finding my inner bandit

Who is that masked man?

Check out my newest piece of cruising gear - a UV Buff (with a redfish pattern).  Pretty cool.....literally. 

  

I've known about this sort of headgear for years, I have even seen it in use by kayakers down at Cape Lookout.  But I was never interested in them.  That was until the other day when I came across one in a boating catalogue.  I instantly recalled a sail a few years ago from Jones Bay down Ditch Creek to the Bay River and finally back up to Middle Bay.  It was a good day on the water, but a long day.  The afternoon breeze kicked in, a hot dry wind from the southwest under a cloudless sky.  Wind burn, sun burn.  And no protection.  Maybe the UV Buff was what I needed.  All of a sudden it made a lot of sense.

I also recalled a photograph of Kiwibird wearing something similar. I emailed her, asking if that was a UV Buff.  If so, did she recommend it?  This is what she had to say...

"Yes, the UV Buff is a must. It's the simple things that make voyaging that wee bit more comfortable, and that's the Buff. So much easier to just pull it down to drink/eat, and raise back up again. Two thumbs up on this one. I know folks who buy two--one for face protection, the other for drying themselves after a wash. And it's not just the late pm sun--it's all day."

 The UV buff is, in a lot of ways, my kind of gear.  Lightweight, easily stowed, no moving parts and under $30 including shipping.  Why not give it a try?

Will I wear it up over my face?  Maybe on a hot afternoon, maybe all day.  I can certainly see wearing it all day around my neck.  As it is I have the collar on my shirt turned up most of the day to keep the sun off my neck. If the UV Buff keeps the sun off and helps cool by wicking away moisture, then I am all for it.  

As for the pattern, I chose it because the elusive redfish (known as puppy drum here on the east coast) is one of my favorite fish.  I've seen schools of them tailing (swimming just beneath the surface with their tails gently weaving back and forth out of the water) in the shallow bays of North Carolina.  I say they are elusive because I can never seem to catch them.  Maybe one of these days.  Maybe this Spring.

steve