Foul weather gear

[locrian13]

Is there a particular brand you like or dislike? I haven't done much shopping around yet, but I do need new foulies this year. I tried on jackets at West Marine, but they're not cut for women, if you know what I mean.

Can you help me narrow the field?


Many thanks!

[sailingfool]

First you've got to decide what type of gear you need, based on how you will use it. To define your needs, try the West Advisor: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs.../10001/fwg.htm - the best GoreTex offshore gear is a poor solution for walking around in afternoon showers.

Once you know what type of gear fits your needs, then you will largely get what you are willing to pay for, except if you can get a bit of a break with on sale or discount merchandise. Given how expensive this stuff is, and how important the fit and comfort is, my advice is pay the price to get good gear that fits. For women gear you might try a secialty shop like: http://www.team1newport.com/store/products.asp?dept=131 . The proprietor at a shop like this (martha@team1newport.com) will know every stitch and button on all the gear she sells, and will tell you more about useability and fit than any ten floor reps at a West Marine combined.

Buy good stuff and enjoy it for years. Good luck.

[locrian13]

Thanks for all the detailed info! I will be sure to check out the resources you posted. As my signature indicates, I sail in Lake Michigan. The boat goes in April 22 and comes out mid-October, and in Wisconsin that could mean anything, weather-wise. I generally try to stay out of very nasty weather, but sometimes it can't be helped.

I don't mind paying the extra $ for something that fits well and will wear well. I'd rather pay a little more now and have it last a long time than go the el cheapo route and have to replace it in a year or two.

Again, thanks!

[RichardElliott]

Be careful of rotten customer service in addressing leaks by Henri-Lloyd.

[Maine Sail]

I'm a sailor, winter alpine climber, tele skier, ice climber etc.. After spending nearly $600.00 on a Henri LLoyd jacket for an offshore trip I was sure glad I had my mountain climbing shell with me! I had a Patagonia Gore-tex mountaineering jacket with me that I paid $229.00 for that blew away my $600.00 Henri Lloyd. Climbing jackets are designed to move freely. Your arms can move and the hood is articulated as well as the arms. They also have better venting and are lighter in weight. Wearing my Henri Lloyd was like wearing a firemans suit. Totally uncomfortable! It also did not breath worth a darn, and the fleece lined collar just collected salt spray and iritated my neck. The collar was so stiff it chaffed my ears til they bled. This was the point where I dug our my Patagonia. Granted it was a windy and wet trip but this is what the Lloyd stuff is supposed to be designed for and the hood was designed like it was an afterthought. Oh crap we forgot to put a hood on this jacket quick send a drawing to the guys in China before they go into production...????!!!

Since that experience I truly feel bad for people wearing "marine foulies". The design of the high altitude gear sold at Patagonia, The North Face, EMS, REI, Backcountry.com etc. etc. is meant to withstand winds of 80+mph snow, ice and freezing rain while remaining easy to move in and waterproof + breathable. Buy yourself a nice 3 layer Gore-tex shell from North Face, Patagonia, EMS, Mountain Hardwear, Arc'teryx, Cloudveil Marmot or one of the other quality names and you'll be fine, most likely pay less and be far more comfortable.

My wife wears the Arc'teryx shell below and absolutely loves it! Plus it's cut for a woman. See the link below. Backcountry.com is a great place to buy from if you have not!!

http://www.backcountry.com/store/ARC...l?swatch=BARWA

[locrian13]

I started poking around on backcountry.com...so many choices, so little time! Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be expanding my search. 5 more weeks until the boat goes into the water, so I still have a little bit of time. I do like the shade of red of that Arc'teryx jacket.

[boatguy30]

Hi,

I grew up sailing in Michigan and have since moved aboard and sailed with my husband from Florida to New Zealand. We did a lotof research on Foulies when we arrived here because my 10 year old GILL wasn't cutting it anymore. There are a few brands that are really great that are not sold in the US, one being Aigle- its French and really nice stuff. They do have a "womens" cut that is more narrow through the shoulders etc. I tried some on here and loved the fit, but the price was too steep for us (being full time cruisers). The aigle is very well made stuff, aside from the colors for women! All they had available here was powder blue, and personally I would never wear a jacket that is the same color as the water! They do come in yellow and red, but here its a fashon statement I think! I ended up with a new West Marine Coastal jacket, mens small, the arms are long, but I really like the extra length to cover my bottom! The pants I got are the Gill drop-seat trousers, they are womens cut, but they run very small so try them on first! You can find aigle gear online, I know of one store here that sells them a lot- the website it www.gearlocker.co.nz. Aigle also makes a womens trouser which is sized european, a little tricky.
Good luck and happy sailing!

Abby

[drewdunnrespect2006]

ladies my name is drew dunn and i am a mechanical fitter who works out doors in all wheathers and also sails all over the world and lives on his boat
and to get foul wheather gear what i did five years ago was go to the hartlepool moderen army and navey surpless auction centre in north east england
and i baught a
all in one ex militery and navel all wheather suit which is basically a set of breathable and moveable set of 6 seasons antartic wheather all in one suit.
the advantages are that it keeps u warm in the winter and has hundreds of pockets including an a4 map pocket and in side it has a removeable double layer flease and allsow you can attacht to the back of it
a full militery rucksack to go with it which is also wheather proof
and i have both. i also have a pair of the ex militery leight weight boots that you can attach to the suit and they are dammed warm. i bought these five years ago and they will probably last me for another ten years cos they are mint please bare in mind that i am a fully qualified sailing yacht master and instructor with the RYA (royal yachting asocciation) and i wear this suit for work as well as sailing in cos it is black so any dirt dont show on it and any oil i get on it are hosed of with hose pipe by my fionce when i get in from work.
please bare in mind i payed for all of this and still had £30s change from £100 which i then went and bourght my self a militery vest and fire proof summer battle trousers which you can sip of at the nee and they become sexy shorts
drew dunn


drew

[drewdunnrespect2006]

ladies my name is drew dunn and i am a mechanical fitter who works out doors in all wheathers and also sails all over the world and lives on his boat
and to get foul wheather gear what i did five years ago was go to the hartlepool moderen army and navey surpless auction centre in north east england
and i baught a
all in one ex militery and navel all wheather suit which is basically a set of breathable and moveable set of 6 seasons antartic wheather all in one suit.
the advantages are that it keeps u warm in the winter and has hundreds of pockets including an a4 map pocket and in side it has a removeable double layer flease and allsow you can attacht to the back of it
a full militery rucksack to go with it which is also wheather proof
and i have both. i also have a pair of the ex militery leight weight boots that you can attach to the suit and they are dammed warm. i bought these five years ago and they will probably last me for another ten years cos they are mint please bare in mind that i am a fully qualified sailing yacht master and instructor with the RYA (royal yachting asocciation) and i wear this suit for work as well as sailing in cos it is black so any dirt dont show on it and any oil i get on it are hosed of with hose pipe by my fionce when i get in from work.
please bare in mind i payed for all of this and still had £30s change from £100 which i then went and bourght my self a militery vest and fire proof summer battle trousers which you can zip of at the nee and they become sexy shorts
drew dunn

[sailingdog]

It depends on whether you're planning on being found after falling overboard in bad weather or not... marine foul weather gear has retro-reflective patches, and other features that are not found on terrestrial foul weather gear. The marine foul weather gear will also have things like inner cuffs made of either latex or polyurethane, that will prevent water from dripping down your arm when you reach up to adjust a halyard or such. Being dry is key if you're sailing in New England waters in the early spring or late fall.

A lot of it depends on what you need, and what you find comfortable. I would recommend that you try on a few different brands and models. Some people say that marine foul weather gear is over priced... but if you look at it as a long-term investment, isn't all that expensive. My previous set of foul weather gear was 14 years old when I replaced it... and that's pretty inexpensive over the long run, as the cheaper stuff my friends have bought have been replaced at least three or four times in that time.

Currently, I have a Musto MPX jacket that just rocks. The collar is high enough to block almost all the spray, especially when I have my Tilley hat on. The fleece in it is very soft and warm, even in the coldest weather. It is not lined, except with a mesh liner, mainly so it can be worn in both warmer and colder weather, by wearing the appropriate gear underneath it.