survival/floatation suits

[jwalker]

There is another way and I'm not trying to be smart here. Get a decent windscreen for your boat. Chin height when you are standing and side screens which prevent the wind-blown stuff coming back and hitting you. This will keep you surprisingly dry while you're moving. It removes the driving rain from your clothing, reduces the chill factor, keeps the wind and rain away from your face and it will often allow you drive in a fleece when those around you are dry suited and gritting their teeth.
I've been on trips where we were dressed in a £10 pair of overtrousers and a fleece and the rest of the party simply went home, they were so cold and miserable. Some had travelled a good distance to be there and the lack of protection spoiled their weekend. Protection is great for those lovely crisp winter trips too.

[DM]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Get a decent windscreen for your boat.

As ever, JW's right, but it's a bit drastic fitting an old tractor cab to your boat

The screen in the pic certainly reduces the chill factor but probably knocks 5knots of the top speed.

DM

[MarkWildey]

Originally Posted by Andy

Their Web site is crap but the product is excellent:

Andy

That is about the worst web site I have ever seen. Personal favourite is the reviews section that you can't read.

It seems like they have a good product but need to sack their web-designer.

Cheers

Mark

[Peter J]

I read this thread and the one about not winterising your boat but carrying on using it through winter with great interest.

As a fully signed up member of the southern softies club, I prefer to use my boat on calm days but I guess I am not averse to cold days. So I don't expect a lot of spray getting me wet when out at sea but....

I cant launch my boat without getting wet up to the thighs. Can any one suggest what is the best way to stay dry when launching. Wader type wellies? Is there a dry suit that is trousers only?

[Brian]

Peter J
As an even softer southern softee, I can't imagine why you get wet at all when launching?
Why don't you explain your "technique" to the forum so that 1,432 experts can advise you?

But in answer to your question:
Yes, you can get fishermans, armpit height, waders and ........
yes, you can get bottoms only drysuits (try www.ravenspring.co.uk for example).

[Rogue Wave]

no good asking me I can't launch my boat unless I get the disco in up to it's armpits!

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

As ever, JW's right, but it's a bit drastic fitting an old tractor cab to your boat

The screen in the pic certainly reduces the chill factor but probably knocks 5knots of the top speed.

DM

Get the screen without the loss of speed fit one of these
Des

[Peter J]

Originally Posted by Brian

Peter J
As an even softer southern softee, I can't imagine why you get wet at all when launching?
Why don't you explain your "technique" to the forum so that 1,432 experts can advise you?

I have a rib-x 575 on a de graff trailer and, for anyone who knows it, I usually use Crosshouse (near the Itchen Bridge) which is pretty shallow. I wrap the winch webbing around the bottom of the trailer and winch it off. In order to get the back end in far enough you are standing in knee deep water by the winch handle. Just deep enough for wellies but when some wash comes in you are too deep for wellies. I usually give it a bit of a shove to get the keel clear of the wheel arch and that means getting wet to the knees. I dont drive it on either. I usually push it to the back of the trailer and winch it on, that means getting wet too.

[John Kennett]

Much of the aggravation of launching a retrieving can be removed by accepting that you're likely to end up waist deep in the water at some point.

Whilst it's certainly possible to launch and retrieve "dry foot" it often leads to some advanced gymnastics and slows things down immensely. Have a look at a busy public slip sometime and see!

Ideally, with two people, you should be able to back the boat in and drive it straight off. Recovery is the reverse -- back the trailer in to the right depth, drive the boat on, hook it up, drive off. If for whatever reason you're not able to do this, then get a drysuit. You want one anyway!

John

[Rogue Wave]

make sure the dry suit has a comfort ZIP

[Mark Halliday]

John K

Reason 5 for having oilies is you look damn stupid going to the pub on a wet night in a dry suit.
Respect to DJL and crew who do not seen to mind.

I have stayed dry in good oilies even when immersed to the neck in water. The trick is to get them well fitted. My new cheap (£200) jacket has 9 draw strings, and several velcro tighteners to keep you dry.
If you are going to stay in the water then a dry suit is the only thing to wear, but if it is just to keep out passing water, waterproofs do just what the say on the tin.
It true that dry suits are no more expensive than waterproofs, my low cost Musto suit was the best part of £300.

It was good to meet you yesterday, by the way.

[ADS]

I launch my boat at Mudeford Quay, Christchurch and launch it through the dinghy park to avoid paying (£9.00 ). (PM me for the paddlock code ). Anyway mine being a small boat I can launch it by hand and usually only have to go up to my wellies and then the boat glides of. I dont usually drive the boat onto the trailer (unless its someone elses's boat!) because I am not to good at gel coat repairs. I have had my boat nearly a year and have never had to recover it with the car, I always do it by hand or on steep slip ways winch it out on the trailer winch.

I also do a lot of dinghy sailing and I have a Musto (Non breathable) drysuit which has been very hard wearing. Alot of my sailing friends have Trident dry suits which are meant to be very reasonably priced and good quality.


www.trident-uk.com

[Rich L]

Originally Posted by Peter J

I cant launch my boat without getting wet up to the thighs. Can any one suggest what is the best way to stay dry when launching. Wader type wellies? Is there a dry suit that is trousers only?

Hello Peter

Yes, I don't remember if I was wearing them when we briefly met, but I have a two piece dry suit, the top of which I rarely wear. The bottom half is very convenient for wading when launching and jumping in when recovering. They are also very easy to slip on and off or should you choose to do so, keep on when visiting the pub (like I did yesterday) without looking like a complete wally. The seal rolls down to your waist.

They are particularly useful for me as I often anchor off a beach and frequently have to move the anchor with the tide. The rubber seal can be rolled up under your arms so that you can wade pretty deep (unless you are very small). Only takes a minute to slip them on or off.

I can vouch for the fact that when combined, the suit has no leaks.

The only drawback is should water get over the top, it stays there of course. This has happened to me when I fell down the hole at the end of a slipway! and should you have the seal rolled down and 'stuff' the boat as did many people including me yesterday, you'll probably get slightly damp socks when water gets past the waist band. But then I should have been wearing the whole suit yesterday.

Very versatile, very pleased. And yes, they are made by Ravenspring, 'Duo'. You need the welded on hard boots and the 'convenience' zip - which my kids find very funny for some reason.

[Brambles]

Hi,

There is an alternative to an expensive dry suit if the weather turns bad.

If you have tandem seats in you boat, sit behind a fat bloke.

Works well with our crew

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

The screen in the pic certainly reduces the chill factor but probably knocks 5knots of the top speed.
DM

Surprisingly no. I presume a couple of folk in flappy, baggy clothing have more drag than a flat, smooth sheet of glass. However the clutter on the frame top removed a knot.
Here's one I made earlier.

[jwalker]

....but it's a bit drastic fitting an old tractor cab to your boat

There was a good reason for stealing your tractor cab. If ever I meet you, and I hope I do, I'll tell you. Anyway, I've smartened it up a bit and this is what it looked like a week ago.

[Louise]

I hate to tell you this, but you've put the steering wheel on the wrong side.

[jwalker]

Smartie pants.

[DM]

Some while ago I posted about a method I used for single handed launching of a boat which was in love with its trailer and didn't like parting company. This involved tying the painter to the rear of the trailer, unhooking the winch strap, reversing into the water at high speed and then stamping on the brake. It worked every time except the once that the truck skidded in to far. The water mark is still there.

If I remember correctly, Mr. Kennett didn't agree with this method

Originally Posted by John Kennett

Looks like we can always rely on David for advice on how not to do things!

John

[Simon B]

Mr Kennets reservations are probably well founded one needs to gauge the incline of the slip well, should you mis judge this and apply the brakes to soon and there is insufficient depth your pride and joys goes crash - much to the amusement of others watching this ill concieved "comando style" launch as some club members christened it.

Unless you know exactly what you are doing there is an element of uncontrolled risk.