The following recommendations do not form an exhaustive list of garment combinations or manufacturers. These recommendations are here to merely offer you advice on what is available in the sailing industry and some of the options available to you whilst sailing with RUSC.

Garments

The key thing to understand with clothing is, as with many things in life, there is a point after which the more money is spent, the smaller the returns and benefits become. This point is considerably lower down the financial scale for us dinghy sailors than it is for most yachters. As a general rule, the higher the cost of an item of clothing, the better it wicks (moves) perspiration away from the body, and the drier you remain. The latter is crucial in order for you to feel comfortable and continuously take enjoyment from dinghy sailing, especially during the winter months.

So what should you wear during the cold, windy, and rainy winter months we have here in the UK? Unfortunately the answer to this question varies from one person to another, and most dinghy sailors spend a number of seasons trying out different garment combinations to see which suits them best.

The following are two lists of garment combinations most dinghy sailors settle for during the winter months. The lists are in hierarchical order, meaning the garments higher up the list are often worn on top of the garment(s) lower down.

Winter Combination (Option 1)

• Hat/Gloves
• Buoyancy Aid
• Drysuit
• Hiking Pants (for the pro’s)
• Fleece
• Thermals

A Buoyancy Aid is not only for your personal safety but also acts as an additional thermal layer to your chest. Remember, it is the number of layers that count, and more layers are always better than less thicker layers.

A highly regarding manufacturer for buoyancy aids is Crewsaver. However, all buoyancy aids marked as providing 50N and over of buoyancy are adequate and cost approximately £30. RUSC have their own supply of bouyancy aids to lend out to its members therefore purchasing this piece of equipment is not necessary.

A Drysuit is a loose fitting garment made from waterproof synthetic cloth. A drysuit often resembles a boiler suit, the legs terminate with rubber feet, the wrists and neck end with rubber seals specially cut to your correct size, and a large waterproof zip encloses you within. It is important to note that an alternative drysuit foot design also exists which has ankle seals that fit around your ankles. This design is less popular as the rubber feet design offers a greater chance of keeping your feet warm.

A drysuit on its own does not offer the wearer much warmth. The idea of it is that clothing worn underneath it (i.e. Fleece and/or Thermals) stays dry and therefore keeps you warm even if you take a plunge into the water. Many are sceptical of the seals not allowing for any water penetration; however providing the rubber seals are kept in good condition, these sceptics are always proven wrong. Once the seals begin to disintegrate after a few years (and unfortunately they do), they can be replaced for considerably less than the cost of a new suit.

Finally, the drawback with drysuits is the cost. An average drysuit costs between £200 and £400. The high price tag does carry the fact that you will remain dry and therefore warm at all costs during all your winter sailing sessions. If you do decide to purchase a drysuit it is crucial to make sure that you get one the correct size, large enough but not ridiculously over sized.

A recommended manufacturer for drysuits is Gul.

Winter Combination (Option 2)

• Hat/Gloves
• Buoyancy Aid
• Overalls (‘Oil skins’)
• Fleece
• 5 mm Steamer Wetsuit

Due to the lack of a drysuit this is a cheaper combination, but still an effective garment layering option. I get cold very easily and so far this combination has kept me rather toasty indeed!

A wetsuit is a close fitting garment made from an insulating cellular foam rubber called neoprene. A 5 mm Steamer Wetsuit is a full arm/leg wetsuit which will keep the water between you and the neoprene cloth warm, and thus aid in keeping you at a comfortable temperature whilst sailing. Thicker 5 mm neoprene will also help to combat the cold during the winter, although your manoeuvrability may be slightly reduced.

It would be hard and unfair to recommend a single manufacturer for wetsuits as designs change constantly and individual features are diverse. It is sufficient to say that care should be taken on inspecting the stitching of the seams when choosing a wetsuit in order to guarantee its quality. RUSC have their own supply of wetsuits to lend out to its members. However it is recommended that if possible, you purchase your own wetsuit as this will be guaranteed to fit you better and therefore provide you with increased comfort.

Unlike a drysuit, a wetsuit should be your base layer (over a rash vest if you so require) supplemented with a water-resistant (if possible) fleece and ‘Oil Skin’ Overalls. ‘Oil skins’ or ‘oilies’ received their name from the times when foul-weather sailing gear was literally soaked in oil (often linseed oil) as waterproofing. Thankfully today, these overalls are made of modern and often quite advanced fabrics in order to protect us from the elements. In today’s market, there are literally hundreds of different designs and fabric technologies developed by many manufacturers.  A decent smock (type of jacket) can be found for around £40 from most chandleries. A pair of trousers to match are also priced very similarly.

There is no single recommended manufacturer for oilies as they all offer very similar quality and products. However, beginners or those on a budget may prefer the cheaper range of products offered by Gill and Gul. Whilst those with more experience or with a larger budget may prefer the range of products offered by Musto, Henri Lloyd, and Rooster Sailing.

Summer Combination

The UK summer months vary drastically in their warmth and wetness. On warm summer days most dinghy sailors simply wear a pair of board shorts and a t-shirt. If it becomes a bit chilly, a smock/jacket can also be worn on-top. On cooler days many sailors decide to wear a shorty-wetsuit, which is a 2/3mm neoprene wetsuit with short legs and arms. Summer sailing is rarely a problem in terms of what-to-wear and as a result is the time when most of our members come out to join the fun.

Footwear

In addition to the above winter and summer combinations, footwear is also very important when aboard a dinghy. It is acceptable to sail in bare feet in warm weather, however you must have some sort of footwear to put on when you to step out of the boat. It is not a good idea to step off a boat onto a beach or into shallow water in bare feet since there is always the possibility of a sharp object such as a broken bottle piercing your skin.

In colder weather your feet are one of the first parts of your body to sense the cold so you will be more comfortable if you can keep them at least a bit insulated. Unless you are able to wear a drysuit, keeping your feet completely dry is near impossible.

• Plastic 'jelly shoes' will give your feet reasonable protection from injury but do not do much to keep them warm. These are fine for the summer, but definitely not advisable as primary footwear for the winter.
• Old Trainers/Cheap Plimsolls are a good alternative to jelly shoes if you have a pair lying around waiting to be thrown away. Do bear in mind that these will need to be washed and will begin to smell very quickly if left to rot in your bag for a week or two.
• Knee Length Sailing Boots as worn by most yacht crews. These are also quite good for dinghy sailing due to their good grip but do have the disadvantages that sooner or later you will probably get water over the top and once that happens your feet will not stay much warmer than if you were just wearing jelly shoes.
• Wellington Boots are not recommended for safety (swimming should that become necessary would be very hard) and the large tread and thick soles on agricultural style wellingtons are quite unnecessary for sailing.
• Neoprene ‘Hiking’ Boots do not do anything much to keep your feet dry but they do quite a lot to keep them warm since the cellular neoprene material of the boot insulates even when wet (the same as a wetsuit). These are therefore the most highly recommended type of footwear for dinghy sailing.
• Neoprene Socks can be worn within any of the above footwear for additional insulation. They work in the same way as the above mentioned neoprene boots.
  

The Gill and Magic Marine neoprene boots are very highly regarded in terms of their build quality and general fit for most people. Their razor-soles are also very effective at gripping wet dinghy surfaces.

Online Chandleries

Some popular online chandleries, in terms of price and speed of delivery, are listed below in no particular order:

Purple Marine
Wetsuit Outlet
Rooster Sailing
Musto Store
Sailing Clothing Store
Gill Clothing
Mailspeed Marine
Force4 Chandlery

And of course don’t forget about eBay and the bargains that can often be found there!