The Best UPF Shirts for Life In and Around the Ocean

A Guide to Airtex, Sun Pro, Adapt, and Rashguards

If you spend enough time in the ocean, you learn quickly that sun exposure isn’t something you can manage with sunscreen alone.

Between saltwater, sweat, and long sessions, protection wears off fast. What doesn’t is a good UPF shirt.

The right one keeps you covered, cool, and focused—whether you’re paddling out, running the boat, or moving along the coast.

But not every UPF shirt is built the same.

At FLORENCE, sun protection is approached as a system. Each piece is designed for a specific environment, and knowing the difference makes all the difference.

Four Types of UPF Shirts, Built for Different Conditions

Instead of one do-it-all shirt, FLORENCE builds four distinct tools for sun protection:

• Moving in heat: Airtex
  
  

• Long exposure: Sun Pro
  
  

• Variable conditions: Adapt
  
  

• In the water: Rashguards

Each one solves a different problem.

AIRTEX

For Heat, Movement, and High Output

Airtex is built for when your body is generating heat.

Long on-water paddles. Coastal hikes. Training sessions in the sun.

The fabric is engineered to move air, shed moisture, and dry quickly, so you don’t feel weighed down or overheated.

It’s the layer you reach for when the conditions are hot and the pace is high.

SUN PRO

For Long Days Under Direct Sun

Some days aren’t about intensity. They’re about duration.

Hours on the boat. Time spent fishing, diving, or posted up on the beach.

Sun Pro shirts are designed for that kind of exposure—lightweight, protective, and comfortable enough to wear all day without thinking about it.

They become part of your daily uniform when the sun doesn’t let up.

ADAPT

For Layering and Changing Conditions

Not every environment is warm—but sun exposure is still constant.

Adapt shirts are built as the base layer in an integrated layering system, designed to regulate temperature while providing consistent sun protection. In colder conditions, they work beneath insulation and outer layers, helping manage heat and moisture without sacrificing coverage.

The thermoregulating fabric balances warmth and breathability, keeping you comfortable as conditions shift throughout the day.

They’re designed for time out of the water—when movement, exposure, and changing environments demand a layer that can adapt without needing to be swapped out.

RASHGUARDS

For Time in the Water

When you’re in the ocean, everything changes.

Sun exposure intensifies with reflection off the water, and protection needs to stay consistent through long sessions. Rashguards are built specifically for in-water sun protection, creating a reliable barrier that won’t wash off or break down over time.

A close, compression fit keeps the layer secure, preventing chafing and eliminating movement while you paddle, dive, or swim.

They’re essential for long sessions in the water—when both performance and protection need to hold up without compromise.

Sun protection isn’t just about avoiding sunburn. It’s about managing energy, staying focused, and being able to keep going.

The right UPF shirt becomes something you rely on every time you head out.

Not because you notice it—but because you don’t have to.