55 plus years exposure, no such things as sunscreen as a kid, it was bound to happen, big hole in chest, small hole on shoulder, awaiting biopsies.

use sunscreen, get regular skin checks, avoid ticking time bombs, take care.

Good work!

Getting checked,.Its amazing how simple it is to do but somehow I never did it. It wasn't until my mate told me how he goes yearly, $50 buck,..Done! I was like yeah I should too. Booked, walked out after given the all clear, like the biggest weight was lifted, no more what ifs.

$50 bucks for piece of mind for a whole year, money well spent.

Been getting yearly checks from a kiting GP, missed last year ! He was actually surprised I turned up Friday for the op considering the wind/swell we had ( as per Bells ), but I wanted them gone asap, now a week out of the water.

Who is your kiting GP? I'm yet to find one that does not find kiting a strange type of dangerous activity with no apparent health benefit (or surfing or cycling for that matter) .

And when they see my resting heart rate at less than 40 they are gobsmacked.

Do not trust photo methods,
had one on the bridge of the snoz for 3 years which I was told was ok, until a gp spotted it, that week under the knife and the surgeon said I was lucky it didn't get into my eyes and beyond, I've had 5 ops with another 2 soon looking at previous lumps, also about to undergo a ultraviolet procedure to cancel pre cancer cells on my dial,
Surf Mud is the go, if only I'd been into it 20 years ago, I'm really conscious now, never Kite in the middle of the day or do anything sun or water related without protection

I've heard similar stories about skin cancer "clinics" but I'm yet to have to go through this process so cannot really opine.

Avoiding midday sun is one thing, but hours in the surf and I still cannot believe people use ordinary sunscreen which washes off in 5 minutes in the surf/water.

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

Very important to get the yearly skin checks. I never used to until I lost my brother to melanoma 3 years ago at the age of 49. Please don't read this and think, I must do that then do nothing about it. Just go, it could save your life.

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Peahi said..

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

There are more and more people wearing zinc these days. I noticed in WA this year that a lot of people were wearing it, and I gave it a try too. As you say, it sticks when regular sunscreen may wash off. Regular sunscreen works well, but I worry about it washing away as who can really reapply it every couple of hours? It also means that it doesn't drip down into your eyes.

I bought two different types and one of them was the 'bronze' type and the other the white 'invisible' zinc. They both stain, its just that you may not notice it. I wear a black rash vest and after a few days there was a brown and a white ring around the neck.

The zinc sticks so well that you need to make an effort to remove it, both from your clothes and your face. I ended up using baby oil to soften it up as it seems to be oil based. Then I used morning fresh dishwashing detergent to wash it away. It was much easier to remove using the baby oil, and then the dishwashing detergent.

For me, the zinc got a thumbs up as I was much more comfortable that it was stopping the sun, if only from the fact it wasn't washing away.


You must be able to get regular white zinc somewhere. There was a guy in WA this year that had his face completely covered in it.

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Peahi said..
I've heard similar stories about skin cancer "clinics" but I'm yet to have to go through this process so cannot really opine.

Avoiding midday sun is one thing, but hours in the surf and I still cannot believe people use ordinary sunscreen which washes off in 5 minutes in the surf/water.

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

That stuff is wank, how do I know? I used it, surf mud is the best glug, sticks like shidt, missus gives you heaps as you get it everywhere, $25 for a small tin, many negatives
but it keeps the sun off your skin, and 100% natural
Gets negative reviews as it's difficult to remove,
but not as melanoma or Merkel ,

Sun bum sun cream with surf yogis natural mud over the top. Takes a good couple of scrubs in the shower to remove it .

This is the new mother fuc#er
of skin cancer, www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/merkel-cell-carcinoma/
enjoy the sun

Have you guys tried using an oil base to remove it? Works well for normal zinc instead of scrubbing at it.

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cauncy said..

Peahi said..
I've heard similar stories about skin cancer "clinics" but I'm yet to have to go through this process so cannot really opine.

Avoiding midday sun is one thing, but hours in the surf and I still cannot believe people use ordinary sunscreen which washes off in 5 minutes in the surf/water.

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

That stuff is wank, how do I know? I used it, surf mud is the best glug, sticks like shidt, missus gives you heaps as you get it everywhere, $25 for a small tin, many negatives
but it keeps the sun off your skin, and 100% natural
Gets negative reviews as it's difficult to remove,
but not as melanoma or Merkel ,

What? white zinc cream usually between $6-$8 at tube is a w*nk vs paying $25 for the much the same thing but with the marketing gimmicks?

I'll re-brand white zinc as "ghost-surfer" or "privileged white male", sell it at same price point and make a mil.

Or I could call it Markle avoidance cream

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Peahi said..

cauncy said..

Peahi said..
I've heard similar stories about skin cancer "clinics" but I'm yet to have to go through this process so cannot really opine.

Avoiding midday sun is one thing, but hours in the surf and I still cannot believe people use ordinary sunscreen which washes off in 5 minutes in the surf/water.

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

That stuff is wank, how do I know? I used it, surf mud is the best glug, sticks like shidt, missus gives you heaps as you get it everywhere, $25 for a small tin, many negatives
but it keeps the sun off your skin, and 100% natural
Gets negative reviews as it's difficult to remove,
but not as melanoma or Merkel ,

What? white zinc cream usually between $6-$8 at tube is a w*nk vs paying $25 for the much the same thing but with the marketing gimmicks?

I'll re-brand white zinc as "ghost-surfer" or "privileged white male", sell it at same price point and make a mil.

Or I could call it Markle avoidance cream

I've used that zinc, and felt effects after a session in the sun(ie tenderness to touch)
the surf mud stuff is the only glug that I can go out with and not have that feeling afterwards, it's spelt Merkel and my mate has is having his face opened up on a regular basis , looking to see if it's been removed completely,
also take into account you live in VIC, we're in WA that'd make us 300% more likely to be in the sun and kiting

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cauncy said..

Peahi said..
I've heard similar stories about skin cancer "clinics" but I'm yet to have to go through this process so cannot really opine.

Avoiding midday sun is one thing, but hours in the surf and I still cannot believe people use ordinary sunscreen which washes off in 5 minutes in the surf/water.

Whatever happened to good ol' zinc, never comes off, makes you look like a complete kook (so everyone gives you a wide berth), the white is still the best and for some reason does not stain like the "skin" or tan coloured one on the left that leaves streaks on your wetty etc. I don't believe "invisible" zinc exists.

Anyone know where to buy ordinary white zinc let me know, I have checked just about every chemist chain, even chemical warehouse no longer stocks it.

That stuff is wank, how do I know? I used it, surf mud is the best glug, sticks like shidt, missus gives you heaps as you get it everywhere, $25 for a small tin, many negatives
but it keeps the sun off your skin, and 100% natural
Gets negative reviews as it's difficult to remove,
but not as melanoma or Merkel ,

Keep getting checks.
Surf mud is the go.
Total block .
Can remove after a session with a wet one or two.
They work.
If it gets on your kite or bar eucalyptus oil & dab on a papertowel.

My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

Just had my annual skin check with a local GP that specialises in skin cancer. (My own GP uses him so he ought to be good.)
Went over my skin with his camera, and compares what he sees to last years pictures. Hmmm, now he's out with the knife, fortunately with an injection of local, a small one off the nose, a bit larger one off the back and burnt one off my temple. Took about 20 mins.
Stitched up with bandages, I told him I'll be on the water in a day or two. No worries he said, so I did. All healing well, took the stitches out myself on my nose without cutting it off with the scalpel and my partner got over her queasiness and did my back. However her first move was to cut the knot off completely so she had to go digging for the threads to get them out
Got the biopsy results back, no further action required

Scheduled me in for 6 monthly checkups now. I use sun screen, cap and sunnies as well as wetsuit to suit the season but time and exposure will get you.
Strangely enough the previous skin cancer I had was on my neck where it never saw the sun much so it's not just the areas you expect that you'll find them. That one took two trips to get fully removed And of course you can never check your own back easily.

Havin' fun in the sun, Dave

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Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

I think you are probably around the same age as me. When I was in school there were no shade areas and no concern about kids standing around in the sun all day or on sporting fields for hours.

Sunburn was just one of those things that happened and a lot of people did it as part of a step to getting a tan. Getting a tan was seen as the best thing.

Now, kids at school have good sun protection and there is much more awareness. I think we will see a spike in our generation with skin problems and then it will go down. Before us people probably stayed out of the sun more, and after us they have better protection.

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FormulaNova said..

Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

I think you are probably around the same age as me. When I was in school there were no shade areas and no concern about kids standing around in the sun all day or on sporting fields for hours.

Sunburn was just one of those things that happened and a lot of people did it as part of a step to getting a tan. Getting a tan was seen as the best thing.

Now, kids at school have good sun protection and there is much more awareness. I think we will see a spike in our generation with skin problems and then it will go down. Before us people probably stayed out of the sun more, and after us they have better protection.

Kids these days won't get skin cancer. They never go out in the sun, too busy indoors gaming.

I found the best sunscreen that actually sticks to you is the Rip Curl 50+ one.

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shi thouse said..

FormulaNova said..

Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

I think you are probably around the same age as me. When I was in school there were no shade areas and no concern about kids standing around in the sun all day or on sporting fields for hours.

Sunburn was just one of those things that happened and a lot of people did it as part of a step to getting a tan. Getting a tan was seen as the best thing.

Now, kids at school have good sun protection and there is much more awareness. I think we will see a spike in our generation with skin problems and then it will go down. Before us people probably stayed out of the sun more, and after us they have better protection.

Kids these days won't get skin cancer. They never go out in the sun, too busy indoors gaming.

Not necessarily my boys are always out side . I know uv is harmful but I also worry about the long term effects of rubbing sun cream on their little bodies everyday that is full of chemicals. That's why we hunt out the most natural possible.

Thanks for the tips, might try the mud, GP recommend s 50 plus.

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Peahi said..
Who is your kiting GP? I'm yet to find one that does not find kiting a strange type of dangerous activity with no apparent health benefit (or surfing or cycling for that matter) .

And when they see my resting heart rate at less than 40 they are gobsmacked.

My GPs, physio and psych all recommend kiting mixed with regular surfing and swimming for my twisted body, mind and soul. Working part time helps. Still here and still getting wet so they must be right.

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Nathe said..

shi thouse said..

FormulaNova said..

Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

I think you are probably around the same age as me. When I was in school there were no shade areas and no concern about kids standing around in the sun all day or on sporting fields for hours.

Sunburn was just one of those things that happened and a lot of people did it as part of a step to getting a tan. Getting a tan was seen as the best thing.

Now, kids at school have good sun protection and there is much more awareness. I think we will see a spike in our generation with skin problems and then it will go down. Before us people probably stayed out of the sun more, and after us they have better protection.

Kids these days won't get skin cancer. They never go out in the sun, too busy indoors gaming.

Not necessarily my boys are always out side . I know uv is harmful but I also worry about the long term effects of rubbing sun cream on their little bodies everyday that is full of chemicals. That's why we hunt out the most natural possible.

It's alright Nathe I wasn't having a shot at you in particular. This was just a general tongue-in-cheek comment. But streets are a lot quieter nowadays with less kids out playing and soaking up the UV!

I've been seeing the specialist every 3 months for the last ten years or more, nude up get the top to toe check. All started with a lump on my arm that l had checked by a GP, a specialist all good they said. Only got a third opinion when the girl at the chemist noticed the little lump on my arm and said you should get that thing checked out. Said I already have she gave me some other names to try and lo and behold walked in straight to surgery and lost a fair old chunk of the forearm to melanoma. Had 15 or more cut out (mainly BCC's) over the last decade or so, so go get checked out. I'm fair but no pastie by a long shot and a fair bit of my 50+ years of water sport is based in Vicco so wetsuited up alot of the time.

For what its worth my doc recommends /staying out of the sun and water, not gonna happen.
So for me its Clear Zinke as the first coat, (nano particles I know juries are still out) I put it on when I leave home and then if its September though April another layer of brown zinc over the top.

I get it from KeySun they have the clear and normal zincs.

Good thread Col, best of luck with the results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Surfer62 said..

Peahi said..
Who is your kiting GP? I'm yet to find one that does not find kiting a strange type of dangerous activity with no apparent health benefit (or surfing or cycling for that matter) .

And when they see my resting heart rate at less than 40 they are gobsmacked.

My GPs, physio and psych all recommend kiting mixed with regular surfing and swimming for my twisted body, mind and soul. Working part time helps. Still here and still getting wet so they must be right.

surfing for the soul, kiting for the mind and swimming to (un)twist the body

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high as a kite said..
Good thread Col, best of luck with the results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Ee, catch up soon.

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Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

Cause way back then, when u were 20, there was still an ozone layer, till your guys generation who didn't care for the environment destroyed it for the rest of us I mean, well, it was still cool and healthy to smoke back in those days, and it was ok to use the word fagNot any more bro.
Think you need to find a decent doc if he thinks "if you do water sports you WILL get cancer no matter what u do? so yeah slip,slop,slap-fkn whatever." WTF????
Cover up kids, slip, slop, slap. This doc has given wrong info
If surfer62 had worn a shirt in the surf his whole life Im sure he wouldn't have a hole in his chest, good luck mate, hoping for a good out come for you.

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lotofwind said..

Mark _australia said..
My doc said if you do watersports you WILL get skin cancer.
No matter what you do, you will

so yeah slip slop slapp - fkn whatever

he said keep skin healthy with all them AND a moisturiser that has Q-10, AND a VitaminE cream

Be a ****, be a bit fag, whatever. Moisturise and Vit E cream.

Nobody tells you this sh!t when your 20.Why??????

Cause way back then, when u were 20, there was still an ozone layer, till your guys generation who didn't care for the environment destroyed it for the rest of us I mean, well, it was still cool and healthy to smoke back in those days, and it was ok to use the word fagNot any more bro.
Think you need to find a decent doc if he thinks "if you do water sports you WILL get cancer no matter what u do? so yeah slip,slop,slap-fkn whatever." WTF????
Cover up kids, slip, slop, slap. This doc has given wrong info
If surfer62 had worn a shirt in the surf his whole life Im sure he wouldn't have a hole in his chest, good luck mate, hoping for a good out come for you.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I paid $10,000 for my first block of land in Jan Juc in '85, if I'd only had the foresight to buy a few ! That block and house I built as an own builder now worth $1.1 mil, hindsight, life's reality check.

Cheers lotofwind

Grow up loto.
I posted medical advice that I got hoping it might save someone, and you have to do the petty little troll crap again.

Get a life FFS.