What is a Wide-Brimmed Hat and What are its Benefits for Boating?

Boating out on the water is one of the best ways to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. However, without the proper gear, it can also be quite harmful. If you are an outdoor enthusiast who likes a lot sailing and boating, it is essential to have sun protection with you. Aside from sunscreen, shades, and wearing UV-protected clothes, another sun protection you should have is a wide-brimmed hat. 

Wide-brimmed hats are great for sailing and boating because they can shade your face, neck, and ears well compared to regular hats. Many wide-brimmed hats have an adjustable string to hold them on your head in the wind and are light-colored, so it does not absorb too much heat. Also, even though they have wide brims, they will still allow you a full range of vision and hearing.

There are many wide-brimmed hat options out there that are perfect for boating. Some are crafted for water sports and activities, whereas others are meant for style and fashion. Whatever you prefer and your gender, there is a hat for you. 

Origin of Wide Brimmed Hat

The first hat with a broad-brimmed was the petasos or petasus, worn primarily by farmers, travelers, and hunters to protect them from the sun and rain. It was from wood felt, leather, straw, or animal skin. The petasos was the most common hat worn in Greece between 1200 and 146 B.C.E. 

The women’s versions of petasos had a high crown, while those for men featured a lower crown. Elite Greek men generally chose not to wear hats. As a winged hat, it became the symbol of Hermes, the Greek mythological messenger God. Its popularity later extended to the Etruscans, the Byzantine Empire, and the Roman Empire in slightly modified forms.

In the first half of the 19th century, women around the continents wore bonnets that gradually became larger, decorated with ribbons, flowers, feathers, and gauze trims. Then, many other styles were introduced by the end of the century, and among them were hats with wide brims and flat crowns, the flower pot, and the toque. 

Benefits of Wide Brimmed Hat for Boating

Wide-brimmed hats have benefits making them great hats for boating. No other hat aside from sailing and wide-brimmed hats will be able to shade your face, ears, and neck while still allowing you a full range of vision and hearing. 

A beautiful, blonde woman in bikini with hat sits on a yacht and enjoys the summer holiday over the tropical ocean of the Maldives islands

Sun Protection

The sun’s rays can cause melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. It can also give you the worst kinds of sunburns. Sun protection should be taken very seriously, and these hats will carry the day, no matter how hot it gets. 

A wide-brimmed hat can work as a natural barrier from harsh UV rays. Go for about 3 inches of the brim and with a non-uniform shape because the harmful UV rays can bounce off surfaces around you. A wide-brim hat with a non-uniform shape can do better at protecting you from those rays hitting your face.

It is also a factor in the material and the choice of color to protect you from harmful UV rays. Materials like hemp and cotton offer some protection and light-colored reflects rays.

Serve as Umbrella

A wide-brimmed hat can also serve as a personal umbrella, in case you get caught in the rain while boating. Some wide-brimmed hats have a water-repellent fabric that offers protection from rain and ventilation to keep your head cool.

Provide Shade

Aside from providing a lot of protection from harmful UV rays, wide-brimmed hats help you stay cool on hot days by providing a bit of shade. It dries quickly and keeps your head nice and cool, preventing you from getting a sweaty scalp. 

These hats are a great option if you plan on boating for a long time as they will offer maximum relief and protection from the sun. A wide-brimmed hat often has a chin strap to keep it secured on your head. 

Match Any Style, Taste, or Preference

Wide-brimmed hats are known to be lightweight, making them comfortable to wear. Moreover, while it gives protection from harmful UV rays, there are also plenty of hats to suit your style. There are wide-brimmed hats that can make you super stylish and are perfect for spring dresses and beach looks. Also, there are wide-brimmed hats perfect for men that can be folded nicely for the plane ride and will take shape quickly.

After all, though much of fashion has changed over the past century, wearing a hat to express one’s preference has not. Even hats worn for sun protection come in all shapes, colors, and materials to uniquely express each individual’s sense of style.

Make You Worry-Free

With a wide-brimmed hat, you can fully enjoy and savor the boating experience with family, friends, or alone. It prevents worries that you might get sunburned on holidays or during vacations when you still have parties, work, and other engagements to attend to when you get back. 

Things to Consider When Selecting a Wide-Brimmed Hat

Three year old toddler boy with mother sitting on wooden jetty with boat. Summer family vacation at Maldives.

The Size of Your Head

Be sure to know the size of your head so you can look for a hat that fits. Nothing is worse than someone wearing a hat that is too small for their head and keeps falling. Measure the size of your head and look at the measurement chart before purchasing your wide-brimmed hat.

Your Hairstyle

When looking for a perfect hat, especially a wide-brimmed one, consider your personal preference. The width of the brim should also go to the vibe of your hairstyle. Some hats look better with longer hair, some with shorter hair, some with braids, and others.

The Shape of Your Face

When looking for a perfect wide-brimmed hat, look at the width of the brim, the height, and the details. Make sure all these factors complement the shape of your face. 

Rounder and heart-shaped faces should lean towards shorter brims, leaner faces should lean towards hats with shorter heights, and oval faces look great with hats with broader brims. 

Portrait of a beautiful middle-ages woman, model in wide-brimmed hat on the background of the sea in summer.

In conclusion, everyone can enjoy the sun safely with a wide-brimmed hat. It is a great way to not only protect your scalp from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays but will protect your neck and face, too. Choosing a hat that works with your style and your face are factors when considering this fashion statement. 

Luckily, if you take your time selecting the perfect hat, you can achieve a good fit and flattering style and wear a wide-brimmed hat with confidence.