With any outdoor activity that involves spending long periods of time in the sun, such as fishing, it is essential that you protect your skin from its potentially harmful rays and avoid getting burnt.
Skin cancer is a very real concern for anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors, whether that be by the side of a lake or whilst engaging in other outdoor pursuits, and Korda decided to design a range of clothing and accessories to help combat these melanoma risks, after company boss and renowned angler Danny Fairbrass was himself diagnosed with the disease.
Following that diagnosis, he wanted to come up with a range of products that not only offered protection from the sun, but where Korda would donate half of all profits from the sale of any of these items to charity – with 50% going to the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund, and the other half to Melanoma Focus, and so far, thousands of pounds have gone to these two good causes. With the Sunblock, 100% of the profit goes to Melanoma Focus.
Look cool and feel cool, with Kool clothing
The clothing all comes under the banner of the Korda Kool range and currently includes Quick Dry tops in both long sleeve versions, in olive green or Kamo patterns, and with plans to further expand the range.
You can choose from a Kool Quick Dry LS Tee in the standard version or with a zip neck, depending on your personal preference, plus there is a Kool Quick Dry Snood to go with them and which offers complete protection for your neck and lower face.
Practical protection from the sun
Not only does the material used to make these clothing items keep the sun off your skin and offers protection from it, but it is also ultra-breathable to help regulate your body temperature and keep you cool on even the hottest of days.
It is also lightweight and very comfortable to wear, to the extent that you’ll hardly even notice that you have it on. You can choose either the standard long sleeve T-shirt, which features a round neck, or opt for the Kool Quick Dry LS Zip Neck, which comes up higher around the neck to offer more protection and features a quarter-length zip so that it can be adjusted as desired and zipped all the way up to keep the garment in place around your neck when protection from the sun is needed.
A snood protects your neck and face
Both can be worn in conjunction with the Korda Kool Quick Dry Snood for even more protection, as this not only covers your neck but can be pulled right up around tour nose and ears, such that when worn with a hat and sunglasses, very little of your skin is left exposed.
Ease of movement
Given that the Kool range has been designed for fishing, and other outdoor activities, freedom of movement is essential.
It has been tailored for a close fit to your body so that it won’t accidentally leave your skin exposed, but at the same time offers plenty of freedom of movement and won’t hamper you whilst playing a fish, casting, or any other upper body movement.
Quick drying Korda Kool clothing
As the name suggests, the material that has been used to make it is very quick drying, so that even if you do get caught out by a heavy summer shower or similar whilst wearing it, or sweat in hot or humid weather, you won't be left sitting around in uncomfortable, wet clothing for long.
Head protection
Having developed the Kool range to cover your upper body, neck and face, it made sense to ensure that your head was also protected, so Korda came up with a Wide Brimmed Boonie Hat that wont easily fall off, plus a waterproof version of the same model.
The standard version of the Korda Wide Brimmed Boonie comes in a stylish Kamo pattern and is based on the hats worn by the military in hotter climates, with a fairly rigid brim all the way around to ensure plenty of protection from the sun, as well as being very comfortable to wear.
The wide brim also makes it great for fish spotting as the peak helps keep the sun out of your eyes and it fits snugly on your head with no danger of falling off when you are peering down into the water.
It’s made from a waxed water resistant fabric and features a drawcord for the perfect fit, whatever size your head is.
Keep your head dry whilst outdoors in the warmer months
If you prefer a lighter weight hat that is also fully waterproof, then you should check out the Korda Waterproof Boonie, which also has a wide brim and offers protection to your face and neck from both the sun and rain, so your head stays dry. One size fits all, via an elasticated internal adjustment, which allows you to get the perfect fit for you, whatever the weather.
Sunscreen is essential
Whilst covering yourself up with clothing and accessories from our Kool range is a great way to avoid the sun’s harmful rays, it is also essential to use sunscreen on the parts of your skin which are exposed, and this is why Korda have worked with a professional pharmaceutical company to develop our own high-strength product that is perfect for outdoor activities, such as angling.
This Factor 50+ high protection sun cream protects against both UVA and UVB rays, and is also water resistant, so that if you are in and out of the lake it won’t easily wash off and will keep your skin protected – we still recommend regular re-application though, as with any suncream, with every two hours being recommended by medical researchers.
It is unfragranced, so you don’t have to worry about any smell from it potentially tainting your bait – although we would always recommend washing your hands before handling bait anyway – and it comes in a handy 50ml sized tube.