Yeah, that’s pretty much what it feels like. Photo: Shutterstock
Rashes suck. There’s no other way to reflect on the moment you wake up to go for an early morning surf and put on some fresh deodorant out of reflex. You suddenly remember that in about 20 minutes’ time you’ll be throwing on a wetsuit and paddling your ass off. Yup, a rash is coming under those armpits of yours. Or how about when you slip on a slightly damp wetsuit out of excitement, forgetting to check if it was ever fully dry? Uh oh, your boss is going to be asking about the fresh hickey you’re about to walk through the door with. Good luck.
They’re one of the most trivial yet debilitating annoyances associated with surfing. I own at least three wetsuits at all times so I can best avoid ever putting on one that isn’t fully dry. And the moment I get giddy for the onset of summer, that warm water novelty slaps me on the nipples with a fresh set of sandpapery, salty, wax induced chafing. It’s just the best, isn’t it? Wincing with every paddle is exactly why you do this.
James “Mammoth” Marshall got the bad end (not like there’s a good end) of surf rash on a trip to Hawaii once. When it stopped him from enjoying much of his trip he scoured the internet for something to help and found absolutely nothing on the market designed to ease his pain. So he created SETT surf rash cream. Simple. I have no idea if the stuff works but considering the new product is almost fully funded on its Kickstarter campaign two weeks out of its deadline, there seems to be more than a few people ready to find out. It’s made with cocoa butter, Coconut oil, aloe vera, Brazilian papaya and a bunch of other natural ingredients while avoiding any petroleum based products, so they’re on the environmentally friendly bandwagon on top of it all.
But hell, if it really does clear up surf rash overnight it could be worth its weight in gold.
Check out the SETT Surf Rash cream Kickstarter page for more.
