The last couple of trips we pre-tanned, in an attempt to get a bit brown, and to get a layer of protective pigment.

While we're in the winter cold, we look at ourselves in the mirror and think we're looking pretty good. Then we get to the beach and we're among the whitest there anyhow. As for the sun protection, we still smear ourselves with sunscreen once we arrive anyhow, so we ended up finding the pre-tanning pretty pointless and have foregone it this year.

It's also not inexpensive to electro-tan here.

In the summer on my sailboat I get as brown as a walnut. But I am such a white guy that my tan seems to be all but gone in two weeks.