**Men's Lavacore Long Sleeve Top - UPF 50+ Sun Protection, Quick-Dry & Breathable for Swimming, Surfing & Outdoor Activities**

I live in Hawaii and have been diving pretty regularly. Lately I've seen more and more people showing up with these lavacore brand tops and bottoms under their wetsuits. When I was in Australia this year, everyone there was talking about "Sharkskin" brand skin suits, but they were so pricey that I didn't have the chance to try one. Comparatively, they're just about the exact same product. There's also another brand making these called "fourth element". Lavacore is the only American brand I've seen and they seem to be the cheapest as far as pricing.Now, you can google the forums to read all the debates and opinions on the different brands, but the gist is that they're all about the same, but many people claim that the sharkskin brand may fit better and perform better as an outer garment. Lavacore claims that their tops and suits are equivalent to a traditional 2.5 millimeter neiprene wetsuit, while Sharskin advertises a 3 mil equivalency. Personally, I have only used this top as an outer garment and not under another wetsuit, but in 75 degree water, it kept me as warm as my neoprene 2 mil top, and I actually kept it on when I got back on the boat. The advertised wind protection was pretty nice to have in the breeze, and while everyone else was freezing, I was warm and looking good. I will mention that because of the different material, it didn't feel the same getting in the water as it does with a traditional wetsuit. Unlike my neoprene shorty, it took a couple minutes for me to warm up with this top on after I got in. I was almost disappointed, but it eventually warmed up and it was very comfortable under water as i maneuvered through a very tight wreck. My favorite thing about this material is that it's neutrally buoyant, so I can literally drop 2-4 pounds of weight that I typically carry to counter my various wetsuits. I also like that you can fold this thing up and cram into a bag wet or dry, and you don't have to worry about it becoming wrinkly.One item that Lavacore does not advertise and I'd thought I'd mention, is that their products do protect from stingers, including jelly fish and man-o-wars which you may encounter in Hawaii or Mexico and the Carribean. I would certainly feel much more confident wearing this in a stinger area than just a lycra suit. Overall, this top is excellent as an Underlying layer for a neoprene wetsuit and very good as a stand alone top.***Update: 1/11/2015***I originally rated this product as four stars, but I am now changing it to three. Today was the second time I've worn this top, and the zipper pocket started to become unglued. I was pretty upset about this, but it's been so nice not having to deal with my bulky wetsuit, that I probably won't return it. I don't see myself every using that pocket since it's really too small for anything anyway. Regardless, I certainly expect to have any problems with this the same week I got it and if I were to buy another product like this, I don't think I'll be going with Lavacore.