Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Hitting the beach this year? Stay protected with one of these swim shirts

Surfers, paddle boarders, swimmers, and even chillers all need a great swim top for hitting the beach

If there's a better way to spend a relaxing summer day than hitting the beach with your buddies, your grill, and a cooler full of cold ones, then we'd like to know it. But in our hurry to make the most of the day, we often neglect to look after our bodies. Of course, we don't always know about it until the following day.

For surfers or paddleboarders, the abrasion from being up and down on your board can be like sandpaper against your skin, and we've all learned about the dangers of UV damage. We can layer up with the right sunscreen all we want — and you definitely should — but sometimes we need a little more protection. These swim tops and rash guards are the best choices for summer beach wear this year to protect your torso from the sun, wind, sand, and waves.

Quiksilver All-Time Short-Sleeve Rashguard
Quiksilver All-Time Short Sleeve Rashguard
Jump to details
Rip Curl Wettie Logo Short Sleeve UV Shirt
Jump to details
Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt
Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt
Jump to details
O'Neill Hyperfreak Rashguard
O'Neill Hyperfreak Rashguard
Jump to details
Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt
Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt
Jump to details
NRS H2Core Silkweight Shirt
NRS H2Core Silkweight Shirt
Jump to details
TYR SunDefense Hooded Shirt
TYR SunDefence Hooded Shirt
Jump to details
Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Shirt
Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Shirt
Jump to details
NRS HydroSkin 0.5mm
NRS HydroSkin
Jump to details
Quiksilver Short-Sleeve Rashguard
Amazon

Quiksilver All-Time Short Sleeve Rashguard

Put your trust in a brand that knows a thing or two about delivering the best surfing gear on the market. This short sleeve rash guard has stood the test of time, protecting you against those harsh UV rays, as well as from your surfboard, wetsuit, any anything else you come up against.

Quiksilver All-Time Short-Sleeve Rashguard
Quiksilver All-Time Short Sleeve Rashguard
The Rip Curl Wettie t-shirt in white, being modelled against a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Rip Curl Wettie Logo Short Sleeve UV Shirt

Now, we love a swim shirt that is as functional as it is stylish. The Rip Curl Wettie looks and wears like a normal t-shirt but is equally at home whether you're lounging on the beach or hitting the surf. The best part about the Wettie? It's UV protective, made for those long days under the big blue.

Rip Curl Wettie Logo Short Sleeve UV Shirt
Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt
Speedo

Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt

Speedo seems like a no-brainer when it comes to the best swimming gear out there, from your trunks to this handy and protective long-sleeve shirt built with UPF50+ protection. Wear it all day long to shield your skin from harmful rays. Consider picking up multiple options for your next beach getaway, too.

Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt
Speedo Easy Long-Sleeve Swim Shirt

O'Neill Hyperfreak Rashguard

If you want a close-fitting, long-sleeve rash guard, then look no further than the O'Neill Hyperfreak. This UPF 50-rated rashguard is designed to help your body regulate temperature effectively when you're in and out of the water.

O'Neill Hyperfreak Rashguard
O'Neill Hyperfreak Rashguard
Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt
Vuori

Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt

There are any number of watersports you can engage in, from surfing to plain old swimming and, of course, boating or hopping on a jet ski. For a day on the water that involves a bit of everything, get this performance water shirt with an athletic fit and versatile design.

Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt
Vuori Long-Sleeve Uluwatu 2.0 Water Shirt

NRS H2Core Silkweight Shirt

This polyester/spandex blended shirt is UPF 50+ protective, keeping you safe for long days out on the beach or paddleboarding. As a paddlesports brand, NRS has positioned the seams of the H2Core shirt in a way that reduces friction, whether you're swimming, paddling, or just having a chilled day on the beach.

NRS H2Core Silkweight Shirt
NRS H2Core Silkweight Shirt

TYR SunDefence Hooded Shirt

It's not always tropical weather when you hit the beach, but you still need protection from those harsh UV rays. The TYR SunDefense Hooded Shirt is a break from your traditional rash guard, providing UV protection from a more relaxed feeling, super lightweight hooded top. This is a great choice if you're hitting the beach for your early morning workout.

TYR SunDefense Hooded Shirt
TYR SunDefence Hooded Shirt
Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Top
Patagonia

Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Shirt

Patagonia is assuredly best known for trail-ready hiking and camping gear, but it turns out that it's quite useful to have a swim shirt from the legendary outdoor brand on your person as well. It offers plenty of mobility and weather-ready protection and comfort.

Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Shirt
Patagonia R0 Long-Sleeve Shirt
A man modelling the NRS Hydroskin rash guard
Image used with permission by copyright holder

NRS HydroSkin

This heavier-duty rash guard from NRS is made with a hydrophobic neoprene inner. This makes the NRS HydroSkin the ideal beach t-shirt of choice for those early-season days when the water is too warm to need a wetsuit but still has a bite to it.

NRS HydroSkin 0.5mm
NRS HydroSkin

Editors' Recommendations

Tom Kilpatrick
A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as…
Epic ski pass, IKON ski pass, and more: The best ski and snowboard passes for 2023-2024
No matter where you live, these are the passes for you
A snowboarder sprays snow into the air.

There's snow falling in ski resorts already, and the top skiing and snowboarding companies are starting to announce their winter lineups for you to expand your quiver. If you've not got your lift pass for the season yet, what are you waiting for? All that's standing between you and being on the first lifts at the best resorts in the U.S. is having that ticket in your hand — or maybe putting it in your ticket pocket so you don't lose it.

Here's my plea to you: whether you're a skier or snowboarder, a local or a road tripper, make this winter the winter your teenage self dreamed of. Remember when you were a ski bum, crashing on your buddy's sofa, dreaming of that winter when you chased great lines and rode every resort available to you? With conditions lining up for 2023/2024 to be an epic winter, the best way to get the most out of it is to get the right pass and open up as much skiable ground as possible. These are the best ski and snowboard passes you can get.

Read more
Ski tips for beginners: 13 essential things to know
Learning how to ski involves more preparation, equipment, and a greater sense of adventure than many other sports
Person skiing down the slope in a blue jacket and a ski helmet

So you’ve decided to learn how to ski. Welcome to the party, pal! Prepping for your first day on the slopes can seem daunting. Unlike simpler outdoor pursuits like hiking or biking that require minimal gear, skiing is an entirely different animal. It’s more like scuba diving in that it involves more preparation and equipment, and you could argue, a greater sense of adventure, especially if you're gunning to ultimately take on backcountry skiing. Skiing for beginners involves figuring out what clothes to pack, which gear to buy, and how to transport it all to the mountain.

And all of that is before you even get to the mountain. Then there’s the matter of actually learning how to ski. Should you book a proper lesson or go it alone and hope for the best? There's no right answer, really. Here, we tackle these questions and more with the best pro tips for beginner skiers (and a few for intermediate and expert skiers too).

Read more
Mips ski helmet and snowboard helmet protection is now being developed virtually to reduce environmental impact
Mips is mapping safety digitally, and that's awesome
mips helmet protection developed virtually bradley dunn 9sggun3iiig unsplash

Virtually every top-end ski helmet on the market nowadays boasts one thing: Mips. This multi-directional impact system also found in mountain bike and snowboard helmets, is perhaps the major advancement in safety to hit the snow since wearing helmets first became mainstream — a concept that early snowboarders seemed unlikely ever to adopt, given their carefree attitudes toward safety.

But creating new technology and manufacturing new gear throws up a whole host of ethical and environmental dilemmas. While plenty of outdoor companies and movements are calling for better use of our old outdoor equipment, it doesn't always appear that so many are advancing in the design stages. Sure, we're always excited to see new, more eco-friendly gear released, but what wastage has gone into getting to that design stage, and what can be done to reduce that impact? Well, Mips may have an answer.

Read more