I'm starting to get a little narked off now with the marketing b**locks in the sport. "E4 entry system".  Oh, that will be a hole to put your head through then FFS.

Can't we just have...

Drysuits that don't fall apart, delaminate, and leak

Wetsuits or the new generation of fleecy aqua top thing that don't tear themselves to shreds on the smallest split ring

Gloves that last more than one windy race in a skiff

Gloves that dont always wear in the same place, between the knuckles on the back of the 3rd finger...

Bouyancy aids that simply do not ride up in the water...ever...

QR trapeze harnesses that actually work

Waterproof sailing watches that are actually...waterproof!

Velcro that actaully stays sticky for more than a year

Rashvests that are somehow engineered so that they don't stink to high heaven after immersion in the sea

Watersports sun cream that does not always wash off and end up dripping into your eyes, almost always when you are going into a gybe at 20 knots

Bouyancy aids whose zips dont break when worn over a harness

Bags whose wet compartents don't leak into dry compartments

If there was ONE product (apart from gloves, which I am CONVINCED are deliberatly under engineered so you keep buying them when they wear out) that has mileage in it if you ask me is a combined bouyancy aid and trapeze harness.  No more wondering which one to wear under which, no more faffing around desperatly trying to loosen the straps so you can swim, just a nice, simple, integrated solution with minimal straps and fuss that will stay clear of your hook and by design never ride up whilst wiring or swimming.  Something like a Gill Impact Vest stitched onto a P&B nappy harness with a zip up the front.  In a nice subtle black colour but with dayglo orange shoulders so you are easy to see in the water.  Genius.

But don't buy one for sailing it's a windsurfing suit - you'll have holes in it before you get to the startline.... NP is damn comfortable though.

Oh and the E4 system is a way the NP have stopped all water ingress through the zip. Works quite well to be fair.

My brother did design a combined harness bouyancy aid for his Uni dissertation, it had a clever quick release hook system on it too, so if any of the manufactures are reading this, give me a shout and i'll put you in touch. 

I'm sure I've seen a combined BA and harness thing before, but no idea where it came from, maybe one of the people who do made to measure ones like  banks, P&B or RMW perhaps.  If anyone does find one/starts making them, I'll be at the front of the queue. 

Mary, Mother of Jesus!! £270 for a wetsuit! With a discount!! Hose me down in holy water!  You can get a dry suit for that!!  Jimbo you have to much money my friend!!!

Seems like a bloody bad idea to me unless you enjoy floating face down when unconscious....

That's like "all 1980s sports cars rust before you've got them out the showroom door...FACT!" Or "all diesel engines are noisy, slow, and gutless...FACT!" or "Windows is the only proper operation system available and you just have to put up with it's inadequacies...FACT!"

Consumers have the power to drive demand and whilst we sit here and say "fact...deal with it" instead of "b**locks to this, why should I be paying £100 a year on gloves when a properly designed solution will last a season, all is needs is some clever plastic reinforcement or the kevlar patch to go higher up your finger" nothing will change.

Mazda took the rusting MGB and built the MX5 which sold in bucketloads, BMW decided that diesels could actually be fast, and now enterprise grade software is designed to run on Linux servers...

A quick trawl of the "specialist interest" websites will reveal plenty of suitable garments...not sure many have made the crossover into sailing yet though...

Now that I have an excellent Gul drytop, I'd really like to team it up with a 5mm long john to see me through the coldest months and so that I can leave off the drysuit. The collar on 'normal' short-arm wetsuits or steamers is just too bulky in addition to the neck seal.

Can I find a 5mm long john? - No way, they're all 3mm or less.

Actually, 'winging it's desired wetsuit bottom plus shoulder straps would do the trrick, I guess, if in 5mm. Also, I agree with her about Typhoon dinghy boots - excellent, though my first pair didn't last 10 years; the second pair aren't doing badly though.

Those Gul hikers do look like they should meet my requirements (never quite sure about that 'gay' colour). What was the problem with the 3mm 3/4's?

Had considered layering with a summer long john, but I try to minimise the number of individual garments I wear - saves washing time/hassle in the club showers!

Hi Tony,

This firm sell 5mm long johns (and thicker):

http://www.beaversports.co.uk/ - http://www.beaversports.co.uk/

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)

Ian

Despite my initial scepticism over the name... I have to say that looks like a real possibility. They also offer the possibility of adding knee pads, if not seat reinforcement.

It's clear they're really intended for divers; anybody see a problem in that? Maybe in thicker materials like 5mm, pre-bent knees etc. such as we get on dinghy suits for comfy sitting down become more important?

Hi Tony,

I have used one of their 5mm long johns for the last five years.  I use it with a dry top or a spray top, depending on the conditions and weather. The knees are not 'pre-bent'.  Mine is all black, in colour, and I have the black rubber kneepads. When I bought mine, I got it by mail, direct from the factory, and it was 'made to measure'.  Last year, I tried to order a similar suit, as a spare, but was told that they are no longer available 'made to measure' and are now only available from one of their stockists (listed on the website). I use my suit on most weekends and it is still in reasonable condition, despite alot of use.

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)