First, know that Hawaii allows mineral sunscreen now. I wear Landsend sunshirts whenever outside in HI and dont get burned. I wear them over any type of swimsuit, but they are most comfortable over a two-piece.

My daughter recently purchased an expensive reversible one. Super cute but the extra layer made it uncomfortably heavy when it was wet.

I recently wore this Lands End swim top while on vacation. It's kind of like a sleeveless rashguard. I liked it because I didn't feel too exposed to the sun and also didn't feel like it was excessively modest.

https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-chlorine-resistant-high-neck-upf-50-sun-protection-modest-tankini-top-swimsuit/id_342536?attributes=44093,44967,49812

You will find all kinds, incl really cute ones. And they can be worn instead of a top, or over any kind of bathing suit.

I have one that looks like a hoodie. I love it for the protection; I am very fair and burn easily. I much prefer it to having to apply and reapply suntan lotion. I don't care for the reef-safe lotion for me, but I don't care for my neutrogena lotion for the fish. Covering up when in strong sun works better --- and the fabric is not too hot.

Have fun fun fun!

I can always count on you guys. There is a Lands' End retail store near me so I will check them out tomorrow.

Another vote for lands end, I have a few of their rash guards and I find they are nice and light to wear over my tankinis. Which, by the way, they have nicely supportive bikinis and tankinis, many of which go according to bra size.

If you like loose ones (which I do for hiking and canoeing), then pullovers are nice. If you wear them swimming and want them snug for that, look for zippers because otherwise they can be hard to get off when wet.

I suggest wearing a base coat of sunscreen though. :)

I've had good ones from LandsEnd as well as Amazon basics brand. Columbia makes decent sun shirts that aren't for waterwear but breathe better than actual rash guards. Water shirts are thicker and hotter than regular UV protecting clothes because otherwise you'd lose some protection when wet. Or was that masks? Gah.

Not an answer to your question, but I love the wrap skirt I got from ripskirthawaii.com It does not hold water! I bought the second length, just above the knee. It did have to be ironed the first time. I heard about it from someone on here or KT, but I can’t remember who. Thank you so much!

If you purchase surfing brand shirts (fir example Roxy) they have nice patterns but can run very small. i wear a non padded jog bra under mine. coolibar , athleta, o’Neill, TitleNine, Target, llbean…have a great trip!

Hi Jojoco, I don't have any rash guard suggestions... but I hope you'll post a trip review with recommendations & your favorite things when you get back! My husband and I were supposed to go to Hawaii on March 29th, but we just postponed until October (sad face) due to an unexpected health issue (not covid related). We looked at just postponing until May but the condos we'd selected, etc. were unavailable, and we didn't want to go during our summer, so we bumped it until the fall.

Oh, and which island? if there is a Sensei Sushi nearby, go! It’s fantastic.

We'll be spending eight days in Kauai. We'll be staying in Poipu. We've carved out a few beach days, but we're doing some sort of planned excursion on the others. We're doing a sunset dinner cruise on Valentine's day, a tubing, sort of lazy river, complete with long tunnels another day, a kayak and snorkeling day at Hanalei Bay, kayaking in Waimea Bay and then hiking to a hidden waterfall, taking a two-hour tour at McBryde/Allerton gardens, and doing a short tour of Kauai Coffee Plantation. It looks like a lot, but not all of these are all day trips and it is spread out over eight days. We also like more than just sitting on the beach. (And we love to kayak.)

Spanish, I'll look for a Sensei Sushi--another thing we love!

I buy rash guard shirts at surf or dive shops. I bought two white long-sleeved ones before going to Fiji. I think it is important to get white or light colored ones, as the darker ones will be too hot.

You can probably also buy them when you get to Hawaii, but it's better to get them before you.

I always wear rash guards. I had my first skin cancer at 34 years old. I get mine from Land's End. I find I need a top under the rash guard. I usually wear a tankini. Since I am sun adverse, I am thinking of getting the capri-lengthed swim bottoms to protect my legs.

I was in a Land's End store this weekend they had very little swimwear. Their catalog has tons and is returnable to the store.

I have a TYR rash guard that I love. It essentially looks like a long sleeve t-shirt but also has some cynches on the sides so it gives a little shape. I love it because it's very light and not clingy. I wear mine over a bikini so that I can wear it when I want but can take it off if I want as well. I liked mine without a zipper because it doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything once I'm in the water. I've been eyeing some of those from Athleta as well.

Yes. mine has cinches too -- adjustable --- need to find a pic. It's actually cute.

i think this is it. https://www.swimoutlet.com/products/carve-designs-cruz-long-sleeve-rashguard-8128109/?color=whitenavypull

Do you bring your own snorkel masks? We've started doing so and they are so much nicer IMHO

The sand in Hawaii is much more coarse than fine Florida sand and you have to remember that as well as any coral you might encounter. So be sure to have some beach shoes if you will be kayaking or wading to protect your feet. Cheap ones will do and you could ditch them there. Also for hiking a long sleeved shirt with spf would be best. Much lighter weight than a rash guard for that purpose and they dry quickly if you want to carry just one or two. You can also wear one as a beach coverup.

Sorry, not exactly what you asked, but thought i’d throw that in since you are shopping!

Forgot to add, Kauai is our favorite. the people are so friendly. Dont miss the ice cream!

I always take my own snorkel masks, and I have masks and swim goggles that match my eyeglass prescription. If you are nearsighted and do not want to wear contact lens in the ocean, this is important to have.

Found my snorkel and mask. Suitcase is out in a spare bedroom with piles of clothes nearby to be sorted. Ordered several rash guard shirts from Lands End and the one Mtn linked. Have my new Keen water shoes broken in (well, wearing around the house, lol). Now I need a cover up. Hate my old one--it feels weirdly like shredded rubber. For those of you who have been to Hawaii, do women wear maxi dresses at night or is everything really casual? I'm packing a bunch of sun dresses and a white jean jacket for night (also have a light cotton cardigan.) Would there be any need for cropped jeans? Evidently we're going during the coldest, rainiest time of the year. While that isn't great, I'm okay with it. Just happy to go away with dh.

I generally like to bring my own snorkel and mask as well. I'll often bring flippers too if I have the bag space. Having water socks is really nice too. I like having ones that just slip on but have a sturdy sole to protect against sea urchins (not as big of a deal on Kauai as the Big Island) and sharp rocks.

I've been to Hawaii quite a bit in the last few years, especially since my husband had to move there for work for about a year. I wear a lot of soft knee-length, sleeveless dresses. I can dress them up with some nice flat sandals or dress them down with rubber flip flops. I wear jeans constantly at home and I never ever bring them to Hawaii because they're just too hot and sticky, even in cooler times of year. I always bring a light sweater to throw on when it's cooler out and a rain jacket. Maxi dresses are great options too. Just leave the super fancy cocktail or formal dresses home since Hawaii tends to be pretty casual.

“Would there be any need for cropped jeans?” If you’re thinking of capris, yes, definitely. Although my cousin was Just on Maui and never pulled hers out of her suitcase so don’t take my word for anything. I live in mine (on Oahu). I have Eddie Bauer quick dry capris that I wear constantly. Casual without being sloppy. Plan on rain, sun and wind. Or maybe just sun. It’s so hard to predict. Do you have the app Dark Sky? I find it to be very accurate for our weather. Enjoy your trip and give us the full report when you get home!

DH and I went to Kauai for 9 days the past end of May/start of June. Loved, loved it. We split the trip between Princeville on N. Shore and Poipu on South. Stayed in condo rentals.

We both brought rash guards. For snorkeling I wore a one piece under the rash guard and water shorts.

I found Kauai to be marvelously casual for dress. We lived in shorts/tees. Dinner was maybe a button top with nicer shorts or casual skirt. DH brought some vintage Aloha shirts which looked great. A lot of guys were wearing them. I did see lots of sundresses and casual maxis. It was quite warm that time of year so no longer pants, or even sweaters.

We were there right after they opened up to tourists. It was impossible to get seats in most restaurants, so we did a lot of food trucks/take out places. Our favorites in Poipu were Puka Dog, right across from the park at Poipu Beach and DaCrack. We loved the shave ice at Waikomo Shave Ice which is in the same parking lot as DaCrack. Chicken in a Barrel at the Waimea Plantation Cottages was decent bbq, and the setting was really pretty for fairly fast food.

We rented snorkel equipment when we first got there and did a lot of snorkeling. One snorkel trip. The absolute best snorkeling of the trip was right off the beach in Poipu, next to the Beach House Restaurant. Amazing array of fish, and tons of sea turtles! We were renting an ocean front condo on the other side of the Beach House. People would gather on the lawns there to watch the local surfers. The little kids were so amazing.

Have a wonderful trip!

We were just in Hawaii a few weeks ago. The previous 4 times we have been there were all in the summer so we were not prepared for the weather. It was colder than we expected. The high might reach 80 but it's windy (we were on Maui) so it's doesn't really feel hot. We did swim but I felt the ocean and pools were cold. The lows are in the high 60's / low 70's and as almost everything there is open-air it did feel chilly. It also rained 4 days out of the 2 weeks we were. Torrential downpours that we weren't expecting. I would definitely bring long pants / jeans / long sleeves / light sweaters or wraps and an umbrella. The good thing is with the covid requirements and most dining being open-air we did feel safe. We also brought our own snorkel equipment. Enjoy! One of my favorite places on earth!