dry suit..

groundhog · #1 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010

Is there a dry suit that is comfortable and well made enough that you can wear it just as normal foul weather gear?
gh

bljones · #2 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010

uh, how deep are you digging in the rails, anyway?

groundhog · #3 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010

my rails havent dug in so deep.... yet

bljones · #4 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010

sit on the high side!
Seriously, why don't you like foulies? Unless you're diving, wearing a drysuit is just gonna make everybody laugh at you, or offer you money to find the tools they just dropped overboard.

puddinlegs · #5 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010

I have a feeling this is what the OP is talking about, not diving drysuits, and the answer is an emphatic "yes" :

Sailing Dry Suit Options | Drysuits by Kokatat, Musto, GUL, Gill, Henri Lloyd - Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS)

I still have my old Musto drysuit from younger days when I did a lot of bow on raceboats in SF Bay where it's always wet and cold sitting on the front of the rail or working ahead of the mast on any boat much under 45'. No one ever laughed, not even once. Also was great for being middle man on an Etchells. If you're in cold water and/or cold air and alot of wind, drysuits are a godsend.

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010

Yes, but they're really not well suited to use as normal foul weather gear.

For one, they can't be ventilated or adjusted for temperature as easily as traditional foul weather gear. Second, they're harder to get in and out of than regular foul weather gear. Third, few of the drysuits have hoods.

They're great when working wet conditions in cold weather, or when sailing on cold waters and immersion is a risk, but they lose a lot of points IMHO due to making some things much more complicated.

PCP · #7 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by puddinlegs

I have a feeling this is what the OP is talking about, not diving drysuits, and the answer is an emphatic "yes" :

Sailing Dry Suit Options | Drysuits by Kokatat, Musto, GUL, Gill, Henri Lloyd - Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS)

...

It seems there is some confusion here. There are dry suits that are designed for really bad weather (gore-tex). I have one (Musto), but they are really hot to wear on normal conditions. except in winter, on cold days. There are another kind, that is made of neoprene and are designed for really extreme conditions and work also as a life vest, giving you some hours on the cold water.

If you fall on the water with a gore-tex one, it would not be dry anymore, because the seals are not waterproof, I mean on the neck and on the legs, not to mention that it is by the head that most of the temperature escapes and those have not any protection there.

Regards

Paulo

zz4gta · #8 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010

Dry suites are great in the winter. Not so much when you get rained on in the spring, summer, or early fall. Then they're extremely hot, you sweat and don't dry out, then you're freezing again b/c the sweat is now cold and you're on night watch. Doing short buoy races, sure, suit up for a couple hours and stay dry. Anything longer, and it's swamp ass for sure.

I can strip off my jacket on the downwind legs, or just open the zipper to "vent" and control my body heat. Unless you're racing an F27, beach cat, or dingy, stick with foulies.

puddinlegs · #9 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010

Sorry, I should have been more clear in saying a sailing dry suit is something nice to have on particular days in particular venues on particular boats. There's certainly a place for them for the PNW, Northern California, and late of early season sailing on the Great Lakes or NE. That said OP, you'd be better off having regular foulies first that match the coldest/worse conditions you generally deal with. Second, I'd pick up a light weight smock for summer. After that, I'd entertain the idea of a dry suit for a venue and on a boat (or place on a boat) that makes it worth while having one in your closet.

CrazyRu · #10 (**permalink**) 12-02-2010

I have a “big” sailboat; however huge part of my sailing and water activities is in small open boats.
I use paddling dry suit as my foil gear on my sailboat and I prefer it to any other types of foil gear.
Modern dry suits
http://www.kokatat.com/product_drysuits.asp
Will do the job of foil gear, actually will the job better, and still provide ultimate protection if things go really bad. If you have a few thousand backs to throw around then get a good suit for every accession, starting with Armani, however if you have only one thousand then get” Expedition” from Kokatat and be covered.