Patagonia
Patagonia's Sun Shade Technical Hoody is soft, lightweight, and comes with an all-plastic zipper that won't corrode, no matter how many times you take it swimming and forget to wash it afterward.Patagonia's Sun Shade Technical Hoody has been a personal favorite among the hooded sun shirts for a while. I find them to be among the softest, best-fitting, best-styled of the UV shirts designed for outdoors enthusiasts. In a sea of abysmally large, flashy logos and prints, Patagonia stays true to tone, which earns points in my book. And you might just catch me out and about in one of these. No shame here.
I've been fishing, surfing, and occasionally swimming in these shirts for over five years, and as a small disclaimer, I may be somewhat partial, but they're too comfortable and low-profile to ignore for this guide. I should also note that, unlike with some other sun shirts, stains seem to lift from these better than others. Sometimes, however, I've noticed that it takes a few washes.
It's hard to ignore Patagonia within this realm, with its loyal legions whose reviews are probably best taken with a grain of salt. Do you need to spend this much on a sun shirt? Of course not. See our overall recommendation, above. But I can't say how many Patagonia sun shirts I've owned, and through fishing, hiking, camping, living on boats in the tropics, and all the rest, I still haven't managed to loosen even a stitch on any of mine.
Backpacker magazine also had nothing but good things to say, and the same goes for the folks at Blister Gear Review. While we acknowledge that Patagonia tends to sit on its own high pedestal within the eco-conscious realm of the outdoors industry, its clothes make it pretty hard to come up with a reason why they shouldn't.
For surfing, I've found no better hooded rash guard than Patagonia's RØ Hoody. It fits snuggly for optimal performance, and even in cracking, Fijian surf, the hood seemed to hold firmly. I use mine on especially long outings in the summer, and as much as possible when I'm in the tropics. The zippered pocket in the back is an excellent touch for keeping sunscreen, wax, or perhaps even a small pouch or flask of water.
The only thing I'd recommend is that you not order it in black if you're in particularly warm water or weather, or especially prone to getting overheated. And, if you like a more relaxed fit, check out the Tropical Comfort Hoody II, which is a little more casual and a lot more comfortable out of the water.
Pros: Soft, comfortable, effective, and technical for anglers, button to cover face with hood, a handy and corrosion-free chest zipper
Cons: A little bulky, and not as cooling as Columbia's Solar Shade