I received one of Shark Zen’s T-Shirts, Performance UV Fishing Shirts, and a few Decals. What will immediately catch your eye are the abstract almost tribal original fish designs from owner Bill Walsh. The t-shirt we received had a Bluefin Tuna design on it and the Performance UV shirt had a Tribal Octopus, all original artwork by Bill.

First Impressions – The Performance UV Fishing Shirt (White Octopus Performance Shirt) was cool, I felt the design itself was sweet but the printing lacked “pop”. I know this is a symptom of the digital sublimation process as we have created many shirt designs for YakAngler and the Boondoggle. The Performance UV Fishing Shirt felt like many of the other brands on the market. I didn’t notice any hanging threads or unfinished seams like I have seen on other UV wicking shirts. The t-shirt (Blue Bluefin Tuna T-Shirt) was what I gravitated to when I opened the box. The shirt material was extremely soft and the screen printing was clean and popped. I immediately thought this would be a shirt I wear on a weekly basis.

Performance – The Performance UV Fishing Shirt kept me cool and protected from the sun. It did feel a little tight putting it over my head but I do have a much larger than average gourd. The T-Shirt I loved. It fit well, not too loose where it looked like I was starring in a rap video, but not too tight where I looked like an overweight emo kid. The collar on the t-shirt didn’t stretch out even with my massive dome, a big plus. The fabric just like my initial impression was extremely soft and has stayed that way after many washes.

Final Thoughts – If it seems like I’ve talked more about the T than the Performance shirt it is because I was more impressed with the t-shirt. I have TONS of performance shirts and T’s, I found myself looking for the Shark Zen Bluefin Tuna T-Shirt in my closet and only grabbing the Shark Zen Octopus Performance Shirt when I thought about testing it. Does this mean I didn’t like the Shark Zen Performance Shirt? No it is a great shirt that does the job of keeping you cool while protecting you from the sun. I just didn’t get the same “Wow I love this shirt” that I got from the Shark Zen T-Shirt.

Really Final Thought – If you are looking for a performance shirt that will keep you cool, block those UV rays and want some cool original aquatic designs check out Bill Walsh’s Shark Zen Performance UV Shirts. You need to check out his t-shirts I loved the one I got, in fact I’m staring at his website now and I’m going to order a second T. I thinking the chartreuse Tribal Octopus on navy T, that one looks sweet!