PERFORMANCE CAP

went for the orange deliberately. On the surface, waiting for a boat pickup with a bit of chop, being visible is not a small thing — and a bright orange head is a lot easier to spot than a dark one. That alone justified it for me. Beyond that it does the obvious jobs well: keeps the sun off the top of my head on long surface intervals, and adds a bit of warmth when you're wet and there's wind about, which is when you actually lose heat. Stays put rather than sliding around. Small, cheap, ends up in the bag on every trip. Not much more to say about a cap than that.

Full disclosure — I distribute Sharkskin in Europe. I also bought this one myself and dive in it, so this is a genuine user review, just not an impartial one. Took it to the Red Sea in June. What sold me was the drying speed: rinse after a dive and it's dry by the end of the surface interval. On a liveaboard that's the difference between putting on something dry or something clammy, four times a day. The sun protection is the other half of it — the Egyptian sun on a dive deck is relentless and this covered the parts I'd otherwise be reapplying sunscreen to. Honest caveat: the sizing is Australian, so check the guide. My M fits snug, which is right for layering under a suit but tighter than some people expect for a standalone rashie. No notes otherwise. It's the one I reach for.