Wetsuits and water Temps

ron.c · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 1240

Gary: In 20 years of owning a drysuit Ive never had a problem or been dragged under. If you had a major failure, the water in your suit isnt any heavier than the water outside. check out the Bare Polar Dry. There is no upper body restriction and you can layer the clothing underneath.

wsmike · Joined: 07 Jun 2003 Posts: 405

Ive sailed in 39 degree water with a 3/2mm wetsuit and a splash guard used for kayaking (my brother gave it to me when he left the country). It worked great and its not like a full suit so its pretty good with entry/exit and keeps the cold out very well. With booties, hood, and gloves Id gladly sail in that ice water again. Maybe 50 degrees is colder on the right coast than it is over here but thats considered warm by our standards.

wiamea · Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 108

thats what IM SCREAMING!!go to florida or have another beer< putting on 2 wetsuits?? Ive been in and out of wetsuits for 30 yrs. and Ive never heard of putting 2 on!!your last name isnt Gump is it??

clewlessone · Joined: 02 Apr 2005 Posts: 2

Here in Michigan, the lakes have just cleared, so the water is plenty cold. I use my drysuit a lot - why expend energy on heat when you could use it for sailing? It really lengthens the season. Why wait for 50 degree water? We sail into mid November, until the air temp goes below 48F or so (call me a wimp). I tried a Bare suit, but the non-stretch top, bonded to the waist, would not get past my jumbo butt. I now buy only ProMotion due to some excellant service I got from them, plus the variety of sizes available. I wear a 2XLshort (511 225#). No other mfg offered anything close that I found. As far as getting in and out of the suit- that is what your sailing buddy is for. Dont leave shore without one.

morwind4me · Joined: 30 Apr 2002 Posts: 262

Hey Clewlessone, where do you sail?

Back to topic...I have a Barefoot International Suit. perfect for layering, but probably the hardest to get in and out of.

Is is still on the lake up here in da yoop.

prljack · Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 187

Im not going to buy a dry suit. I have tried to post my reasons here, but the petty censors dont allow it.

prljack · Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 187

People react to the cold differently. Difference in sailing skill will also effect the equation. A skilled sailor will stay out of the water and that reduces his exposure to the cold. Anyway, thanks for the answer.

gemoore · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 491

Peoples hearts react to the cold in similar ways, however. Dressing for sailing in cold water isnt about skill, its about being prepared for unexpected bad luck. The challenge is thus to dress for comfort in normal conditions, while being protected against disaster. If you fail to comprehend that, then, good luck to you, because what youre life depends on is good luck.