Coast surf club’s new weapon against skin cancer

Coast surf club is making sure beachgoers slip, slop, slap this summer after becoming the first surf club to implement a new innovative sunscreen station.

ELIMINATE CANCER: Esmee Johnson, 11 and Ronan Nagle, 12 at Coolum Surf Club with the new sustainable sunscreen station which will allow the public to access sunscreen. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily

Coolum Surf Club is making sure beachgoers slip, slop, slap this summer after becoming the first surf club to implement a new innovative sunscreen station.

The bright yellow station created by Sunscreen Stations Australia aims to reduce skin cancer rates by providing public with easy and affordable access to sunscreen.

Sunscreen Station Australia founder Ed Joris said the alarming skin cancer rates in Coolum made it the perfect location for the first Queensland station.

"The reason that we felt Coolum was a good location was because the skin cancer rates in Coolum are 76 per cent above the national average," he said.

Coolum Surf Club Secretary James Blackmore said while he ensures sunscreen is readily available for club members the new station will benefit the community.

"It's a good idea to make sunscreen available at every opportunity, skin cancers are a horrendous thing to go through, so we want to help people protect themselves," he said.

"It's located on one of the main entrances to Coolum Beach so we have public walking past it regularly and the patrol members know it's there so they can direct people to it.

"It's another weapon that we have to help people protect themselves from the sun."

Mr Joris said Sunshine Stations Australia started the project four years ago after realising the availability of reliable sunscreen is often the reason people don't practice good sun safety habits.

"People would find themselves outside in the sun for longer than expected and just weren't prepared to be out that long and if sunscreen was sold in that proximity it would be at ridiculously high prices so we thought how can we use technology to really move that point of distribution to provide sunscreen to where people need it," he said.

The founder said the invention was made with effectiveness in mind

The station which includes a perspiratory cooling system ensures the locally made sunscreen "is stored in optimal conditions".

'If sunscreen is left in the sun the chemicals actually separate and it losses its SPF effectiveness," Mr Joris said.

"So, that cooling system was something that was paramount to us in the design because there is no point in giving out sunscreen if it's not going to be effective."

While the sunshine station aims to reduce skin cancer rates Mr Joris said "we are trying to do it in a sustainable way."

"The sunscreen is a SPF 50 four-hour sunscreen made by Concept Laboratory in Maroochydore,"

"It's been designed for people with sensitive skin and children and it actually doesn't contain any ingredients that are known to cause damaged to the marine environment.

"And 10 litres of sunscreen are held in one container, which is what up to 100 traditional containers would hold, so we are really trying to reduce that single use plastic in places like beaches and parks."

The dispenser offers 10 to 60mls of sunscreen and accepts credit card, smart phone and token payments.

"Some of the proceeds from the station actually go back into the club so It's a good way for them to be able to get money out of the activity," Mr Joris said.

While Coolum Surf Club was the first to implement the station, Mr Joris said the public could expect to see more into the future with parks, sporting grounds and other outdoor areas set to receive the new addition.