I went into Hargreaves Sports shop at Gatwick N terminal this morning and bought an Oakley rash vest.. the sort which are used by surfers abroad, or to stop adults burning in the sun.
I got it for 17 quid, and thought that it would make a good running top. Its tight fitting, made of nylon and spandex (so being synthetic will obviously be breathable, wicking etc right?), has short sleeves and a comfortable polo neck.
I think its the bees knees.
what do you reckon?
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The most recent one I've got is a 'Sphere' top. Nice meshy bits at the side!
a) I'm told they are made in sweatshops
b) they highlight my man boobs. particularly the clingy grey and red top
I've got a couple
The Oakley rash vest is made in Thailand. Great quality. And if it keeps me warm, and I dont sweat too much in it, then at 17 quid its a bargain and I'll buy more.
... but it is clinging, so will show man boobs.
I agree with Chaos btw - although I know a few people did Toughguy in rash vests as they are designed for wet use and could offer more thermal protection in the cold water...........
dave0520 - Tchibo or ALDI are the places to go for bargain running tops that still wick properly.
My idea was to use the surfing rash vest as a running top. Seemed like a good idea this morning, but its gone down like a lead balloon with you lot.
It may be not one of my best ideas, but I'll give it a shot tomorrow to prove or disprove suitability for purpose (running top).
Lycra/spandex is used in other running gear, so that doesnt discount it as a suitable material for a running top.
Nylon is as wicking and breathable as any other synthetic eg. polyester or polypropylene (ie. Viloft/Ron Hill or Lifa Versa/Helly Hansen respectively).
So the idea still holds water.
The fabric will hold water as readily as any other synthetic, so it wont be any more or less breathable than anything else.
I also cant imagine Oakley selling a rash vest which causes or accelerates windchill, otherwise you'd have surfers dropping dead on the ocean with hypothermia.
Hence the theory still holds water in my eyes.
...anyway I'll give it a shot tomorrow and report back.
and if it works well, I've got copyright on the idea OK?
in essence Chaose and me don't think they will make great running tops as they are designed for a different purpose - but as I have never tried running in one that it is purely an assumption.........
let us know how you get on............
I like to think I'm the creative sort. Have to put my PhD to some use.
If it works, I'll buy shares in a rash vest producer.
If it fails, I've still got a rash vest for surfing, which we do here on the Isle of Man, even in winter.
Off to Tiree myself in a few weeks so fingers crossed for some low pressure systems. Can't be too far from the Isle of Man?
nope
baggy wiking stuff for my humungous bod
The last time I surfed at Huntington Beach, CA at Easter, I made a knob of myself.
Went out for 1.5 hours this morning along the coast amid a blustery Easterly gale.
The rash vest was great. I felt that it kept me warmer than your standard technical running top, and maybe I sweated a bit more as a result.
I felt that it was breathable, though because of its tightness on the body, less so perhaps than a looser fitting top.
On returning home, the rash vest was no more wet with sweat than any of my other standard running tops from Asics, Ron Hill etc.
I think therefore that the experiment was a success. I'd recommend wearing a rash vest as a base layer in winter, or as a single layer during autumn or spring.
I'm sold on the idea now. Rash vests are cheap at the moment because summer is over and sports shops want to get rid of their stock. So I will be buying a few more.
You really need the body for it though...