Real World Tests: I've been wearing the Barracuda shirt off and on since the Fall of 2018 on several different fishing trips. Since I own two or three each of their Ninja and Samurai shirts, it can bet a little confusing as to which shirt I've packed, but the way AFTCO has separated the gator and hoodie on this shirt really helps with easy identification.

The shirt's gator and hoodie are not attached

Fit: I'm right in between sizes and can wear a medium or large in these types of shirts. My Barracuda is a large and the fit at this size is a little loose especially with the gator and hood. The body of the shirt, however, is just about right and affords good freedom of movement while fishing. I really like the availability of the thumb loops to keep the sleeve from moving around too much.

So you can pull one or the other up separately

Sun Protection: Naturally, with UPF 50 baked into the fabric, sun protection with this shirt is quite good. The shirt is available in four colors, and I chose sky blue. I feel the lighter colors help reflect the sun's rays which helps keep you cool.

The fit of the gator and hood are more loose than other shirts from AFTCO

Speaking of Cool: But speaking of cool, not only is the fabric specially designed to help moderate your temperature, there are venting panels up and down along each side of the garment to let air in and out. Similar to the Ninja shirt, but even more porous, this makes for a much more comfortable shirt to wear either over another shirt or just straight by itself.

There are elastic bands on the end of the sleeves to serve as thumbloops

Features: Most of the features advertised on any specific garment you kind of have to take with a leap of faith. AFTCO's Barracuda Geo Cool sunshirt is no different as it's packed with a hose of features (listed in the spec table above) we have no real way of verifying. I can say one of the key features I was happy to discover and mentioned earlier were the thumb loops.

This is a very comfortable shirt to wear while fishing

However, this is also one of my gripes. While I appreciate the presence of this feature, I'm not entirely thrilled with the execution. AFTCO provides this feature via a semi-elastic band sewn into the sleeve so it's not the most comfortable thumb loop I've worn. On the plus side, if you're not a fan of these loops, you'll hardly notice they are there and perhaps this is why they're constructed in this manner as a sort of hedge against those who do not like this feature on their shirts.

It affords very good freedom of movement

Design & Ergonomics: Other than that one criticism, the Barracuda Geo Cool sunshirt is very comfortable to wear and the separation of the hood from the gator is a good thing giving you more options of how to wear the garment. It does, however, result in a hood that's more loose than the Ninja or Samurai shirt, and the gator, as well, is not as tight. In case you prefer no hood or gator, the Barracuda Geo Cool shirt is also available without either of those and as a plain, long sleeve shirt.

The side panels feature a mesh fabric for ventilation

Price & Applications: AFTCO's Barracuda Geo Cool sunshirt has been available since the Fall of 2018 and retails for $70.00. Wear it anytime you're going to spend a lot of time out in the sun - not just fishing. I wear it on hikes or when I'm working outside in my yard and even while standing around watching Zander tend to the weeds at his place.

Conclusion: I really appreciate these new generation sunshirts for the ability to keep us cool and avoid the need to apply sunblock. I've been going through a lot of AFTCO's product in search of the perfect shirt and so far, this is the best I've worn for the fact it's comfortable and while the gator and hood are a little loose, sometimes I find the one on the Ninja to be too restricting (me and my big nose you know). So I don't mind so much the need to readjust and pull the gator up if it saves me from a sore snout at the end of the day.

If you're looking for a long sleeve hooded or not, shirt to keep you cool this year, AFTCO's Barracuda Geo Cool shirt belongs on your short list

Together with their Tactical Shorts (my favorite shorts and a product I've been wearing for several seasons now yet still have to write up), I'm just about set for those hot Summer and Fall days out on the water and working around the house. If you're looking for a long sleeve hooded or not, shirt to keep you cool this Summer, AFTCO's Barracuda Geo Cool shirt belongs on your short list.

Looking for an AFTCO Barracuda Geo Cool Sunshirt?

It's available at TackleWarehouse

as a Hooded Shirt or just a plain Long Sleeve