Layering for Dinghy Sailing in Winter

Sailing in the UK during the winter time might sound like a bad idea, but with the correct kit you can be comfortable and unrestricted - it's all about selecting the right layers for the job. UK winter time is generally between 3 and 12 degrees, often windy and very damp.

 

Base layers
Start with our PolyPro garments. Worn next to the skin, they are naturally hydrophobic so you will remain warm and as dry as possible. These garments will come out of a good spinner almost dry enough to wear and are available in top, bottoms and socks for men, women and junior sailors. "On cold, wet days I find myself wearing them to the club under my jeans. My wife loves her PolyPro Socks and gets rather upset if she loses one".

 


Upper Body:

Mid Layer
The ThermaFlex™ top is the most adaptable mid layer made at Rooster. Used on its own you can cope easily in windy hot climates, or in less windy British summer climates. When combined with a Polypro top you can sail through all but the worst of the UK winter season. These are available in Men's, Women's and Junior sizing.

Having argued for the versatility of the Thermaflex® and Polypro combo, if you are really serious about being on the water when most would rather be drinking mulled wine at the bar, then the Supertherm® Top is ideal. Again, this is available in Men's, Women's and Junior sizing to make sure you get the best fit for you.

Outer Layer
Aquafleece® - Classic, Pro Lite and Pro versions to suit you needs and your budget.

The Aquafleece® Range isvery popular with many other watersports enthusiasts. Rooster designed the Aquafleece® fabric, the style of top, and own the trademark. With a wide range of colours and styles available, you can be sure they all stop the windchill in a more comfortable and snugly way to a standard spray top. 

Classic and Pro Lite now also come in a ladies' fit in the colour teal and the Aquafleece® Hoodie is a true favourite with the paddle-boarding community

Lower Body:
"I wear my Pro Hike Pads inside Supertherm® Longjohn inside a pair of Race Armour Lite shorts" Steve.

Accessories:
Head Gear - My Dad used to get rather hot under the collar when he saw sailors in cold weather not wearing a hat. I must have heard him say that you can loose 3/4 of your body heat through your head so many times that I almost believed him. I absolutely love the Aquafleece Beanie and Pro Aquafleece Beanie. It's just the right tension which means it's not going to fall off in a winter gale, in or out of the water, and when I get hot from working hard, it's the easiest thing to take off and stuff down the front of my buoyancy aid during the race. The Pro version has taped seams and extra thick Aquafleece® fabric are ideal - at least my Dad would be happy.


The Aquafleece Neck Gaiter is also a great shout, keeping the wet and the wind-chill from your neck, ears, jaw and your nose if you pull it up. There's a variety of colours available in our Aquafleece material


Hands
Hands are the hardest things to keep warm AND keep the dexterity you require. My first recommendation is to use Polypro Glove Liners. Worn under a pair of summer gloves, they can work down to 8 degrees or so. Our Aquapro Gloves are very unique and warm. However, the Aquafleece® fabric itself is not cut out for rough rope work, so we have used as much extra reinforcement as we can to ensure you get the grip and dexterity you want. If you have a strange grip on your rope you might find they wear more quickly than you would like. Your next option would be our All Weather Neoprene Gloves which use a heavy duty Amara all round with extra soft PU coated grip for the high load areas.