Fall/Winter - Wetsuits

Halfjack

Halfjack

Dad & Lad
I'm located in Texas, D/FW area, and have just started sailing. I plan to try to sail through the Fall/Winter season as much as possible and have some questions about temperatures and wetsuits. I'm doing this for the first time, and with my son, so I want to get the best input I can before I buy our first pair of wet suits!

1) As far as temperature per mm of wetsuit, I've gotten the following quotes of the ScubaToys.com forum. Are these guidelines appropriate for someone sailing?:
As for thickness, a rough guide is 80º and above = 3mm, 70º to 80º = 5mm, Below 70º = 7mm. You can always open up a wetsuit and let some water in if too warm, however, if you get cold, you won't enjoy the dive. And if you're going to dive 60º, you'll also want a hood and gloves. Booties too.

I have a 3 mil for temp above, about, 74-75 degrees.
I have a 5 mil for 65 up.
I have a 7 mil for 65 and below.
When it gets below 60 I start to wish I had a drysuit, but I do OK down to maybe 57 with only a little pain with the 7 mil.
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2) How much does the water temperature change, or how much does it track air temperature? How cold will these TX lakes get when its 70 one day and 30 the next? Also, is air temp or water temp the bigger factor for how comfortable or miserable the sailor is?

3) How big of a difference is it between a full suit vs. a shorty worn with a long-sleeve wicking shirt (& jacket?)?

4) Any other first-timer pitfalls for buying and using the wetsuits?

All comments appreciated!:(;)
 
The problem is your getting your information from a scuba shop. Diving and being in the water for an entire hour or so is alot different from getting dunked from tipping over while sailing.
I scuba dive, but don't want to wear my scuba wetsuit while sailing. They are really hot when not in the water. If you think your gonna be in the water alot get a surfing wetsuit with some wetsuit booties.

I am sure others hear on the website can fill you in on what to wear while its cold out...and what is in style or the prefered cold weather gear for you and your child.

As for me I wear a raincoat over my life jacket, as the spray does get really cold after a while.
 
Yeah, that's part of why I'm posting here - I've only talked to one Laser sailer so far, but he recommended a full 3mm suit.

I should also clear up that my son is in high school, so I'm sure he's up to anything I'd try...
 
Halfjack: It isn't clear, to me at least, whether you are talking water temp or air temp.
Anyway, as memnar stated, the info from the dive shop doesn't apply.

In my experience, when the water temp is around 70 F, you don't need any wetsuit unless you spend a lot of time in the drink. To give you a real life example :eek:, I capsized several times in my other boat (the tippy Olympic one) this past Saturday. It was pretty windy and the water temp was 68 F. After the third dunking, I got cold because the (15-20 mph) wind cooled down my wet clothes and body after I got back on the boat. I am sure that a farmer John type wetsuit would have extended my time on the water.
 
I'm on Otisco Lake, "The Thumbnail of the Finger Lakes". I bought a 7mm wet suit so I could continue sailing through November. It was 50 degrees today, and I was plenty warm. This suit gets really hot though, and I wouldn't want to wear it in anything warmer than 60 degree or so water.

One other thing to consider is footwear. I went out this Spring and was fine, but had to come in because my feet were freezing. Over the summer I bought a pair of diving boots and I wore them sailing for the first time. They kept my feet plenty warm.
 
Take a look at the following link: http://www.swiftsail.net/ryc_doublehanded/warm.htm

In our family with several kids, the challenge is how to cover various conditions as the temperature drops. We use the following:

1) Long sleeve 0.5 mm neoprene top. Lots of brands, Zhik, Gill, NRS. This is quite warm by itself and covers a lot of conditions in the 60 and 70 degrees. First thing we put on when it gets a little chilly.

2) 3 mm farmer john wetsuit from NRS. When used with the 0.5 mm top that will get you down to low to mid 50s and breezy

3) Spray top and spray pants: Gill, Zhik, NRS. Worn by itself it works in reasonably warm but rainy windy weather. With the wetsuit it provides another layer of warmth. Can add additional fleece layer if needed. on top of 0.5 mm top.

4) Good ski hat. Works wonders by itself.

5) Neoprene boots or neoprene socks with sailing shoes.

6) Gloves: a topic unto itself. Gardening style gloves with rubber on the inside and mesh back are pretty effective and are very cheap.

7) I haven't had to do this yet, but the next step for colder weather would be a long sleeve wet suit jacket from NRS to go with the farmer john

8) Dry suit - for frost biting.
 
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