot days at the lake.”

He adds, “They are also a good way to help keep cool as they can be soaked with chilled water and offer up to 40 SPF protection without having to constantly reapply greasy sun block again and again.”

Paul points out that some experts say sunblocks have “unsavory carcinogens” in them. “Just google sunblock dangers and do your own research. No big deal for occasional use; but for those out there all the time, well, it’s up to you what chemicals you want your body to have to process and absorb.

But hey, I use sunblock all the time, too, so I try to find the good stuff when and where I can.”

One company Paul recommends for face shields and arm sleeves is Salt Armor (www.sateam.company). “Although mainly designed for fishing, their products adapt very easily into a water fun way to protect yourself from the heat and sun. Not only do they offer up to 40 SPF when used properly, they have a variety of designs that let you represent your style no matter how blazing the day gets.”

Paul adds that those on the hunt for healthier, organic sun care products may want to visit www.coolasuncare.co. “There are some cool factoids on their site about sun exposure and organic sun block ingredients – worth checking out for sure.”