Waterproofs - Any Recommendations?

[RichardB]

I need to get 3 sets of waterproofs for the family (wife + kids 10 & 13).

Anyone have recommendations for 'reasonably' priced Jacket & Hi Trousers?

I don't think we will be running to Musto/Henri Lloyd full Goretex offshore kit but I've been thinking about the breathable Gill Coastal type stuff.

Needs to be suitable for PowerboatII in March!

Thanks

[havener]

Try ebay for Musto - I recently bought one of their Offshore sets, retailing around £600, for £90 - had had a couple of seasons use but you wouldn't know it.

For sheer quality, used Musto is still a lot better than a lot of its rivals when new!

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by havener

For sheer quality, used Musto is still a lot better than a lot of its rivals when new!

Other than HL.

[spartacus]

Can't recommend XM T5000 Offshore suits highly enough. Quality kit. Fleece-lined collar, hi-trousers, reinforced (Cordura) on elbows and knees, reflective piping and strips, storm pockets, loops for life-jacket, fluorescent hood, breathable and waterproof. Comes in sizes (S) to (XXL), red or gold, for £150. See marinestore.co.uk

You can always sell on, or pass on, 13 year-old to 10 year-old as they grow.

[Poly]

How warm do you need them to be? And how dry? (i.e. is this for a little bit of spray that a fairweather sailor might get or as an alternative to the dry suit, for all weather use?). If more the latter than the former - how about a flotation suit - you can get them for well under £100 and will keep you warm too (as well as the bouyancy properties) - e.g. was out yesterday in sub zero temps with mine and just ordinary clothes under it - and was more than warm enough. Mine is a 1 piece - but a 2 piece is probably more flexible.

[codprawn]

I agree - picked my 2 piece suits up for about £60 each in a sale. They are incredibly warm - and will save your life if you fall in. Obviously a proper dry suit is the best option but with 2 growing kids this is a much cheaper way of doing it.

http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acat..._Buoyancy.html

Kids suits for as little as £48!!!

Beware they are warm and they won't do you any good if you fall in the water and they aren't zipped up!!!

Most angling shops stock such suits - various makes out there - so you can pop in and try them for size.

[Searider]

I've found the Gill stuff to be good value in comparison with HL / Musto etc.

Breathable trousers are a must.

I usually wear high trousers and mostly get away with a waterproof fleece jacket. (Gill crew jacket).

Only when it's properly raining do I bother with the full monty sailing jacket.

[C2 RIBS]

I use coastal Gill suits with high trousers, had them for two years, great no problems. I also bought some Gill offshore with layers from Southampton Boat show- very good. I also have many sets of Helly Hansens for charter clients. Either off 'e' bay or try the retail designer outlets like Bicester where Helly suits are great and cheap if you dont mind last years or year before clours, Still brand new but £39 for coastal jackets which used to be £145 ish and high trousers the same.

[cyberstoker]

A guy on e- bay sells full goretex lund suits, high trousers + jacket for £100-£150.

My friend and I bought a set each and they have been excellent.

He does not always advertise, but a search for Lund will tell if he's on.

[Northern Tim]

The Musto outlet at Bicester Village has currently got their coastal jackets at £50 down from £150 if you can get up that way.

Incidentally, if anyone is after a drysuit, they've got a Musto one design breathable drysuit in XXL for £120 down from £300! They may have other sizes if you call them, I only wish I needed a new drysuit so I could take advantage

[Roy Smith]

The Gul Outlet shop at Gun wharf Quays as a sale on
well worth phoning them, wet suits dry suits costal and off shore

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by spartacus

Can't recommend XM T5000 Offshore suits highly enough. Quality kit. Fleece-lined collar, hi-trousers, reinforced (Cordura) on elbows and knees, reflective piping and strips, storm pockets, loops for life-jacket, fluorescent hood, breathable and waterproof. Comes in sizes (S) to (XXL), red or gold, for £150. See marinestore.co.uk

You can always sell on, or pass on, 13 year-old to 10 year-old as they grow.

£120 with a futher 15% off due to LBS

[Trickdog]

A friend of mine, who does a lot of cross channel sailing, bought an won-brand suit from Compass24.com the year before last. I have not seen it but he says it is a fantastic product for the price.

[RichardB]

Thanks all. Some good pointers in there of bits I hadn't considered (inc alternative brands). We went and had a bit of a shopping fest yesterday. £ chandleries later, almost sorted.

Some good sales deals on gear for the boys. Ended up with Musto and Gill kit in the sales for them (and expect to get double wear out of the larger set as no.2 grows).

For my wife, she settled on a slightly more expensive Gill (Key West) set as they do a ladies cut on both jacket and trousers - quite a difference for her. Few others seem to do this at a sensible price point.

All in all it added up to a bit more than I hoped to spend but much less than I could have but it's not an area that I like to skimp in as family pleasure drops off in direct inverse proportion to temperature and sun without it.

And as I subsequently realised, the whole lot (3 sets) cost less than my Musto Offshore Gortex set (which is now about 4 years old and just looking nicely run in).

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I agree - picked my 2 piece suits up for about £60 each in a sale. They are incredibly warm - and will save your life if you fall in. Obviously a proper dry suit is the best option but with 2 growing kids this is a much cheaper way of doing it.

http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acat..._Buoyancy.html

Kids suits for as little as £48!!!

Beware they are warm and they won't do you any good if you fall in the water and they aren't zipped up!!!

Most angling shops stock such suits - various makes out there - so you can pop in and try them for size.

"Beware they are warm" is something of an understatement

My Fladen 845 1pc suit is brilliant in the winter but in the summer (and that's our summer - 15-20 deg C) it's just too damned hot! I find if I put it on after dashing around launching the boat then I cook inside the suit and end up completely drenched with sweat, I actually have to go out on the water for a while in a T shirt until I start to get a bit cold, then put it on!

I'd like something similar but without the same level of thermal insulation.

[Hightower]

Whilst looking around in a couple of Fishing/Tackle shops today I was impressed with the quality and looks of a few different syles and makes of floatation jackets and bib trousers, these in my opinion were better than some of the more expensive designer ones for a number of different reasons. The main one being price! I could get a two piece set that incorporates neoprene wrist cuffs and numerous pockets, with a nice detatchable hood and big coller, the material was said to be breathable and was bouyant to 50N it came in at I think £60.

Most of the designer brands start at £150 for a set of Togs, so this seems to be a bargain.

I was also looking at waterproof wear for the feet and legs and tried on a pair of thigh waders and Neoprene chest waders. The Thigh waders were easy to get on and off, but needed attatching at the top as they had a tendancy to fall down, they were also cold to wear as they where of a rubber contruction. The Neoprene chesties were harder to get into, but being much more flexible than I thought, they also had warmth properies too.

What I was looking for is a Jacket that would offer excellent Ocean going protection at a fraction of the price of the Designer ones, I think I've found just what I'm looking for in these fishing floatation suits, however I would not fancy walking long distances around Cowes or where ever as these are quite heavy.

The Boots, I'm not too sure! I originally wanted these just to launch and recover the boat. The cheaper Thigh ones would be ideal as I could slip them off whilst aboard. The Chesties were very comfortable and if I where caught out in the rain or whatever would offer excellent protection. The only real draw back being the fact I could only get these in GREEN

So any thoughts?

These are what I'm looking at in terms of a jacket.

[Chris]

Keep an eye on this guy on ebay he has loads of Gill Keywest stuff going through all the time normally the offshore jackets fetch around £60