Hot tops

seththesailor

New Member
Hi everyone!

I have been looking at hottops lately and would like everyone's opinions on what to get. I have been looking at zhik superwarm top and the SEA ultra warm top to wear underneath my spray gear in really cold weather. Any likes, dislikes, or suggestions? how warm are these things, and can they be worn effectively under a spray top? what water/ air temps do you think this setup would be warm in?

thanks for your input
 
I just bought a Rooster one. I really like it. I live in Rhode Island and I'll probably wear it all the way into january until I switch into my dry suit.
 
I use the SEA Ultra Warm in a lot of conditions and I really like it. I think it's a pretty good bang for your buck at $115.

The Zhik super warm is a bit thicker and warmer, so they are slightly different.

Both have a water repellent outer shell which is really slick
 
i got the zhik superwarm top and when i wear it i dont usually wear a splash top on top of it. im personally a big fan of the zhik stuff you cant go wrong
 
Personally think the Zhik stuff is very overrated and expensive but thats my opinion. Despite have the SEA Winter Top I have no idea how thick it is. Its warm, comfy and keeps me nice and toasty when sailing. I'm very happy with it.
 
Personally think the Zhik stuff is very overrated and expensive but thats my opinion. Despite have the SEA Winter Top I have no idea how thick it is. Its warm, comfy and keeps me nice and toasty when sailing. I'm very happy with it.

Do you have any Zhik gear to base that on?

I've put a lot of use on the Micro Fleece top and it still looks brand new.

The prices I paid weren't that bad either.
 
Not bought any, just had a good look at them at several boat shows. The price is always a lot higher than every other make over here and I can't see anything in the kit to justify it. Looks to me like paying for a name. Just my opinion.
 
Not bought any, just had a good look at them at several boat shows. The price is always a lot higher than every other make over here and I can't see anything in the kit to justify it. Looks to me like paying for a name. Just my opinion.

Which you're entitled to. I'm not sure how much they cost over there, but wither way, I can attest to the great quality and performance.

Quite the same with Rooster being super expensive over here. I've never seen anything to justify Rooster. Looks to me like paying for a name. Just my opinion.

You "pay for the name" for everything, or else it would all cost a fraction of the price. A pair of shoes costs what, $2 to manufacture and then are sold for $200?
 
And there's your issue, I won't pay for a name. If I can get a top that is just as good (or even better) than another make, for less, then I'll choose that one.

I've also never spent £200 on shoes, that would be obscene! :)
 
And there's your issue, I won't pay for a name. If I can get a top that is just as good (or even better) than another make, for less, then I'll choose that one.

I've also never spent £200 on shoes, that would be obscene! :)

But how do you know unless you've used both?

My point was, you pay for a name, technically, no matter what you buy.

When I purchased my first SEA rash guard and hiking pants, they were obscenely expensive.

Now, the rash guard can be bought for about a third of the price I payed and the hiking pants are like $170.

What the hell was I paying for back then? A big, brand new flashy gear company, put out by Brendan Casey himself! Well, Zhik came along, with better products, and now they're top dog. Hence they being more expensive, and SEA prices going down. The law of demand applies.

Also, I deal in dollars, not pounds.
 
As an alternative, there is a long-established company based in Idaho that serves the whitewater kayak and rafting crowd. They make a wide range of reasonably-priced, warm / dry gear that is essentially the same stuff we are buying from high end sailing suppliers.

nrsweb.net 800.635.5202

(I like my Rooster stuff a lot, but I won some of it so cost wasn't a factor.)
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'm leaning towards getting the SEA top, mainly because of the lower price. I am also thinking of getting the skiff pants that go with it. has anybody tried those? I've heard that they are just as warm or warmer than wetsuit bottoms, but I am a little worried about durability. any thoughts?

Thanks
 
OP asked for temp ranges also. Being in Socal, I don't need a super warm kit but would like to hear this info so I could buy accordingly. I've got wetsuits and a drysuit.
 
I'm a new sailor and would like to know if it really is true that you can sail in a snowfall without a drysuit.
 
I saw those Norwegians, but what were they drinking for breakfast.

My boat was given to me last spring and I wasn't really that fond of Lasers, but after sailing it 2 to 3 times a week throughout the summer and gaining skill with it, I have fallen in love with it and now I certainly don't want to put my boat up just cause it snows.
 
We sail all winter, most of us without dry-suits. Snow isn't frequent in the Pacific Northwest, but we have gone out with show coming down before - very slippery on the deck and the auto-bailer doesn't work very well :D

Our water temperature is probably around 6-8 celsius and the air temperature ranging from 2-12 in the winter. Fingers and toes get numb and painful after a bit, so we tend to keep our sessions to 2 hours or less when the cold arrives.
 
.. and to get back to the original topic, I am a big fan of the SEA Ultra Warm Top. Even in the coldest of conditions, I have felt comfortable since I started using this top. I also have a Rooster Aquafleece which makes a very cozy layer on top of it.
 
When we start training in April/May, the water is about 3/4 degrees Celsius.

It's definitely cold if you fall in, but it's not too bad, just as long as the air temp isn't really cold.
 
dredies,

what do you wear when it snows? and do you survive a capsize?

Capsizes are definitely cold. Extra effort is made to dry roll :eek:

Wool hat (toque if you're Canadian), SEA Ultra Warm top, Spray top, life jacket, long fingered paddling gloves, running leggings, hiking pants, aqua socks, and dinghy boots. We've also done things like plastic bags over the socks before the boots, and rubber gloves before the paddling gloves. If you can keep the extremities from getting wet, it's easier to keep them warm.
 
Either the gear you describe is incredibly good, or you people are nuts! Oops, Laser sailing. Both are true. :D
 
Either the gear you describe is incredibly good, or you people are nuts! Oops, Laser sailing. Both are true. :D

Well, the lower body is usually fine with just hiking pants and some socks in the boots.

The upper body gets covered by either my Zhik Titanium or Micro Fleece and either a HH sweater and spray top, or just spray top. If the air is warm enough and it's not windy, I'll try and get away with just two rash guards.

This is for spring, of course, not winter.
 
I bought some cheap 10$ polypro skivies that I wear under my hikers on the cooler days right now. I'll bet that they would work reall well under the Hot Top.
 
I live in the Bahamas, and in the winter i wear a titanium top. It only gets to about 55 degrees Fahrenheit but with the windchill its cold (to me at least)...i wear it along with my zhik hikers

The top is nice and warm
 
I live in the Bahamas, and in the winter i wear a titanium top. It only gets to about 55 degrees Fahrenheit but with the windchill its cold (to me at least)...i wear it along with my zhik hikers

The top is nice and warm

God your a lucky man! There was one winter a few years ago I was cracking ice off my over cover, after an hour and a half on the water I came back in and had to crack more ice off the cover to get it back on...

Good 'aul Ireland!!
 
I live in the Bahamas, and in the winter i wear a titanium top. It only gets to about 55 degrees Fahrenheit but with the windchill its cold (to me at least)...i wear it along with my zhik hikers

The top is nice and warm

Windchill...?

You can't say windchill until the real temperature goes below zero haha.
 

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