I am picking the ultra violet level was above 7 today and anything over 3 can cause skin damage and with the ozone protective layer so thin some people can incur skin damage within five minutes.
My body is tanned or damaged whatever way you look at it, but today at New Brighton managed to not only rule myself out of hot pools visit for a week but also see blisters appearing on my stomach around the belt line.
Before I explain how I ended up with a burnt bum on a public beach. It was a fantastic day anywhere on Pegasus Bay beach and for those who come out this way it is easy to park and access as the shoreline along the 18km from Southshore to Waimakariri River mouth.
The lifeguards had a busy day keeping swimmers between flags and having four surf clubs along this stretch is very reassuring.
For those of us living on the coast, this is our backyard and we stroll across the road. No spending a day planning and driving across town to swim in the surf.
Today I made two crucial errors, not realising the gap between my usual shorts and swimming togs was likely to be exposed to the 30 degrees and UV rays, and the sun heated metal clasps on my belt brief contact with my stomach created the burn blisters.
I was but one of many hundreds from north to south frolicking in the gnarly surf and the greater New Brighton foreshore was a summer hummer.