What to wear fishing in Texas: sun, spray, wind and cold

You can fish in almost anything, but a long day on Texas water punishes the wrong clothes. The sun is strong most of the year, a norther can drop the temperature fast, and a boat or a surf line adds wind and spray to whatever the forecast says. This guide builds an outfit around four problems in order: sun, wet, wind and heat. Offshore and overnight trips push all four harder, so the same rules apply there with more margin.

Sun first

Clothing is the easiest sun protection to keep up, because it does not wear off or need reapplying. The Skin Cancer Foundation rates fabric by UPF and says UPF 50 lets through about 2% of ultraviolet light. Weave and color matter: densely woven cloth protects better than a thin or loose weave, and dark or bright colors absorb more ultraviolet light than pale ones. Wet or stretched fabric protects less, and the foundation's example is a white T-shirt that falls from a UPF of 7 to 3 when wet.

The CDC's heat guidance points the other way and suggests loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Both are right for their own job, so buy by the UPF label and keep the cut loose and vented rather than choosing by color alone.

A sun kit that works

Wet: spray, rain and sweat

Getting wet matters more than the rain itself. Wet skin loses heat faster, so a warm day can turn miserable once the boat is running. For boat days pack a waterproof, breathable jacket and bibs with adjustable cuffs. Bibs keep spray off your legs and lap, which a jacket alone misses. Bring them even when the forecast is dry, because spray soaks you on days with no rain.

Avoid cotton when you expect to get wet. It stays wet, feels cold, and as the Skin Cancer Foundation notes, protects less from the sun. Synthetic quick-dry fabrics dry on your body. Keep a full change of clothes in a dry bag.

Wind and cold

The National Weather Service describes wind chill as how cold it feels to people and animals, and explains that wind pulls heat from exposed skin. It adds that wind chill below freezing with air above freezing can still lead to hypothermia, so a cold, windy, wet day is a risk even when the air is not freezing. On a moving boat, the wind you feel is the breeze plus your own speed.

Dress in layers you can add and shed: a base layer that wicks sweat, a warm middle layer, and a windproof shell over the top. Shed a layer before you start sweating, not after. Add a beanie and gloves when the wind picks up, and keep a spare pair dry. Disposable hand warmers slipped inside the gloves are a cheap boost, and the gloves guide covers how to use them without burning numb skin. If your trip puts you in cold water or you wade in winter, read the cold-water wading guide as well.

Heat

The CDC advises drinking water before you are thirsty, avoiding alcohol and sugary drinks, wearing a brimmed hat and loose, light clothing, and taking breaks. If you feel faint or weak, stop and get somewhere cool, and get medical care for heat illness symptoms. On a boat that cool place is shade and a seat out of the sun, so find it before you need it. The National Weather Service has more on the signs of heat illness.

Feet and legs

Four Texas outfits

This is general information, not medical advice. Conditions change fast on the water, so check the marine forecast before you go and head in if the weather turns.

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