Body surfing shirt

A body surfing shirt comprising a garment formed of a cloth tending to cling to the body of the wearer when wet, said garment including a garment body with long sleeves extending therefrom, said sleeves terminating in wrist cuffs, a crew collar at the top of the garment body and a waist band at the bottom of said garment body, with said cuffs, collar and waist band being elastic so as to tightly grip the body of the wearer, buoyant forearm pads carried on the underside of the forearms of said sleeves and a buoyant chest pad carried by said garment body at chest height and on the frontal portion thereof, said garment being devoid of buoyant pads other than said forearm pads and said chest pad, such that said forearm pad and said chest pad provide an extra degree of lift and flotation to increase the speed and distance covered by the wearer when body surfing, ensuring a horizontal body position to overcome the tendency for the surf to drive the surfer forwardly and downwardly, without impairment to the wearer's body movement during body surfing and at the same time without materially interfering with the body surfer's free swimming ability and while particularly protecting the body surfer's arms and upper body chest area from ocean bottom scrapes and cuts upon contact with the beach during body surfing.