Can someone please explain all the different suit there are?

gtur13 · Joined: 06 Oct 2015 Posts: 31 Location: newton, ma

Can someone please educate me on all the different types of suits there are for. I know there is the dry suit and the wet suit but I do not no exactly what kind of dry suits and wet suits there are. Also I am looking for a good cheap drysuit I can buy for the Ma winter area. Almost every winter it snows here and the temp can exceed 0 F.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

We could type 'til the cows come home, or you could use Google and follow your nose to tons of info on suit types, materials, seams, zippers, brands, prices, temperature ranges, designs, and features. I vote Google, 'cause we're talking many pages of info.

Mike

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

Careful now, cheap and good don't often go together. You get what you pay for. For winters in MA, I would highly recommend buying the best.

mwood5 · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 99

The Cowboys are getting their butts kicked, so I'm not watching football. I've got plenty of time.

Here goes.....when it's too cold for board shorts, wear a 2/1 or 3/2 shorty.

Then, when it's too cold for that, you move into a full suit. I go for a 3/2 suit first.

Then, when that get's too cold, you can move to a 4/3 suit. Some might go right for a steamer here. The lines a bit blurry here where the transition is. My 4/3 is an O'neill Psycho II, which is double taped and glued, etc. Not much water comes in, so it's nearly a steamer.

From here, I can go for hood, gloves, boots, etc. That's about as much as I need here in Texas.

If you're in a really cold area, a dry suit is next. There are tyo types. Tight ones that you wear like a wetsuit and the baggy ones that you can wear clothes, or another wetsuit under.

There you go.

m

westender · Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge

A suit for 0 F. There aren't any shops that sell suits in MA. TROLL.

bobaron · Joined: 12 Jun 2000 Posts: 5

Some more info.
First you can use layering to fortify any wetsuit. You can find polypropolene rash guards and sleeveless 1.5 mil poly pile "sweaters" that amp up a given wetsuit by a full mil or more. Add a hat, booties and pre curved mitts and you amp stuff up even more.
Water temp is as impt as air temp. Once it gets below 42 or 43 degrees in the water you need to think about a dry suit or a 5/6 wetsuit. At these temps it hurts to put your face in the water and hands/feet go numb. Precurved wetsuit mitts are much better than non curved gloves in preventing fore arm cramping. Mitts are warmer too. I take out my dry suit once the air temp is under 45 degrees F. But temps much below this I start to think about going to Mexico or snowboarding. Good luck. You new england guys are animals.

jsw2257347 · Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 30

Would one of those polypropelene shirts work underneath a Farmer John wetsuit, or does it need to be completely covered?

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Of course poly under a farmer john will help somewhat, but then again, you gotta do a little of your own thinking.....
A farmer john style suit might keep you warm and cozy in 60 degree water and airs, and the poly might give you another 2 degrees.
Neither any worth for winter sailing.
And flushy more cold water thru your torso, with or without the poly, in a farmer john suit, is not conducive to warmth and cozyness.
Some windsurfers around here even wear their poly rashguards OVER a 4/3 wetsuit, and swear it's warmer than without. I won't comment there until I have some more results. Seems that would defeat the purpose of having rubbersmoothside out for wind convection prevention.