Do big people not go boating?

[Magnum]

I have problems too. 6ft7in tall means sleeves and trouser legs are generally not long enough, and if they are then waist sizes are massive.

I think it's understandable but frustrating that the marine clothing industry caters for common sizes of people.

 

[Signed Out]

Variation on sizing is quite normal though, especially with garments made for different (national) markets. I lived in HK and had a friend working for a global clothing firm involved in developing the sizings (body model?) for the Chinese market, which were vastly different to European norms, a large part of it though is shape. Even buying a pair of trousers there I had to get several inches waist larger than I measured because they were cut with no bum, so I often had a very loose waist and tight thighs/bum. Less likely now I've got the waist (and belly) to match! And remember, most of these goods are made in that region; could the local market goods be getting sold here (as unsold locally?)? Or perhaps they're using skinny backpackers as European body standards...

But, even within one brand, made locally, sizes can vary. Not boaty, but again with motorbike gear, I have XL trousers but can't fit into the XXL jacket of the same model (Weiss Psycho)- and not in the gut, but over the arms/shoulders, and I am not a muscular guy.

Same with shoes (Haglofs) this week; one pair right, but not comfy, other too small (and ugly anyway). Strangely though, one style had sizings stepped in Euro style, the other UK, so perhaps created for different markets (the ugly ones were UK size steps!).

 

[SHUG]

Gus quote I am not carrying much excess weight but still need the XXXL size,
Lets be clear on one thing....I'm not going to argue with you!!!.... But...its a marketplace out there and the commercial assessment must be that its not worth while making oilies in XXXL sizes. In any event you should be able to get good industrial waterproofs at a lower cost than yachtie stuff.I must say that a 47inch waist is pretty impressive!
Try here: http://www.slingsby.com/1/1/26461-m...-jacket-xxxl-regatta-gibson-jacket-black.html

 

[Ceirwan]

You must have a long torso then, cos (ok, admittedly with motorbike gear; haven't bought oilies for a while, but same principle), I may be a chubber, but it's always the length of the limbs that requires me to find larger gear. Typically I am wearing a belt and have fair deal of space around my gut before I have happy wrists and ankles.

Actually got long legs! I do have a slight problem with leg length, hence I have Henri Lloyd bottoms and Musto top as those bottoms are longer

 

[dt4134]

Variation on sizing is quite normal though, especially with garments made for different (national) markets. I lived in HK and had a friend working for a global clothing firm involved in developing the sizings (body model?) for the Chinese market, which were vastly different to European norms, a large part of it though is shape...

A good few years ago I worked as an Analyst at a retail company. They had another line that was deliberately larger for the same nominal size. The idea was that if size x didn't fit madam she could try these ones over here.

 

[Croc]

Being a short wide man I can usually fit in XL but I have noticed as have others that XL is not what it was and XXL or XXXl is sometimes needed.
I am sure that the offensive remarks on diet may well be justified in my case but I am also sure the OP was not seeking a lecture on body mass but a guide to where he might find sea-going clothing that fits him.
Part of the problem might be that all the "UK" manufacturers have their clothing made in the Far East nowadays and as others have pointed out they have different body shapes out there.
I do not know if there any Dutch mail-order houses but I see many of their sailors and skiers and they frequently are bloody enormous... not fat but built on an entirely different scale but they are also a great boating nation so somebody must be supplying them with sailing gear.

 

[jontifosi]

Normally larger people go jet skiiing (around here anyway), with their white vans and 4x4 pickup trucks - haven't seen many on yachts

 

[FistralG]

This is as much a wake up call to sailing clothing manufacturers as it is a strong moan to my fellow boaters. People in general are becoming bigger in size than they were in the past. Better feeding, lifestyle etc. Many facets of society already recognise this and have made changes accordingly, cars are bigger, boats are bigger etc. However this fact seems to have been missed by the sailing clothing manufacturers because they are not making the sizes to fit the bigger boaters. I am not carrying much excess weight but still need the XXXL size, but trying to find such a size is almost impossible. Some of the 'Offshore' - expensive gear and some of the 'Industrial' outfits are available in XXXL sizes, but everything else is not. The chandlers I visited commiserated by saying that they have a lot of requests for bigger sizes but the manufacturers don't seem to be listening.
So what do you suggest?
Give up boating?
Shell out for a more expensive suit than I actually need?
Wear an 'Industrial' suit and a hard hat?
Convert a pack-a-mack?
Make something out of bin bags?
Or shall we all tell the manufacturers that we are not happy in tight suits?

Not all manufacturers sizings are the same. As with every day clothes you need to try them on. I'm 1.85m+ and near 20 stone and have a pair of XM T5000 salopettes in XL and they go up to XXL so they might be worth a try.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

I am sure that the offensive remarks on diet may well be justified in my case but I am also sure the OP was not seeking a lecture on body mass but a guide to where he might find sea-going clothing that fits him.

Well said sir, I too was wondering why this thread was heading in that direction. I am 6' 3" and nearly 20st and i too have great difficulty finding oilies to fit (cue more offensive remarks) I spent 24 years in the forces and i have always been "BIG" although active and yes the Dutch marines that i worked with on occasions were generally huge. My Chest is still bigger than my waist by about 10" but i have developed a paunch now that i am in my 50's. Diet? yes of course i could and i could also go down the gym 5 days a week but that is not the issue, is it?
To the OP, you have my full sympathies and i wish i could help you with some suggestions of manufacturers but unfortunately i cant as i am still looking myself. I tend not to buy Yottie stuff although i did find a Ronstat jacket that fitted once.
As a final note, i never had any problem finding kit to fit me when i was in the forces and i wasn't the biggest bloke serving either and they all had kit that fitted too.

 

[judith]

You might want to give Dutch brands Imhoff and Gaastra (pro series) a try.

 

[Signed Out]

Totally useless suggestion, but I remember that when I lived in HK there were quite a lot of outlet shops selling cheap clothes from factories in China (like mini TKMaxxes) and they occasionay had sailing gear (bought a cheapo set for a passage that lasted well) and strangely had some HUGE sizes. No idea why.
Was tempted once by some well made Helly Hansen insulated offshore overalls, but living there woulda made them rather redundant...

 

[BurnitBlue]

I am tall and slim and I have had no problem. All my clothes (suits and long sleeved shirts) were made-to-measure. Nowadays, with casual clothes, (Jeans and pullovers) I need to spend ages in clothes shops sorting out their big sizes. Boring.

With sailing clothes, I had Henri Lloyd measure me up and make a set of foulweather gear with no premium. Same price as in a chandlers shop. Find a manufacturer that does not import from Chinese sweat shops and they will make you a set.

On the other hand I am now having a problem with footwear. The chinese have a "thing" about big feet, and a history of solving the problem with crushed bones and bandages. Most shoes are made in China so I have to shop around for a European manufacturer who still makes their own shoes. There was a telly program not long ago where women were complaining that they couldn't find shoes big enough for European feet.

 

[Rosa]

I have problems too. 6ft7in tall means sleeves and trouser legs are generally not long enough, and if they are then waist sizes are massive.

I think it's understandable but frustrating that the marine clothing industry caters for common sizes of people.

Your post reminds me of when I did a Comp Crew course many years ago. Yellow oilies were provided for us. One morning I was one of the last two to don our oilies. I felt a little encumbered as the arms and legs were rather long.....but there hadn't been much choice. After a while I noticed that the other tardy crew member was walking very stiffly and seemed unable to bend his arms or legs. I am about 5 feet tall and he was 6 feet 6!