Sun Lovers See the Light : Beach-goers are finally getting the message about protecting against skin cancer with lotion and shelters. And experts continue to put word out.

The anticipated reappearance of the summer weather that has made Southern California famous is a mixed blessing, say dermatologists and other health experts.

Most cases of skin cancer, the nation’s most common form of cancer, are caused by overexposure to the sun, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists. Each May the group sponsors thousands of free skin screenings to catch early symptoms of malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer and one that will claim the lives of an estimated 6,700 people this year.

“This year we especially want to alert men,” said Ruth Sikes of the AAD. “Their skin cancer death rate, especially white men over 50, is higher than females.” Unlike most forms of skin cancer, melanoma strikes people of all ages, even teen-agers who tend not to worry about health problems, Sikes added.

Unlike a few years ago, beach-goers are getting the message about practicing safe sun, say lifeguards who have witnessed increased use of sunscreen and hats.

“We lifeguards have always known (about) skin cancer, but the increase in products and advertising has clued in the people,” said Scott Stuart, a lifeguard at San Clemente State Beach. “We’ve added sun protection to our repertoire. When we see people looking like lobsters, we’ll tell them to put on a sunscreen, and most are receptive to it.”

In addition to natural shade, sunscreen and hats, many beach-goers have found a haven under portable, lightweight shelters and umbrellas.

One of the most convenient and popular is the EZ Up Instant Shelter, available in four sizes from 8-by-8 feet to 10-by-20. Invented by Mark Carter in a West Covina garage in 1983, these steel-framed shelters can be assembled quickly, use no ropes and, best of all, have no loose parts to get misplaced.

These are the shelters that are used at outdoor events by parks and recreation departments and many large corporations, including Budweiser, American Airlines and Nike. Especially popular with jet skiers and water skiers is the 10-by-10 model, available at Ski West in Santa Ana for $399.

Lightweight, 6-foot-diameter beach umbrellas with two-piece poles and carrying pouches are available for $30 at Hobie Sports at Dana Point’s Lantern Bay shopping center. A smaller umbrella that clips onto beach chairs costs $10, also at Hobie’s.

A Textilene four-position beach chair with foldable canopy costs about $90 at Brookstone in South Coast Plaza.

Protection from wind is also welcome during long afternoons on the sand.

The Texsport Beach Cabana offers 32 square feet of floor space in a shell-like design and features nylon sandbags for stability in gusty winds. The 4-foot, 5-inch-high shelters use three fiberglass poles inserted into nylon sleeves and fold into a handy 4-by-4-by-27-inch nylon bag. They’re available at Sport Chalet in Brea and Mission Viejo for $24.88.

Larger sunshades with no wind protection include shelters from Kelty at Ridgeway, both for $150 at Sport Chalet.

A unique shelter idea appeared to San Clemente surfer Ruben Hernandez “in a dream” in 1989. The result of his reverie, the Inside Out, is a surfboard bag that zips open to accommodate a two-person tent, and the door can be set up to serve as an awning. A 6 1/2-foot rip-stop nylon model, the smallest of four sizes, is available for $275 at Rip Curl Surf Center in San Clemente. Larger sizes are for long boards and sail boards.

A deluxe $100 hammock at Brookstone has a popular option this year: a canvas canopy. More than a dozen a week are selling in anticipation of Father’s Day, says assistant manager Patty Shepherd, and about half the buyers opt for the $100 sunshade (further protection, in the form of a mosquito net, is available for another $60).

Summer ’92 also promises to be another big year for the wide-brimmed hats that a decade ago were the exclusive province of lifeguards.

A $10 lifeguard hat by Flojos is available at Infinity Surf & Sport, Dana Point, while the colorful straw Smiley Hat ($20 at Sport Chalet stores), features a leather chin strap.

The Mambosok is a tubelike hat whose top end can be adjusted by using a drawstring. The original design, available in all-cotton, polar fleece or flannel, is complemented by a baseball cap version that features a visor. It’s available for $14 at Beach Access in South Coast Plaza.

Even toddlers will be playing the hat game this summer.

Baseball and Floppy Hats, available in various prints for $10.50 at Gap Kids in South Coast Plaza, come in sizes for newborns to 24 months.