Tips for winter sailing

[mless15]

My apologies if this has been covered in previous threads. I tried searching but did not find anything super helpful. I am looking to make sailing a 3 (or hopefully 4) season activity, and I am looking for recommendations on what to wear that won't cost me an arm and a leg. Do people use dry suits? Wet suits? What brands have you used, and what do you avoid? What about for hands, feet, and head?

Additionally, any differences in cold weather sailing that I should consider or that you learned on the water? Specific tips about wooden sunfish would be great, as that is what I have. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[tag]

fall/spring sailing gear

it's been a weird summer for me - road construction ALL summer directly at the end of my driveway more or less kept me from trailering at all... I didn't want to pull my trailer through 8" to 10" of mud. so sadly, yesterday was my 1st sail of the year. quite windy and gusty, air temp was 55F...

sailingforums.com

is a recent thread discussing some of the same...

 

[joe c]

so far ive been in a 4/3. with 2mm boots and some 1mm socks. been using some weird neoprene gloves i randomly have. been out in 45 air 50 water no problems. my feel get cold a little. but its been fine. i have a drysuit but havent had it on yet. had it all last year but never went out. i have a hood for the 4/3. im wondering what gloves people are using. i also have a 2mm rashy i think i can get under my suit which might help.

its been in the 40s here this week.

the biggest issues i have with the wetsuit is its cold when wet when its windy. its doesnt stay that warm if youre notn in the water. its only a 4/3 too but i figure its my early fall late spring suit so im getting away from its use window now.

getting out of it at the end of the day is freeeezing. lol. i dont have a van. so im changing on the parking lot. being wet in board short only in the parking lot is cooold. i have a bottle port in my sunfish. next time im taking my travel mug with hot chocolate.

make sure you let people know youre going out and make sure there is a float plan.. what ive discovered about myself is i have no second thoughts about going out in the summer when the water is 75-80 and its blowing 25. but even with the water only at 50 hypothermia sets in fast. im a bit more conservative sailing. and with the suit on and gloves etc. your mobility is a bit restricted. (tacking and gybing and tillerl hand to hand isnt as easy)

ive been in really really cold water. (boston new years day it was 25 air) cold water is no joke. take it seriously. there are way less people out on the water. so help is quite a bit further way. be smart. be safe. but have fun. i love being out when its empty and the risks are higher.

wetsuit warehouse is awesome. i drove out there from baltimore to buy. but they ship and have pretty good sales. i bought the vissla. i liked the big zipper it had over the other suits, the bigger teeth on the zipper worked way better.

j

 

[Fremont]

Are you winter sailing in the tropics, in the gulf coast, or the North Atlantic? Different needs.
I assume you're not winter sailing in the upper midwest because we have iceboats for that.

 

[beldar boathead]

the biggest issues i have with the wetsuit is its cold when wet when its windy

The reason is the pics show the suit has the Lycra or whatever fabric on the outside. That retains water and evaporates in the wind, cooling you down. You need to at least sail with a Gill, Helly Hansen spray top or similar over the wetsuit. The other choice is to get a wetsuit without the fabric on the outside. That is the type of wetsuit windsurfers use to solve your problem.

 

[signal charlie]

Wooden Sunfish? Need pics

Our strategy is to find some shoal water and have a change of clothes, so we ca walk back to shore if needed and change in the car. That worked in Florida. We are now in Virginia and have bought foul weather gear for a top layer, Third Reef from West Marine. We may explore wetsuits and drysuits, but for now we'll switch to the bigger boats in the Winter.

A buddy plan and/or Float Plan are essential, along with appropriate communications devices to call for help as needed, whether it be a cell phone, the new iphone with satcom SOS, a VHF radio or PLB. There are considerations to be made as to how fast someone can get to you.

The James River is down to 50F already: Smithfield, Pagan River, James River Sea Conditions and Tide Table

 

[joe c]

The reason is the pics show the suit has the Lycra or whatever fabric on the outside. That retains water and evaporates in the wind, cooling you down. You need to at least sail with a Gill, Helly Hansen spray top or similar over the wetsuit. The other choice is to get a wetsuit without the fabric on the outside. That is the type of wetsuit windsurfers use to solve your problem.

yeah, i looked at spray tops quite a bit. hmm. there is neoprene under the knees there and thats the only spot that has that. i think the wind just plain cools the water and outter suit no matter. even when i surfed years ago being in the water was fine. being out, yep, that walk on the beach could get really cold on cape in november.. im also usually pushing daylight near the end. im usally getting out about and hour to 45mins before dark so the cold part of the afternoon. but yep, the spray top would definitelty help. probably not much standing in the parking lot in wet board shorts though. my season in the chesapeake is probably done at this point. i bought the gul drysuit last winter but it seems like too much and its just plain cold no matter what. plus none of the other guys is even remotely setup for cold water. so motivation is low. that and i do need new spars. mine are fairly bent from the highwind hiking and silliness this past summer. its funny that ill have to buy another boat to get a set of spars. thx though. ill grab up a spray top before early spring.