Spring clothing question

Jbarth13

New Member
Hi folks,

I'm taking a US Sailing Level 1 Instructor course April 14, which will be taught in water in the low 50s, air temperatures probably around 60. I'm not used to sailing in temperatures quite that low, so I was looking for some advice on what to wear. I was thinking a 3/2 wetsuit, a spray top, and some sort of warm layer in between. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Jon
 
Depending on your tolerance for cold, that should work fine.

The instructor courses are usually taught in double-handed dinghies like FJs which are a bit dryer than Lasers. You'll probably have to demonstrate a capsize recovery so you'll get wet that day but other than that it probably won't be as wet and cold as a full day racing Lasers.

If you have a fleece top you can wear under the spray top that would probably make you nice and toasty. The rule of thumb of course is to layer up as it's better to start off too warm and have to peel off a layer or two than to be too cold.
 
I have several regular fleeces of varying weights that I could put under. I was looking at getting a regular spray top (they all seem pretty similar, I found a Ronstan one on intensity sails that I was gonna get) and an aquafleece. Would there be a significant advantage to the aqua fleece over a regular land fleece?
 
I live and sail in Ireland and so tempetures like that are the norm for me. Honestly it just depends on what you feel like when you get there
 
in Virginia I wear a 2/3 energy suit long legs short sleves, my hiking pads add another 3mm of neoprene from my knees to my chest, a spray top boots and gloves and I raced in that all winter. water temp was cold (30+) air temp was cool (normally 40+) but you can vary what you wear on personal taste. I think you'll be fine with the 3/2 mm wetsuit.
 
if its sunny i jst head out in a pair of board shorts with a splash top and in rainy days a wetsuit with splashtop. it just depends on how cold youll think youll get. wetsuits are very handy though
 
it also depends on the wind conditions,

if its not windy you can wear no gloves or regular sailing gloves, if its windy wear winter gloves and bring your regular sailing gloves.

if its windy, you'll want a good winter hat and possibly a neck warmer, it doesn't hurt to bring a warm hat and neckwarmer out, if you have a pocket on your lifevest thats where I keep extra clothing

A wetsuit should keep you warm enough, wear some thermal clothing underneath, you should be worried most about your hands and feet since your core will stay warm with a decent wetsuit.

if the wind is not over 10kts, the spray top is unecessary

hope this helps
 
Depending on your tolerance for cold, that should work fine.

The instructor courses are usually taught in double-handed dinghies like FJs which are a bit dryer than Lasers. You'll probably have to demonstrate a capsize recovery so you'll get wet that day but other than that it probably won't be as wet and cold as a full day racing Lasers.

If you have a fleece top you can wear under the spray top that would probably make you nice and toasty. The rule of thumb of course is to layer up as it's better to start off too warm and have to peel off a layer or two than to be too cold.

As I recall, when you put us through our US Sailing Instructor course, you made us swim in the marina without any wetsuit, float for 5 minutes and tie knots while in the water...all in late December weather!

Sheldon
 
As I recall, when you put us through our US Sailing Instructor course, you made us swim in the marina without any wetsuit, float for 5 minutes and tie knots while in the water...all in late December weather!

Sheldon

Ok, so maybe in that case it was all about my tolerance! ;-)

Seriously though the training standards didn't give us a whole lot of flexibility about that and I suspect they still don't allow a wetsuit for the swim test. I remember taking a Keelboat Instructor course on SF Bay when they still made the instructor candidates do a swim check and my SoCal adapted blood got pretty slushy so I've suffered too!

Now that I'm in the Bay Area I'm a little more cold adapted - most likely due to my built-in insulation layer. ;-)

But back to the point, with layering he should probably be fine with what he's got.

-Steve
 
Pre-requisites anybody??

How can a person go from clueless about what to wear to instructor in a day??

We just had a USSailing level One course at our local club. The attendees were pretty much folks who were taking up the sport or had taken it up fairly recently.

At the same time the soon to be certified USSailing instructors were sitting in classrooms and fearing a short boat ride. 27 sailors who each know more about sailing individually than the sum of the students and an instructor who couldn't have finished in the top ten were out holding a regatta.

Think about being a coach in ANY other sport.

Do people who need to be taught how to dress get to become coaches??

Oh yes...but we need coaches and these are the only people who are willing//////

Our sport is pretty much managed by the willing ...

There really is no other qualification for leadership and decision making in the world of sailing.

And as long as 99% of those of you who read this continue to do nothing for the game...


at least The willing will continue to do a better job than you.
 
Pre-requisites anybody??

How can a person go from clueless about what to wear to instructor in a day??

We just had a USSailing level One course at our local club. The attendees were pretty much folks who were taking up the sport or had taken it up fairly recently.

At the same time the soon to be certified USSailing instructors were sitting in classrooms and fearing a short boat ride. 27 sailors who each know more about sailing individually than the sum of the students and an instructor who couldn't have finished in the top ten were out holding a regatta.

Think about being a coach in ANY other sport.

Do people who need to be taught how to dress get to become coaches??

Oh yes...but we need coaches and these are the only people who are willing//////

Our sport is pretty much managed by the willing ...

There really is no other qualification for leadership and decision making in the world of sailing.

And as long as 99% of those of you who read this continue to do nothing for the game...


at least The willing will continue to do a better job than you.

My Instructor could beat up your Instructor. He also said to wear whatever we would wear while sailing in the conditions. That includes a wetsuit.
 
What about for Water temp mid 30's and air temp high 50's?

Wetsuit, thermal layer, splash top, hot socks + winter gloves?
 
gouvernail:

I am most certainly not one of the would-be instructors without prerequisites you seem to be worried about. Just to prove that point:

I'm 20 years old, and will have been in boats for 17 of those years as of this summer. Both of my parents were sailing instructors in their time. I soloed when I was 10, have earned, sailed, and raced two Hobie Cats on my own (solo), won my club's season-long race series in my Laser, and currently serve on our race committee. I simply have not had much experience in colder conditions; the majority of my sailing is lake-sailing, which tends to be warmer than an ocean or bay. I have not taken the sport up recently, and, given that I've poured almost all of my personal resources and several summers doing construction work into pursuing the sport, I don't see how you can attack my willingness to sail and to teach. Simply asking for confirmation about a clothing choice does not mean that I lack drive, skill, or enthusiasm.
 
gouvernail:

I am most certainly not one of the would-be instructors without prerequisites you seem to be worried about. Just to prove that point:

I'm 20 years old, and will have been in boats for 17 of those years as of this summer. Both of my parents were sailing instructors in their time. I soloed when I was 10, have earned, sailed, and raced two Hobie Cats on my own (solo), won my club's season-long race series in my Laser, and currently serve on our race committee. I simply have not had much experience in colder conditions; the majority of my sailing is lake-sailing, which tends to be warmer than an ocean or bay. I have not taken the sport up recently, and, given that I've poured almost all of my personal resources and several summers doing construction work into pursuing the sport, I don't see how you can attack my willingness to sail and to teach. Simply asking for confirmation about a clothing choice does not mean that I lack drive, skill, or enthusiasm.


Well said!
 

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