Recommendations for Oilies please

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peter2407

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Just noticed my Gill jacket (8+ years old) is leaking, so time for a replacement. I want as much protection as I can get, balanced against price of course, so would be grateful for any recommendations on kit and where the best deals are.
 
peter2407 said:
Just noticed my Gill jacket (8+ years old) is leaking, so time for a replacement. I want as much protection as I can get, balanced against price of course, so would be grateful for any recommendations on kit and where the best deals are.
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To be honest I think the major manufacturers are essentially on a par with the performance of thier kit. It's all excellent. However the fits are slightly different, so trying them on is essential.
 
I went through the same exercise last year; my Gill Key West Suit was still giving good service but looked extremely grubby. The new Key West seemed tighter than the old model so I moved up to the Atlantic Jacket and trousers. I am very pleased with them and found they were just the right balance for me between protection and price although you pays your money and takes your choice! I bought them at the LBS and got a very good discount with Gill even throwing in a pair of shades; if you can wait till then I suspect that such offers will be repeated.
 
Musto Offshore MPX stuff ticks the boxes in my opinion. Best quality stuff and looks good too. The fleece-lined pockets, hood and collar is the best quality fleece I've ever felt on oilies. Cheaper than Henri Lloyd and less chav too...

Comes in black, red and yellow and in ladies' red. (Annoyingly, the ladies' trousers don't have a drop-seat, and don't come in yellow... so I went for the guys' yellow and I'm soo happy.)

It's about £400 for a suit at the moment at places like Marine Super Store - much cheaper than it was, still selling for ~£550 in some places.

Their higher range Ocean HPX seems totally overkill for normal cruising/sailing use in UK waters but depends on how often you'll use it/what conditions etc.

Their lower ranges are good for occasional use but if you want something to last another 7+ years I'd go for MPX. Also the MPX has such a protective, snug collar which I find very important as I feel the cold easily.

I've had a Gill Ocean Racer smock before and the material is much lighter, the fleece not as good :-D

XM stuff is good for tight budgets but no way as good quality material as Musto, Henri Lloyd etc... you do get what you pay for with regard to quality.

Best bet - go to a big chandlery like Marine Super Store where they stock all the major offerings, and try it all on.
 
peter2407 said:
Just noticed my Gill jacket (8+ years old) is leaking, so time for a replacement. I want as much protection as I can get, balanced against price of course, so would be grateful for any recommendations on kit and where the best deals are.
Click to expand...

have you tried re-proofing with Graingers products designed foe use on breathable & Gortex.
i have just done my musto HPX after 10 seasons, they leaked but do have the "Life Time" warranty ( so brace yerself Keith :eek: ).
i am told that the new musto range is out in the new year so expect deals to be had on old stock
 
jellyellie said:
Musto Offshore MPX stuff ticks the boxes in my opinion. Best quality stuff and looks good too. The fleece-lined pockets, hood and collar is the best quality fleece I've ever felt on oilies. Cheaper than Henri Lloyd and less chav too...

Comes in black, red and yellow and in ladies' red. (Annoyingly, the ladies' trousers don't have a drop-seat, and don't come in yellow... so I went for the guys' yellow and I'm soo happy.)

It's about £400 for a suit at the moment at places like Marine Super Store - much cheaper than it was, still selling for ~£550 in some places.

Their higher range Ocean HPX seems totally overkill for normal cruising/sailing use in UK waters but depends on how often you'll use it/what conditions etc.

Their lower ranges are good for occasional use but if you want something to last another 7+ years I'd go for MPX. Also the MPX has such a protective, snug collar which I find very important as I feel the cold easily.

I've had a Gill Ocean Racer smock before and the material is much lighter, the fleece not as good :-D

XM stuff is good for tight budgets but no way as good quality material as Musto, Henri Lloyd etc... you do get what you pay for with regard to quality.

Best bet - go to a big chandlery like Marine Super Store where they stock all the major offerings, and try it all on.
Click to expand...


Wholeheartedly agree Musto MPX is just the ticket, although since the price was right I bought a suit of HPX on e-bay at the beginning of the season- wonderful stuff
 
With regards to the different fits, Musto kit tends to have a slightly shorter cut than the Gill stuff, although, I'm 6'2" with quite a long torso (if I do say so myself) and just treated myself to a new Musto MPX jacket (my old Gill Key west one literally fell apart after 5 years of being put to good use) and am thrilled with it!

A shorter cut is great if you plan to wear the whole suit most of the time, but if you're more often than not just going to be wearing the jacket on it's own, then I'd go with the Gill
 
Try Marinepool. I have a set of their offshore stuff and it is very good-and a reasonable price tag too.
 
Hermit said:
Try Marinepool. I have a set of their offshore stuff and it is very good-and a reasonable price tag too.
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Not a recommendation I can endorse. I bought their "offshore" kit and spent a totally miserable, wet, cold 3 days on the Scottish Islands Peaks Race. Testing afterwards with the garden hose showed water ingress at the arms, stitched logos, shoulders and crotch area. I returned them and got a refund.
 
I've had the cheap end Gill oilies and found I got wetter inside than on the outside. Currently using Musto offshore stuff - no complaints at all.

When I need to replace these I will have a serious look at the French made Guy Cotton stuff. Seems very well made, both the bib & brace trousers and the 5/8 length jacket have stitched in place for a safety harness, deep draining pockets, good cuffs, etc, no gimmicks they just do what it says on the box and at a good price.

P.S.

80 - 90% of commercial fishermen (around Europe at least) wear oilies made by Guy Cotton, 'cos they wear well and take the knocks 24/7/365. That's a pretty good testament to their quality and cost.
 
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Try a one piece

Over several decades of sailing I have tried high end, low end, middle end oilies. I find that I wear my one piece flotation suit from Cosalt more and more despite being possibly the cheapest I have ever bought.

Mine is bright red, loads of reflective, neoprene cuffs and is lined with foam for buoyancy. It is not bulky at all. Good hood and pockets and even with LJ and harness it feels kind of sleek. Really allows more freedom of movement than anything else I have tried and it looks the part for sure.

Not breathable though but I find unzipping a bit if too moist inside solves that.

Foam makes it particularly kind to knees, elbows and posterier. Mine is now 15 years old and never needed any attention.

They are intended to improve survivability if in the oggin, but are not a substitute for a LJ.

ADEC do one now I believe.

For light conditions I often wear a Gill mid layer salopette with or without the jacket. Being more or less water proof they tolerate loads of wet stuff.
 
mick said:
Why on earth are Henri Lloyd oilies thought to be 'chav'?
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Down these 'ere parts, all the little monkeys wear Henri Lloyd inshore jackets, walking round in groups with the bright yellow hoods out. Never Musto, Gill, XM etc. - just exactly the same dark grey Henri Lloyd one.

Henri Lloyd has been popular with chavs long before this current trend though... I remember volunteering on a sail training yacht once and was impressed to see a few items of Henri Lloyd amongst the boisterous young male crew. None of them had sailed before and were equally surprised to find out it was a nautical brand!

So if you might occasionally leave your oilies in your car in an area where Henri Lloyd yoof are around, think about which make you might prefer!

It's all a bit tongue-in-cheek really...
 
Goretex

.
I don't know about Gill four dot fabrics but I do know that real Goretex (Musto MPX and HPX, Henri Lloyd Osffshore and Ocean) will pretty much last for ever while cheaper coated fabrics simply stop working after a few years and a couple of washings /reproofings.

I got a Henri Loyd Ocean jacket off an Essex chav on Ebay for £160 and it has been the best bit of clothing I ever bought.

- W
 
I have a Gill ocean racer suit, it certainly gets my vote. very light, very comfortable and always dry. My wife has the ladies coastal suit, she loves the design of the dropseat salopettes which seem to work very well.. as a point of note, this stuff has lifetime guarantee, this was tested recently when a zip jammed and subsequently broke the zip. packed them up, sent it back to Gill and a new garment was received inside a week.. and this was in the cheaper coastal suit. Excellent service, very happy.
 
chippysmith said:
I have a Gill ocean racer suit, it certainly gets my vote. very light, very comfortable and always dry. My wife has the ladies coastal suit, she loves the design of the dropseat salopettes which seem to work very well.. as a point of note, this stuff has lifetime guarantee, this was tested recently when a zip jammed and subsequently broke the zip. packed them up, sent it back to Gill and a new garment was received inside a week.. and this was in the cheaper coastal suit. Excellent service, very happy.
Click to expand...

Your comments back up what the Gill Rep told us when we spoke with him in Foxs Chandlery about 6 weeks ago.
 
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