Hi;

I sail keelboats along the coast of southern California where the water is never warm. I am going to get a small catamaran to sail in the bays and harbors. No doubt, I will get wet every time I sail it.

What do you suggest in the way of wet or dry suits to fend off the cold water? I have seen cat sailors wearing them but don't know what they are called, where to look for them, or how much they cost. Are there any "good deals" out there?

Thanks, Richard

Go to your local shops and ask first. Dry suits are mostly for extreme scuba cold temps. Wetsuits are sold by Mil thickness and that would determine your "warmth" factor. I would personally in S Cal. start with a full suit in the 3- 5 mil weight and a good pair of gloves. But you could be wise to ask some of the local sailors too what they wear . You will probably find they have a couple of suits for different temps.

Good deals? You get what you pay for.

Hope this helps a little.

Tom

I've been going through the same dilemma with my girl who sails foredeck and also on cats with me. The waters we sail are typically warmer but she still gets cold in the cooler months. I like dry suits but they can be baggy which isn't good, another thing I really dislike about a drysuit is they are so slick, I've almost slid of the trampoline before when I wasn't prepared for how easily they slide. They are although really good at keeping you dry and you can wear warm gear beneath as well. There is also a lot of good wet suit gear out there which I think is more typical for cat sailors and dinghy sailors who are going to be sailing wet. Kokotat has some good gear, as well as Magic Marine, Zhik, Ronstan and a few others. Don't forget to check eBay for deals.

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Daniel Evans
N I20 Miami FL
N I20, N 6.0NA, H 20, H 16 Chesapeake bay
I have a hard time passing up a good deal on a big cat.
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spray jacket and spray pants might be good to. its not as stiff as a wet suit

I personally like the NRS brand farmer john wetsuit. Which look like overalls. You can then wear a spray top (windbreaker) over that to help keep your arms warm. It keeps you warm without the bulk and discomfort of a tight neck and arms. When sitting for a long time on a cat, the tight wetsuit neck always pulls on my throat and in uncomfortable. You could also wear windproof pants over the wetsuit. That does a lot for warmth getting the wind off the wetsuit. I would not recommend just spray pants and spray top, because if you go in the water, you probably want the wetsuit then.... Also good gloves, and even a neoprene hat/hood to keep your head dry and warm. Also don't forget the booties. Kayaking outfitters make nice equipment that can often be used for cat sailing. I use their booties, wetsuits and life jackets. My spraytops are Ronstan and Henry Loyd. Murrays and APSltd (plus others) often have old model year spraytops on sale.

I have worn a drysuit before, they are nice when the water temp drops, but they are more expensive and cheap ones will more easily tear and turn into a sauna. The last time I wore a drysuit was a year ago in the SF bay at Thanksgiving on a H18 in 20 knot wind, to give you an idea of conditions, and man I was glad I wasn't in a wetsuit.

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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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I start sailing in April here in WA, ID and MT and run into mid Oct. I've got a drysuit that's a must for early and late season catsailing, at some point as it warms up, I transition into wetsuits, as the drysuit can get too warm. Booties to protect the drysuit socks and provide traction, can be used with the wetsuits, and even midsummer to provide foot protection and greater traction than bare feet. I use a neoprene cap/hood in very cold weather when my head might get splashed. Haven't found a really good set of cold weather gloves that don't fatigue my hands, so hands are my limiting factor in very cold sailing.

Drysuits seem to start in the $400 to $500 range, and go out of sight quickly. I'm always watching for closeouts of some sort, but these things just don't seem to be discounted very much. Do regular google searches for discount drysuits so you'll recognize a deal when you see one. Unfortunately, the latex seals have a limited life if the suit is used a lot. I can only get a season or two out of them, even with regular seal saver use and great care taken putting the suit on and off. They can be replaced a couple of times, and by then the suit's fabric is near the end. Some mfgrs are using neoprene for the neck and wrist seals, a little bit more durable than the latex. I've had good luck with Gil, OS Systems, and Kokatat suits. They're all expensive and high maintenance, and worth every penny if you truly love sailing and are trying to extend your season. They're also an investment in safety should you find yourself in the water unexpectedly.

Dave



Edited by davefarmer on Oct 27, 2012 - 02:28 PM.

I sail on Lake Michigan north of Chicago. My season starts in May and ends in November sometimes December. The weather conditions vary a lot from May to July to October. Mid summer the lake is 70 and the are temps are 90. Spring the air temp can be warm, but the late is 40 to 45. In the fall, the air temp drops, but the lake is still relatively warm.

The point is, you need a full quiver of equipment. It's expensive. So don't go buy everything day 1. A full wet suit, a dry top and some booties are a pretty good first start. Get a 2/3mm full from online waterski company like Bart's or Overton's. Just get their house brand. They are usually $99 or so. Any dry top will do, Gil stuff usually goes on sale once a year.

Remember you get wet with a wetsuit. The evaporation of the water in cool weather can give you a chill, which is why the combo with a dry top is versatile. The only time you can't wear a full is if its super hot. If you do get hot, get wet and you will cool off.

A shortie wet suit is good for cool summer days and also makes being on the trapeze more comfortable. Again can be paired with dry top for those big weather summer days.

Early spring and fall (and winter). Don't mess around, get a dry suit and a good one. Modern quality dry suits have neoprene at the wrists and neck versus latex. The body is a cordura like material that is very durable. The slick/garage bag looking ones are usually old/inexpensive. Latex parts of a dry suit last about three years (neck, booties, wrists) and can be replaced. Dry suits need to be cared for. I take mine home after each sail. Wet suits just don't put away wet. I'll leave mine in my box if its dry. Wear booties over your dry suit booties. I actually use a little dish soap water mix to put mine on.

Everything I own gets hung up at the end of the season and put away nicely.

Looks like winter is arriving early, hope everyone's boats on the East Coast are put away.

--Norm



Edited by nhanson on Oct 28, 2012 - 06:20 PM.

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nacra inter-18
CNBP
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Quote

so hands are my limiting factor in very cold sailing

cold hands are what stop me from sailing too. I carry a few pair of sailing gloves in my dry bag to swap em out once wet.



Edited by MN3 on Oct 29, 2012 - 12:05 PM.

I sail in the Ventura area and have used both a drysuit and wet suit depending on the weather. However, lately I find my self using the wetsuit more often than the drysuit due to some of new stuff that is out there.

Recently I picked up the Zhik Super Warm Top & Skiff Suit and use this along with nylon spray top to keep my core warm.. What I like best about is there almost no restriction and doesn't give me that bulky feel when I put the harness and life jacket on.. and does the job even when in some distance racing in our cold waters..

Where are you at? If you close by shot me a PM and we'll do some sailing..



Edited by JohnES on Nov 02, 2012 - 02:31 PM.

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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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