Dinghy Sailing Clothing Advice- Must Haves Items | Magic Marine UK With so much sailing and dinghy gear out there, it’s hard to know what advice on dinghy sailing clothing to trust, what will actually assist you whilst you are out at sea, and what is frankly, a waste of money. We have picked out the essential must-haves that any advanced dinghy sailor or beginner will need before they hit the water. Some of the sailing gear mentioned within this article has even been tried and tested by some of the most prolific sailors from the British Sailing Team. Top 7 Essential Clothing Items for Dinghy Sailing 1. Pick the Right Dinghy Footwear The footwear you choose will depend upon the weather conditions and the season that you are sailing. You will need to pick a shoe that is waterproof, has a good grip, and will keep your feet warm while you are out on the water. Dinghy boots that are made with neoprene are one the most popular footwear choices amongst sailors. They act in the same way as a wet suit does; when they get wet, the water will get trapped inside and warm up, keeping your feet insulated. Picking the right boot style will also keep out shingles and stones. If you are launching from very stony areas we’d advise to go for a more substantial boot that has a thicker sole, otherwise you may find that the stones dig through the boot. We love the tension boot for dinghy sailing. It’s really lightweight, which makes it easy to swim in, it supports your foot with a built in heel stabiliser to keep you on your feet in slippery conditions and it’s also made with neoprene to help keep your feet insulated. (Plus we think they look really great).
2. Keep Dry with a Lightweight Dinghy Jacket This is an essential piece of clothing gear that you should have with you for every sailing trip, come rain or shine. A lightweight dinghy jacket or raincoat will protect you from water spray and back splash. When you are out on your dinghy, spray is inevitable and the last thing you want is to not have the suitable waterproof clothing you need to keep dry throughout the day. This F-Zip Sraytop from Magic Marine is what our Pro-Sailors take out with them on dinghy trips. This spray top is designed with neoprene to keep you completely dry no matter what the weather throws at you. It has taped seams to stop any leaks coming through into your base layers, as well as being designed as a normal fit for a comfortable style that gives you room to manoeuvre.
3. The All Important Wetsuit Keeping warm whilst out in the water will help you stay comfortable as well as safe. The wind is stronger at sea than it is on land, so you will feel the chill much more whilst on a dinghy. Of course the time of year and weather conditions will affect your choice of wetsuit, as well as how active you will need to be in the garment and also what your personal preference is. Pro sailor Frances Peters of the British Sailing Team tested out the Magic Marine Ace F-Zip 4/3 fullsuit and gave us this clothing advice about this dinghy sailing essential. “It’s easy to climb in and out of and once in, it’s even better. I really like
the neck entry. It’s comfortable in comparison to the back zip and means you stay drier.” “Every sailors worst nightmare – the wet wetsuit! This little gem was virtually dry after a quick rinse after sailing and a night of being hung out. This probably clinches it for me, I’ll certainly be keeping it in my kit bag this year!”
4. Keep Your Grip Sailing Gloves Sailing gloves are essential when handling rope, especially in wet weather when your hands are wet and slippery. Gloves are used for protection against the elements, gripping and also help to keep your hands warm by also being designed with the neoprene fabric. Our advice on dinghy sailing gloves, it that they need to be tough and fingerless so you can still use your fingers to cleat and un-cleat rope. We find that leather or Kevlar gloves are one of the most popular like these Pro Neo gloves that are made with leather and contain neoprene thermal patches. These gloves have a reinforced grip on the palm so that your hands will not slip in wet conditions and incorporate a Velcro fastening for easy access.
5. A Life Saving Buoyancy Aid Ensure you have a buoyancy aid or a life jacket with you at all times when you are sailing. This is probably the most important dinghy sailing gear you will need. You might think that a life jacket or buoyancy aid is only needed for people that do not know how to swim, but when you are out at sea and the winds are strong your ability to swim and to get yourself safely back to the dinghy will be much harder. Choose a buoyancy support that fits you well; never wear a life jacket that is too big for you. Once you are in the water a loose fitting life jacket is more likely to become a hazard and will tend to slip off. This sailing life jacket is a popular choice with beginners learning to sail as well as professional dinghy sailors, as it has a front zip for easy access and extra padding around the stomach to help keep you afloat in turbulent seas. 6. Simple but Essential Sailing Hat Packing a hat with you for your dinghy sailing trip is only a small piece of clothing, (many times over looked) but something that is vital for your kit bag. You will either need a warm woolly sailing hat for cold weather or a sailing cap with a shade to keep the sun out of your eyes in hot weather. This Magic Marine sunvisor is very popular in hot and bright conditions. So many sailors lose their hats in the wind, so a handy cap leash is useful to ensure your hat is always close by and ready to use.
7. Stay Warm with Thermal Over Layers Lastly, thermal over layers are definitely a must have for any sailing trip, especially in British waters when the temperature at sea is on average 6-10 °C in the winter to 15-20 °C in the summer depending on the region and yearly variation according to the Beach Guide. Packing a high quality thermal layer that you can slip on after getting out of the water will keep you warm and insulated until your body temperature returns to normal. We love this Bipoly Pullover thermal over layer. It is made from 88% polyester so is great for keeping you warm and the moisture out. It’s also lightweight and quick drying, so it won’t weigh you down when you are trying to move around the dinghy. If you are planning a dinghy sailing trip for the first time soon, we hope this dinghy sailing clothing advice has been useful. If you have used any of the sailing gear mentioned, we’d love to hear from you and what you think. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and let us know your favourite and must have items for dinghy sailing. Thanks for Magic Marine for the images