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Winter sailing - What to wear


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Robbie it's much warmer up here so I usually just wear rash skin and board shorts 75% of the time but have been wearing a 3mm wetsuit recently which is so uncomfortable to wear.

The past few months I've been looking at all my options i.e. brands like MagicMarine, O'Neill etc. and i've just bought a Zhik Microfleece skiff suit. OMG! it is without a doubt the most comfortable wetsuit and has all the right padding and mods for cat sailing. Given how much colder it is down your way Zhik also has a Superwarm Steamer but its almost double the price of the Microfleece.

 

With this suit I also wear Zhik boots and a rash skin. Others I see wear the jackets.

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We sail at the most southern cat club in Oz, Lauderdale Tasmania.  Nothing beats a dry suit with a fleece undergarment. I sail on the coldest days without a care. It is colder rigging up the boat than crashing through waves on the f18.

 

until fairly recently it was near impossible to get a sailing dry suit in Australia, we had to import them from the UK.  now magic marine Australia carry them http://magicmarineaustralia.com/index.php/sailing-gear/wetsuits-drysuits/regatta-br-dry suit-with-socks.html

 

they are not like the drysuits of old,  the wrist and neck seals are neoprene so they last a lot better than the latex seals. the feet are now full boots so your feet stay dry and there isn't the force require of getting a seal over the your foot. 

 

I took mine along to the f18 nats in Frankston in January and wore it on the first 2 days. it was pretty wild and not warm at all!

 

on sub 15 degree days, could not recommend a dry suit more highly. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great info HooD, in my opinion the sailing gear you wear should take into account how long you may be in the water, South Aus lake water is really cold in winter whereas the South Aus coastal seawater on a cold day is warmer than the air we are sailing in so if I am lake sailing I would prepare for up to 30 minutes in the water, if the boat wouldn't right, rescue boat tied up, rescue boat doesn't see you etc. For that I wear a surf type wetsuit top over my Ronstan Skiff suit, then a spray jacket. The spray jacket is essential as it stops the wind chill from the wind blowing cold water through your porous wetsuit, instead the spray jacket holds your sweat and water in the wetsuit allowing it to warm up a bit conserving your core body temp. The best beanie I have found are the Sauna Sail beanies but any nylon beanie would do 

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