what to wear?

Hi all,

My most frequent and local sailing is on a nearby lake. Lake surface temps are currently in the high 60s.

I want sail a getaway through the fall, possibly even on nice winter days (middle TN, never too cold very long). Wind conditions make actual capsize very unlikely, although as I get more comfortable I may try to push it a bit more.

So, in general, I will only really be in the water for launch and return and only knee height or so, plus some spray.

What do you recommend wearing to keep legs dry and comfortable if mostly out of water, but without being overly careless regarding worst case scenario. Specifics brands, items, or links most welcome.

Cheers,

nicholas

Always dress for a swim.

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1980 H16

You can get a dry-pants or dry-suit to keep you entirely dry. These come with socks.



I prefer neoprene. At high 60's, you will be ok with a 3 mm neoprene socks. If it gets colder, I use socks + booties and farmer John wet-suit. Then goes neoprene shirt and spray jacket. Having a multiple pieces, makes it more versatile and tuned to a particular temperature.

There are pro and cons for dry vs wet suits. Drysuits are very expensive and vulnerable to a tear/hole, etc. Once your drysuit leaks, it is basically useless.


+1

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H17

We sail well past when we should around here. You HAVE to dress to be in the water, just because you don't intend to capsize doesn't mean you are not going to capsize or have some other issue. Cold water is dangerous, you need dress to be comfortable in the water for as long as it could possibly take in the worst case scenario to rescue you. IMO anything below 65 degrees and improper gear really starts to become a serious safety issue. Hypothermia isn't something to play around with.

I have a 3/4 wetsuit that keeps me pretty comfortable in 50 degree water. For a short TN winter this might be a better solution than a drysuit.

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www.thehobiewayoflife.com

We've always used the 'Rule of 120'.
Take the air temp in F+ the water temp in F, add the two numbers.
If below 120, wet suits/dry suits are mandatory.

Myself, I don't like dry suits... if something happens, like a pitchpole, and the suit catches on some rigging,
the suit will fill up faster than you can say 'I am leaking'. Plus you are out of pocket by $700 or so.

This last weekend, I wore the following:
light wool T Shirt (same one I wear when X country skiing in winter)
sun shirt (rashie)
farmer john wetsuit 4mm
kayak ankle boots
spray top

and I was plenty warm.

If the temps had been lower, I would have put my 3mm full wetsuit on first, and the farmer john on top.
I have sailed with air temps of 32F and water temps of 58F.... after all this is Canada, and yes, we were cold.

Try a web search on hypothermia.... that is not pleasant to deal with.
So prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.
Be safe

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2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

I'd invest in a very thin wetsuit for the midsouth unless you sail all year. I'm usually burning up in mine and if its that cold, <65* outside, I don't sail because no one else will sail either!

I'm in Memphis TN sailing out of N. Mississippi ( arkabuttla )and love fall sailing. Had a mighty nice pitchpole last weekend with air temps barely 70* and water about the same in about 25mph winds with a new eagle scout crewing and trapped out for me on my H16. We righted the boat in less than 5 mins easily but we weren't cold at all until we got OUT of the water. On a getaway, your chances of swimming are almost nill unless a storm comes up. I always try to sail with other sailors on boats on the lake at the same time, safety in numbers during spring and fall. If you're in TN we should sail as a group sometime! We can/and do travel several hours and do attend regattas all over the gulf all summer.

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Tim Grover

Memphis, TN fleet 134
Hobie 20! G-Cat5.0 and 2 Hobie 14's
Photobucket now wants $100 to post pics on forums......... pass.

Hi all,

Many thanks for all of your comments!

I certainly understand the dress for the worst idea, and of course I will.

I guess my question is how to best be prepared for the "regular" as well. I know my feet and legs will get wet every time, but that most of the time I will be out of water and in windy conditions. Who cares in the summer, but late fall that could be rather unpleasant. How best to deal with wet and wind, without going overboard (not literally).

And Tim, I would be delighted to meet up somewhere in the middle south! I don't really plan on trailering the boat this fall until after I get a good feel for it in home waters (my first cat, only SFBay keelboat experience). But I would also love to get your suggestions for locations worth visiting. In addition to the sailing part, our family like to camp, so we would try to combine those two over a long weekend.

I sail year round (only on nicer weather days during winter) in central MS. The most versatile piece of my gear is a lightweight top (I wouldn't even call it a spray top it's so light). Depending on conditions, I may wear it with a full wetsuit, a shorty, a rashie, a fleece, a combination, or not at all. It folds up small enough that I can stow it in the pocket of my soft-sided ice chest when not needed. It's waterproof, breathable, and does a surprisingly good job of blocking wind. It's not too hot/heavy for milder days, but does a great job of helping keep my torso at least partially dry (unless I capsize) and limiting evaporative cooling on colder days. Kokotat makes a good one.....just bought one for my daughter. When considering sizing, remember that you may have a layer or two underneath it.

Safely extending your sailing season is important business, so don't go cheap!

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

There are some great guides online for buying a wetsuit or drysuit. There are many styles and qualities vary so it's worth a look. A chart of style & thickness verses water temp can also be helpful. Ones dealing with diving may even include "time submerged" but the surfing & kayaking sites seem to all use a consistent chart that is probably more suitable for cat sailors.

As an experiment, I put on my dry suit (normally reserved for winter sea kayaking) the other night, just to try it on the wave. I only wore a very light fleece layer underneath but I was still too warm. It was fine as far as mobility went but I was paranoid that with all the crawling, the knees would wear out prematurely if not reinforced somehow. I think I'll retire the Wave for the season once I don't feel comfortable in my 3/4 mm full wet suit & boots.

I have a bit of brandy for cold weather


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