Here are some of my opinions about what to wear during Laser frostbite season. The opinions are usually mine but I have provided other views when I know of them. Is a drysuit necessary, or will a wetsuit under foulies suffice? Conditions vary. So I find the flexibility of a 2.5 mm wetsuit, bibs/spray top, and fleece to work. On a warm day early in the season, Ill wear the wetsuit with nylon shorts over them and my spray top. On colder days, Ill add the bibs. On really cold days, I have fleece between the two. Even after my worst windward capsizes, I dont stay in the water very long and so this system has worked for me for a couple of years now. However, I am definitely in the minority. Most guys have dry suits. I do notice that these guys are more likely than me to sail by the lee in a breeze. Also, when I dropped my rudder off the dock, they went after it for me which I wasnt willing to do with just the thin wetsuit. Drysuit: breathable or non-breathable? The problem I have noticed with dry suits is that they can get very hot when the temperature is in the 50s, which isnt rare at the beginning and end of the season. So I think breathable is important to keep the suit comfortable in a wider range of temperatures. The upgrade costs about $100. On the other hand, drysuits are already expensive. Any recommendations on gloves? The Musto Exoskins seem popular. I tend to sacrifice my hands. On relatively warm days (high 40s and above), I don’t wear gloves. The constant movement keeps them plenty warm. From high 30s to high 40s, I use the Gil leather & neoprene glove and am very comfortable. My hands are working all the time and that keeps the blood flowing. The [leather[ palm provides no insulation and is cold when wet, but you get over it pretty quickly. When the temperature is in the mid 30s or lower, it gets very tough to find a solution that both keeps your hands warm AND give you the ability to pull and manipulate sheets with confidence. One approach I’ve tried is too keep wearing the Gil glove but to windmill my arms between races to get blood to my fingers. My hands get uncomfortable. A second approach is to go to two layers. One two layer system Ive borrowed from my motorcycle gear: wool mitts covered by waxed cotton over mitts. My hands stay toasty but I can only trim and ease the mainsheet and sometimes I need to wrap the mainsheet around my mitt. (The other lines stay set.) If I need to fix something, I simply take the mitt off. A second two-layer system Ive tried is to wear X-large dishwashing gloves over glove liners. That isnt quite as warm as my mitts but I have the use of my fingers. The downside is that I cant tie a knot with those on and they are relatively hard to take on and off between races. Last year, I tried a third two-layer system: I bought some two-layer ski gloves at Target for $30 that work better than the dishwasher glove system. (Gil also sells a nice set of very cold weather gloves but they cost $50.) I can easily remove the outer glove and work with small line with the inner glove on. Youd be surprised how few the days are when the temperature is in the 30s. Usually it is in the 40s and sometimes in the 50s. Other people have tried neoprene gloves. Cheap ones used by hunters are available at Wal-Mart. Still others have tried SealSkinz gloves (see below). Im not familiar with the Musto Exoskins. How do you keep the feet warm? I have solved the problem of keeping my feet warm. First, it is important that your boots be loose. My regular Gil dinghy boots fit great during the summer, but with thick socks on, they squeeze my feet and theyd get cold very quickly. So last year, I switched to wearing my SCUBA diving booties, which are basically cheap neoprene boots. They are loose and never squeeze my feet. I think I paid $30-$35 for them. Second, it is important to keep your feet dry. When my feet get wet, they get cold. So I wear calf high SealSkinz socks, which are waterproof, with thick wool socks underneath, which provide the insulation. I think I got the SealSkinz at West Marine. They do keep my feet dry and provide just enough insulation with the neoprene booties to keep my feet warm. The system works beautifully for me. drysuits have booties built in so the waterproof socks aren’t needed. However, wearing thick wool socks inside the drysuit is. Head? Of course, it is important to keep the head insulated. A wool watch cap works well. And if you want to look cool, wear a white silk scarf around your neck and yell, Curse the Red Barron as you chase your nemesis. |
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