Can anyone recommend good foul weather gear for sailing in the Northeast? I'll be sailing from April-October and maybe the first week or two of November. I'm looking for something that I can buy without taking out a second mortgage.
In order for Gore-Tex to allow water vapor to pass through the membrane it needs the outer fabric it's laminated to to not totally "wet out". If the jacket has lost it's DWR (durable water repellency) then it makes it significantly tougher for the Gore-Tex to breathe and pass vapor through.Breathable stuff will leak sooner or later. Rubberized stuff will get you wet with perspiration from the inside. Nothing's perfect - you choose your poison. The wettest I've ever been offshore has been with GoreTex FWG that was more like a sieve than any real protection - admittedly a long time ago but I've been skittish about the material ever since.