Dinghy development: Wetsuits

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Wetsuits

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13814
Printed Date: 27 Jun 25 at 12:25pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Wetsuits

Posted By: eric_c
Subject: Wetsuits
Date Posted: 07 Aug 21 at 7:47pm

I need a new wetsuit.

In the past I was always happy buying an O'Neill convertible arm steamer every 2 or 3 years.

Last time I coouldn't find one, so I bought a long leg, short arm, back zip thing from Magic Marine.

It's worn well, but it's not great. The material is porous, it's not very warm. It takes forever to dry and it's starting to smell.... TBH, it's always had a bit of a whiff about it, but getting worse because it won't dry. Probably done its quota of races, just failed in a different way from the normal wearing out of the backside?

Now most places seem to only offer 'skiff suits' with no arms at all and no zip. Not sure that's what I want.Will it be prone to cold water flushing through the arm holes when I take a dip?

Have other people found these OK in Autumn? Which makes are better?

What are other people's thoughts and experiences?

I sometimes sail a Laser, so something abrasion resistant would be good. I sail on the sea 10 months of the year, so need something warm, I normally add extra layers in the cold months.

I no longer live near any sensible retailers, so it will probably have to be mail order.

Thanks for any input.

Replies:

Posted By: ClubRacer
Date Posted: 07 Aug 21 at 9:36pm

For me, I'm not built to have a decent fitting all in one wetsuit. My height and size aren't proportionate so I go down the long john route with a well fitting wetsuit top. I had an amazing gul one which lasted years but then wen't through 2 in 2 years when they changed it to their latest model, not bought one since. Currently have a Musto one as it was on an amazing offer at the boat show and its flexible/warm/hard wearing.

I wear it all year round and just chuck more layers on depending on the weather and if its really hot roll the top down so its just a set of wetsuit trousers.

In my opinion its warmer to have better fitting wetsuits. Unless you can find the holy grail of perfect fitting full armed wetsuits I would go with a long-john (skiff suit)

Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 07 Aug 21 at 9:50pm

I wear a Zhik Microfleece skiff suit combined with a breathable taped (Gill) spray top, plus various combinations of thermal layers. I sail a Solo every week March to January on an estuary and it needs to be nearly freezing before I resort to an aging 5/3mm skiff suit. I think that I have had the Microfleece suit for four or five years and no sign of significant wear. I always rinse it in the shower and dry off at room temperature which usually takes a couple of days. It takes a couple of hours to dry outside on a sunny day. Rooster offer a similar but cheaper product which I am sure will do a similar job.

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Happily living in the past

Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 08 Aug 21 at 11:39am

I'm dreading the day I'll have to find a new wetsuit. My current suit is a Spartan smoothskin, built using proper smoothskin (the skin at the top of the mould)not the artificial slurry sprayed crap that lasts just a season like my last Oneil.
In the inevitable price charge to the bottom, wetsuits these days are so garbage, they use polypro lining to offset the cooling effect of double lined. Nobody wants to sell smoothskin because there are so many muppets damaging suits when trying them on, so retailers won't stock them and so it is Windsport has lost the best type of suit for our purpose.
Wondering if that Snugg outfit down in Cornwall still builds made to measure and wether they could source proper smoothskin. Spartan went bust unfortunately and the Dinghy market was never a supporter of quality wetsuits because y'all are all so cheapskate.

So what can I say, good luck finding anything half decent, buggered if I can.

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https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 09 Aug 21 at 9:50am

How are the eco friendly wetsuits compared to the traditional neoprene ones?

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: fleaberto
Date Posted: 09 Aug 21 at 11:53am

I use long-john suits all the time now. Depends on the season so layering up / down is weather dependent.
With a selection of different thickness neoprene tops and Rooster polypro kit, I only use a drysuit for chilly duty days now.

For Spring/Summer I use a Gill Skiffsuit or Zhik Microfleece allied to Gill speedskin or Zhik titanium top and add a decent spraytop (The new Rooster lightweight one is pretty good).
In Winter / Cold conditions I use a Magic Marine one allied to thicker neo tops and add Rooster polypro.
If it gets really chilly then i do have a couple of full wetsuits - Billabong and Sola (Both Glued/BlindStitched) and they work really well - no water ingress and warm.

To save the suits butts, I use Gill Impact shorts/Magic Marine protector shorts/Rooster Armour-lite shorts or just some heavy-duty Lycra running shorts.

It's a lot of kit, but I can mix & match pretty well to be honest.

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Lightning368 'All the Gear' (409), Lightning368 'Sprite' (101), Laser (big number) 'Yellow Jack', RS Vareo (432)'The Golden Rays'

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 27 Aug 21 at 7:03pm

Skiff suit over a thermal top ( lots of options there ) works well. Wear a splash jacket over the top if it's going to get splashy. My zhik skiff suit thing fits well enough to stop any flushing even without the splash jacket.

If it gets too cold for the 2mm skiff suit, the drysuit comes out!

Only downside is the skiff suit is useless for scuba diving, so have to own a 5mm full body wetty anyway. Nb: for all we're cheapskates, divers are amazed how complicated and expensive out wetties are.

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 27 Aug 21 at 7:23pm

Skiff suit over a thermal top ( lots of options there ) works well. Wear a splash jacket over the top if it's going to get splashy. My zhik skiff suit thing fits well enough to stop any flushing even without the splash jacket.

If it gets too cold for the 2mm skiff suit, the drysuit comes out!

Only downside is the skiff suit is useless for scuba diving, so have to own a 5mm full body wetty anyway. Nb: for all we're cheapskates, divers are amazed how complicated and expensive our wetties are.

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574

Posted By: H2
Date Posted: 31 Aug 21 at 7:58am

I have a number of long-john / skiff suit things which you can combine with wetsuit "shirts" that I wear underneath the longjohn and even spraytops to give the right level of warming depending on the weather. Its actually much better in my view and I have gotten quite good at getting it right so that I am the right temperature. I have tended to buy Gill long-johns, the 3mm one is perfect even in the winter on the sea combined with a 2mm wetsuit shirt and spray top!

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H2 #115 (sold)
H2 145
OK 2082