Quick question on Sailing Gear (jackets, pants)

[madman587587]

Hello all, new the the forums.

I'm 17 and have been sailing for the last two years, one year in off the beach sailing little boats
and another year in keel boats, originally I was on a Jeanneau Odyssey 45 but have just changed over to a Sydney 38.

The Sydney 38 are more competitive and sail in ocean racing.
The gear i have at the moment isn't efficient enough for ocean sailing and I am looking for some decent gear (eg jacket, pants/overalls) to buy.

My budget is pretty tight and I can shop around, I was just wondering what the different types of material are, to get an idea on comparing them.

I'm looking at a budget of about $400

[bloodhunter]

madman,
welcome aboard
What gear you need depends on when and where you sail. But that being said, this is the time that most marine stores have Xmas,year-end sales so your $400 should go a long way. There's a thread here on the Gear and Maintenance topic on foulies which you might find helpful.
I and my wife have Henri Lloyd jacket and pants. They are very good and very expensive even on sale but they've proved extremely durable and are the only truly waterproof thing I have. My marina neighbor had Grundens , which are a brand favored by commercial fisherman. Very well made, a lot cheaper than mine but heavy with a capital H. Anyway check out the foul weather gear thread

[madman587587]

Thanks bloodhunter.

I'm on the foredeck and I do need to move around abit.
whilst I would love Henri Lloyd its out of my price range, I was also thinking of Helly Hansen but again out of my price range.

The Sydney 38 that I sail on is competitive and does do a few ocean races but nothing hardcore.
I live down the bottom of Australia in Victoria and I belive they will be sailing down to Tasmania (Hobart), so across the Tasman sea.

I was thinking of these items:
Muzsea GORE-TEX Offshore Jacket
Navis Foul Weather Offshore Pants

[bloodhunter]

madman,
Looks like you need something that's truly waterproof.
have heard good things about navis but their stuff is not exactly cheap. Don't know anything about the muzsea line. Anyway as I said checkout the foulie thread on gear and maintenance.

[sailingdog]

I'd point out that you can often get good deals on stuff on the west marine clearance rack or at defender's warehouse, where they have a clearance rack. I don't know if Sailnet has foul weather gear on clearance... but it is worth a call.

I picked up a nice coastal grade FWG jacket from Gill for $40 on clearance, which would have been $200 normally. A budget of $400 should be able to get a decent bib and jacket of offshore grade if you shop smart. I highly recommend that you actually try the gear on, since different manufacturers have different cuts.

[madman587587]

Thanks Gary3675 for the PM and sailingdog

I"ll shop around.
What type of materials would be best suitable for me (foredeck, ocean racing in Tasman sea)
Eg. what should I be looking for in a jacket/pants

[zz4gta]

boots
Don't forget your feet. If your feet get wet for days at a time you can run into serious problems of your skin peeling off. Not a fun time. I know you don't have the budget now for boots, but I thought I'd throw out a suggestions.
QUICKLACE™ MUKLUK | WATERPROOF MUKLUK | CHOTA QUICKLACE
I have these boots from a recommendation of a bowman in the Pacific north west here in the states. He does frostbites in them. Told me they were warm and waterproof. After testing them out in the tub, in streams and on a very wet trimaran (buckets of water) I'm a firm believer that you don't need $300 pair of "sailing" boots. I’ve also used waterproof socks and deck shoes for warmer weather (much cheaper option).
jacket
As far as a jackets, you may need something like a spray top. At the very least get something with seals around the wrists. A neck seal isn't all that comfortable but it is VERY effective keeping water out. If you opt out of a neck seal, make sure it has a hi-vis hood and a high collar. Definitely want wrists seals at the least. Make sure it’s light weight, waterproof (not water resistant), and contoured to fit your body. Also make sure it doesn’t get in the way of your PDF or your harness. Look for jackets w/ reflectors or bright colors considering you have the most probability of falling off the boat.
pants, bibs, sallopets
They don’t need to be bright. If you fall in, no one will see your pants anyway. Make sure they’re very adjustable for your build and they don’t ride up over your boots. This is why I like knee high boots. Either buy a pair of pants w/ reinforcements on the knees or invest in a cheap set of knee pads. In rough stuff, you’ll spend more time crawling around and scooting across the deck on your butt. Size them to be able to wear a pair of warmer paints under them.

In whatever you get, I’d suggest taped seams, high collar and hood, and wrists seals as a standard. If they aren’t waterproof, don’t bother. You’re the wettest one on the boat. You’re the wave breaker for the rest of the crew.

After looking at your links, that jacket looks like it has all you need, only issue would be figuring out what size you want. Same with the pants. It would definitely be worth a try to see how they work out, the price is right! Sail fast, and let us know how you did.

[sailingdog]

Features you want on the jacket include:

Double cuffs on the sleeves, with an inner cuff that prevents water from pouring down the sleeve when you're reaching up to adjust something.

Retroreflective patches on the shoulders, chest, back and fore-arms

A good hood

A high-collar with soft lining.

Bright yellow or orange preferably, red is a good second choice, but hard to see at night.

[Gary3675]

If racing freedom of movement a must....but not Baggy.
I have the extrasport semi dry top and its very comfy....and I have full range of motion.