This is not about any kite but the sport of power kiting in general. More often than not sweat and sunblock gets in my eyes leading to much discomfort and annoyance. I landboard so I find myself very far from my "start" point and my car. When I do take a water break, I run to my car and wash my eyes out but have to endure the pain and discomfort in the meantime.

One thing I'd like to add is that I wear wrap around sunglasses and after my kiting sessions, I often find very small dotted dried stains on the lower inside of the glasses. Its possible the skin-glass-eyelash-eyecontact is causing the irritation.

Are there others who experience similar discomfort? If so, how have you gotten around it?

Thanks.

oh yes I have experienced your pain. The solution for me - Bullfrog Sunblock- it's the only one that truly doesn't run into your eyes and make them burn.

BullFrog is good. I often make a sweat band out of a roled up bandanna and it sits on the forehead just below the helmet.

Sweat often burns my eyes although I don't tend to sweat that much kiting (the winds help keep me cool I guess) but on the Ultimate fields I'm forever wiping the burn out of my eyeballs. I wear contacts while kiting and playing Ulti so I think that helps meek the burn down a bit. I always assumed it was just the way it is. I'll look into BullFrog sunblock.

I use the coppertone spf 30 sport in the blue bottle, and it isn't as noticeable on my skin as bullfrog and I've never had stinging in my eyes with it. I'm a big guy so I certainly sweat, but I don't remember having this problem.

I use the same sunblock BB uses, and as long as you apply it to your face using your hands (as opposed to spraying it directly on your face), you'll be fine. It dries pretty quick too.

I was out this past Monday from 7:45am till 4:30pm doing a kite demo at an elementary school and I didn't have any probs all day. I only reapplied once at 1pm cuz I was sweatin like a mofo by then. And I didn't get sunburned

You might also want to try vented sunglasses (Oakley WaterJackets are an example) that allow more wind to hit the area around your eyes.

I use both the lotion and the spray that are in the blue bottles. I spray directly on my face with my eyes closed and then walk forward to dry fast and get the alcohol vapors away from my face. No burning if you keep your eyes closed for 4-5 seconds. No burning later for any reason. With the lotion, I just put the right amount on my hands and work it it and give it time to dry BEFORE I start sweating. No problem.

use oil of olay spf 15, it keeps your skin moisturized and looking young as well as blocking harmfull uv rays. it does not sting the eyes at all. I bet that #@%$#! is expensive, I dont know because it belongs to my wife but it is great. touch up with a bit of blush and just a hint of eyeliner and you will be pretty for your kite.

Do you match the eye liner to the kite colour? This always confuses me.

Does it soften your hands while you kite?

I use the Coppertone spray-on 70spf stuff, and it burns like fire in your eyes, but I've found that if I use a bandanna to tie up my hair, that will absorb most of it and keep it out of my eyes.

Quote:

Originally posted by Rye Do you match the eye liner to the kite colour? This always confuses me.

Obviously, you match to the colour of your lines. Why do you think they call it eye liner?

S

I always wear a bandanna and a hat, and never apply lotion where it will run into my eyes.

no chemicals = no irritation and plus it's "greener".

right on Furby

I heard the other day that scientist and ecologist have discovered that sun block is bleaching the coral reef that's getting into the water system via humans having it on while entering into the water.. killing the coral reefs that is vital to our eco system.......

@ kite slinger: thanks for the kudos!

But i think it's not so much that coral reefs are vital to the ecosystem, we could probably (?) get by without them.

If the oceans begin to rise in our lifetime, ten to twenty feet of extra depth will likely nuke them and we'll then soon find out...

They are indeed, however, among the world's most sensitive elements of the ecosystem, and so they are the most easily destroyed, along with tidal area ecosystems.

and back on topic, I've worked as an outdoor educator / outward bound style trainer in SE asia for the past decade, and I couldn't begin to tell you all how many people have had troubles with sunblock in eyes while on my courses. Using hats and bandannas instead of applying lotion on one's forehead has become regular practice among most of my colleagues.

Interestingly, the worst case of sun lotion blindness I've had to deal with (3 days b4 vision returned) involved body shop lotion. They don't test on animals. cool. but consequently they don't know how bad it is.

And oil of olay sun lotion is indeed one of most sting-free lotions around! I've seen it used many times without a single ill effect.

The worst thing you can do with sun lotion is to apply it on sweaty skin while you are in the sun. It takes about twenty minutes, less for the alcohol-based stuff, for it to soak into your skin and become sweat-proof. Your skin must be dry and cool and in the shade throughout those twenty minutes.

Afterwards, one can go out into the sun with a much reduced risk of skin and eye irritation.

cheers,

furbo