Rash vests go well with lycra shorts, both available from ecostinger.com

Rash guards avoid the rash a wetsuit could cause on your neck and upper body. Also known as rash vest or rashie, it is a type of athletic shirt made of Spandex and nylon or polyester, a fabric that is lightweight, quick drying, flexible, durable, and naturally antibacterial.

On their own they provide light coverage in warm summer temperatures for many water sports including surfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, wake-boarding, body surfing, body boarding, windsurfing, kayaking, and of course for swimming.

Rash guards are most often worn when the weather is too warm for a wetsuit. They also help prevent irritation caused by rapid impact with surface water and waves as happens in some splash sports. Anybody who ever got stung by a belly flop knows what we mean.

Surf Shirts

Surfers wear rash vests to prevent wax-based chafing from sliding on and off the surf board. The board's wax holds sand from the beach that would rub against the surfer's torsos as they paddle out to the break.

Rash guards also offer some protection against jelly fish stings and have a high Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) to protect against sunburn.

Rash guards are thought to have originated in Australia, where they are commonly referred to as "rashies" or "rashys." Variations of the rash guard have made their way into many other sports including baseball, American football, water polo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.