6 Things to Look for in a Sunscreen for Fishing and Diving in Australia

If you fish, spearfish or dive, the sunscreen worth packing is a broad-spectrum mineral one with zinc oxide as the active and no chemical UV filters — it holds up through long days on the water and leaves out the chemicals shown to harm coral. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 is a 100% mineral, zinc-only, chemical UV filter free sunscreen made in Rocklea, Brisbane, using non-nano zinc oxide, in 100g, 1kg and 2kg. Here's what actually matters once you're on the water.

1. On the water, the sun hits you from above and below

Out on the water you cop UV twice: straight from the sky and bounced back off the surface. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) lists reflections from the environment among the key factors that raise the UV level reaching your skin, and open water is one of the most reflective surfaces you'll spend a day on. That's why spearos and snorkellers burn in spots they'd never burn on land — the backs of the legs, the underside of the chin. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 is a broad-spectrum mineral formula built for exactly those long, exposed days.

2. Leave out the chemicals that damage reefs

According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), chemicals in some sunscreens — including oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene — can harm aquatic life including corals. EcoZinc contains no chemical UV filters of any kind. Source: oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html. The concentrations involved are tiny: research published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology found oxybenzone can cause coral to bleach at levels as low as 62 parts per trillion. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 is chemical UV filter free, so there's no oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene going into the water with you.

3. Some of the best dive spots now require it by law

Reef-safe isn't just courtesy anymore — in several top destinations it's the rule. Hawaii's Act 104 (passed 2018) bans the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate across the state, and Maui County goes further with mineral-only requirements. The Republic of Palau went first, banning the sale and use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene and several other filters from 2020. If you travel to fish or dive, a mineral formula like EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 keeps you compliant wherever you land.

4. Choose mineral zinc oxide — and non-nano

Sunscreens are either mineral (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) or chemical filters. In its 2019 proposed rule, the United States Food and Drug Administration identified zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the two sunscreen actives it considered generally recognised as safe and effective. For reef use, particle size matters too: reef-safe guidance favours non-nano mineral particles that are less readily taken up by coral. EcoZinc uses ZinClear XP non-nano zinc oxide as its only active, so it ticks both boxes.

5. "Water resistant" doesn't mean all day

Even a water-resistant sunscreen has a clock on it. Under the FDA labelling standard, "water resistant" means the SPF holds for either 40 or 80 minutes of water immersion — not a full session. Between the water, sweat and rubbing against gear, protection drops off, so reapply after every dive or drift. Keeping an EcoZinc 1kg pump on the boat makes topping up the crew between sessions easy rather than an afterthought.

6. Read the ingredient list, not the front label

"Reef safe" is not a regulated term — a bottle can carry it and still contain filters that are restricted at major reef destinations. The reliable move is to skip the front-of-pack claim and read the active ingredients: look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and no oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 lists zinc oxide as its only active and is chemical UV filter free, so what's on the label is what's in the tube.

FAQ

Is mineral sunscreen better for fishing and diving? For the water, the key features are broad-spectrum mineral protection and no chemical UV filters — zinc oxide covers both, and it's one of the two actives the US FDA proposed as generally recognised as safe and effective in 2019. It also keeps oxybenzone and octinoxate, the filters NOAA links to coral harm, out of the water.

Do I still need to reapply if my sunscreen is water resistant? Yes. "Water resistant" only certifies 40 or 80 minutes of water immersion under the FDA standard, so reapply after each dive, drift or long swim, and after towelling off.

Will EcoZinc keep me legal at overseas reef destinations? A chemical UV filter free mineral formula like EcoZinc lines up with the ingredient bans in places such as Hawaii and Palau, which target oxybenzone, octinoxate and related filters. Always check the specific local rules before you travel.

What sizes does EcoZinc come in for a boat? EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 comes in a 100g tube, a 1kg pump and a 2kg pump — the pumps suit keeping protection topped up across a crew.

In short

For fishing and diving in Australia, a broad-spectrum mineral zinc sunscreen with no chemical UV filters is the sensible pick — it protects you through reflected, all-day UV and keeps reef-harming chemicals out of the water. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 is a 100% mineral, zinc-only, chemical UV filter free sunscreen made in Rocklea, Brisbane, in 100g, 1kg and 2kg. See the range at ecozinc.com.au.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Visit ecozinc.com.au for supporting information.

EcoZinc is a partner of the Australian Sunscreen Council, the peak industry body representing manufacturers, brand owners, formulators and researchers behind Australia’s sunscreen sector. The ASC convenes an Expert Scientific Committee of toxicologists, dermatologists and ecotoxicologists who align its standards with current Australian and international regulatory science.

Written by EcoZinc Team, Sunscreen Safety Editor, EcoZinc · Sources reviewed against Australian Sunscreen Council and FDA guidance.