Aug 052013
O’Neill Wetsuits Women’s Basic Skins Long Sleeve Crew, Riviera, Medium
- 5oz. Polyester/Spandex 4 Way Stretch
- 50+ U.V. Protection
- Quick Dry
- Rash Protection
- Flatloc Stitched
U.V. and Rash Protection Shirt
List Price: $ 29.95
Price: $ 20.99
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POLYESTER RASH GUARD – will not stretch as much as nylon/spandex | Sizing is accurate (“SKINS” are meant to fit SKIN TIGHT),
UPDATE: April 10, 2013
Buyer Beware:
* TWO-TONE (two colors) with O’NEILL LOGO on LEFT are NYLON/ELASTANE*
* SOLID COLOR with O’NEILL LOGO ACROSS FRONT are POLYESTER/ELASTANE*
I saw the new two-toned rash guards at an O’Neill store on Feb. 17, 2013 and looked at the label.
Both Amazon and Prime Scuba were notified about this in February 2013 (and both appear to be ignoring the issue).
Review below is for the SOLID COLOR with O’NEILL LOGO ACROSS FRONT made of POLYESTER/ELASTANE material.
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INSIDE COLLAR READS:
89% POLYESTER
11% ELASTANE
HAND WASH / DRIP DRY
MADE IN MEXICO
I have been wearing O’Neill rash guards for over 15 years and this rash guard is awesome! I am an educator and have been a certified water safety instructor for two decades. The following has been my experience with the “Women’s Basic Skins Long Sleeve Crew” for over 2 years, so far.
I have several of these POLYESTER rash guards in different colors. In over twenty years of wearing different brands and styles of rash guards, I find the SIZING of this rash guard to be ACCURATE – rash guards are intended to fit skin tight (hence the name “SKINS”).
The POLYESTER/ELASTANE material this particular rash guard is made of DOES NOT STRETCH AS MUCH as the nylon/spandex material some rash guards are made of. BUT, this polyester rash guard / skin has lasted longer and does very well with daily saline and chlorine exposure from public and residential swimming pools. So, I go with slightly less stretch & overall comfort in exchange for durability.
If you are concerned about the sizing, the picture shows exactly how the rash guard is intended to fit – like a second skin. Generally, rash guards are sized to fit tight so the material will not bunch-up, ride-up, or slip/slide around during water sports or when worn under a wetsuit. If you prefer a looser fit, consider sizing up. If you are considered overweight (BMI/Body Mass Index over 25 as opined by a doctor or other qualified professional), maybe consider a “rash tee” or “swim shirt” instead (search: “O’Neill Women’s Tech 24/7 Long Sleeve”, “Coolibar swim shirt” or “XCel Women’s Plus Size Sun Shirt”)
**2011 UPDATE** After about a month of almost daily use in saline and chlorinated residential swimming pools the stitching has faded slightly and the lettering on the front is cracking slightly. Color of the rash guard / skin (the polyester material) has stayed the same.
**2012 UPDATE**
The quality & sizing was the same as above during Summer 2012. Added opinion about this rash guard below.
RE: HEAT RETENTION & BUOYANCY
My experience when wearing this rash guard has been the following:
- I feel the temperature of the water I am in
- I feel the ambient temperature WHEN THIS RASH GUARD IS WET and I am OUT OF THE WATER
- I feel a chill if there is a breeze WHEN THIS RASH GUARD IS WET and I am OUT OF THE WATER
When swimming while wearing this rash guard, my experience has been the following:
- I DO NOT experience unnatural or added buoyancy – I DO NOT float more in water – when wearing this rash guard.
See Amazon’s description for this rash guard for information on what it offers. Generally, RASH GUARDS ARE NOT INTENDED TO HELP RETAIN BODY HEAT and generally WILL NOT CAUSE UNNATURAL/ADDED BUOYANCY. Generally speaking, a garment that is intended to help retain body heat in water sports is usually made out of a material called neoprene or made with some neoprene. I have wetsuits that are made of neoprene and those DO cause me to become more buoyant when in water. This is due to the porous nature of the neoprene material that has tiny air pockets within the material. The tiny air pockets in neoprene help retain body heat when a garment has a skin tight fit. The air pockets in neoprene material can also cause some unnatural/added buoyancy depending on the thickness of the neoprene. However, THIS RASH GUARD IS NOT MADE OF NEOPRENE. Put simply, wearing this rash guard in water is the equivalent of wearing a skin tight polyester shirt (of course, with 11% elastane for “four-way stretch” and “flatloc stitching” to avoid chafing). To my knowledge, there are no air pockets in polyester material that can help with heat retention or cause buoyancy. I do not get, or even expect, heat retention in water and I do not get/expect unnatural/added buoyancy while wearing this rash guard in water.
RE: CHAFING
So far, in over two years of regular use of this brand and particular style of rash guard, I have not experienced chafing of any kind. This rash guard is “flatloc stitched” to help avoid chafing and that works fine for me.
RE: ADDED DRAG (a.k.a FRICTION DRAG in aquatics)
I experience some friction drag in water, which is to be expected…
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|I shouldn’t have listened to the bad reviews,
I have been looking around for a skin for some time and bought this one based on O’Neill’s reputation and its price. After looking at the reviews, I purchased one size bigger than what I normally wear, thinking that that would give me the fit I desired. It did not. I was looking for something that fit like a racing swim suit, incredibly tight as that is how a skin is supposed to fit to minimize rashes. What I got was something that fit like a moderately tight t-shirt. If you are not going to be incredibly active while wearing this skin, size up! But in order to minimize the possibility of getting a rash, order the size that you normally wear. It will be a tight fit, but if you’re active, you’ll appreciate it later.
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|pros and cons,
I’m a distance swimmer- I swim five miles every day. Because I live in Florida I have to be super careful for the sun exposure so I wear rashguards as protection from UV rays. I’ve gone through MANY rashguards from many different manufacturers (O’Neill, Body Glove, RipCurl, etc) and have yet to find the perfect one.
The O’Neill Skin rashguard has its pros and cons, like all the rest:
pros:
- good, tight fit. If you are a swimmer, go true to size or a little smaller. If you are a casual user, go up in size for sure. This rashguard has a very low profile fit. I’m not a speed swimmer, but I try to keep everything I wear very low profile/low drag because of the time I spend in the water. The Skin is a great TIGHT fit (I’m 5’4″, 120 pounds and I ordered a size Small) and it doesn’t ride up, which I appreciate. The Body Glove ones tend to ride up in both the back and on my wrists, leaving little areas of tanned stripes. I don’t care about the tan but I do worry about the sun exposure in those areas.
- dries fast. I guess it’s from the material the Skin is made of, but it dries overnight. Nothing is worse than pulling on a cold, damp, clammy rashguard in the morning, so I REALLY love the fact that it dries out completely overnight.
- doesn’t break down due to repeated exposure to chlorine and sun. I’ve had this rashguard for a few weeks, and it’s still in the same shape it was when I first started wearing it. Usually I’m lucky if I get a month of wear from a rashguard before it starts getting loose and worn down, so this is a definite plus.
cons:
- (and this is a BIG one) This thing CHAFES. It’s probably not a big deal for casual wear or those who prefer a looser fit, but for a skintight fit, the chafing can be painful. I found wearing it inside out makes it a little better. Some days are better than others, but I often get out of the pool with red rings around my neck from where the neck (which is NOT tight) rubs against my skin towards the end of my swims. It’s *not* comfortable, but it’s better than the rest of the rashguard being baggy in weird places and causing drag.
- The O’Neill Skin seems to hold more water than rashguards made of lycra- when wet, the O’Neill Skin is VERY heavy. Probably not good for someone who is swimming for speed and needs to eliminate any extra weight. However, it’s good for training. When I slip the Skin off at the end of my swim and go for a few laps without it, it feels like I am flying.
So, in summary- I love the fit, the material, the durability, but I hate the chafing and the weight of it when wet. Like I said, every rashguard has its pros and cons, especially if you are in it for over two hours a day, but this is the one I’m wearing for now.
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