Sailing Waterproofs for Snowboarding?

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vjmehra

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Has anyone used their sailing gear for snowboarding?

I have the Gill OS2 jacket and trousers and I'm thinking of using them for snowboarding in Poland this winter (well probably just the trousers as I'll take a different jacket with a warmer inner layer for the potential -20 degrees)!

Has anyone else used their sailing kit in the snow, is there any reason why it may be a bad/good idea?
 
If the sailing trousers are comfortable to run in then fine if not then get ski trousers! As long as your base layers are of good quality then the rest doesn't matter just as long as they are waterproof.
 
was snowboarding before I started buying sailing clothing but my initial forays into snowboarding were done with motorcycle kit. You'll be fine, but I'd be using what get flogged as "helmsman's gloves" rather than neoprene thingies. The downside is that snowboarding trousers will often have elasticated cuffs which fit over your boots and a clasp to keep them down. With sailing trousers you may get snow up your legs and down your boots when you wipe out. Having none of the gear and no idea definitely has kudos though
 
I have gloves (actually I use my skiing gloves for sailing!), it was more the trousers that I wasn't sure about, I hadn't considered the elasticated cuffs...although I seem to recall I have a Velcro strap to tighten them a bit...
 
Yes. I use my sailing jacket for snowboarding, and have done for years.

Don't bother about a thicker jacket just because it's cold in Poland: the solution to that is Swedish Woolen base layer thermals. The outer layer (jacket) is just to keep the snow out: if you rely on that for your insulation you'll end up skiing in a duvet.

Worked for me including in Geilo, Norway, down to -30 on our coldest day, and that was just on the thermometer at the base station, never mind higher up the slopes and never mind the wind chill!
 
I did skiing in my Helly Hanson wet weather gear and it worked fine though I did have comments about it looking a bit strange but I've never been a follower of fashion. Lucky I did not wear the lifejacket too!
 
I started skiing in sailing gear, but because ski gear in now cheaper than sailing equivalents, , like LS, sail in ski gear now.

The only drawback to sailing stuff is that mine was quite smooth fabric, so I didn't slow down much when sitting on my arse.
 
boguing said:
I started skiing in sailing gear, but because ski gear in now cheaper than sailing equivalents, , like LS, sail in ski gear now.

The only drawback to sailing stuff is that mine was quite smooth fabric, so I didn't slow down much when sitting on my arse.
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Went sailing in ski gear. Worked fine. my ski gear is from 1985 and fluorescent bought at a liquidation sale. My Daughter is thoroughly embarrassed by me and my fluorescent purple ski jacket, rainbow touque and tight ski pants.

Right gear increases comfort and enjoyment my 1985 Henri Lloyd’s are far to hot and uncomfortable for skiing.
If you are going to spend a packet going snow boarding the gear is not a lot more.
 
I'm a skier not a boarder but it's all fairly similar. I guess it would work, however wouldn't be ideal due to the following...

Not enough movement/flexibility
Trousers too short/not wide enough at the ends of the leg
Jacket collar too big, would hamper visibility
Not warm enough on cold days
Not vented enough on warmer days
No lift pass pocket on arm
Sailing kit is quite tough but tends to be reinforced on wear areas...knees and bum. Not sure how an elbow would stand up to a big stack?

For me, sailing gear has got to be 100% reliable on the boat, even a small tear would be a disaster, yet on the slopes it doesn't really matter or affect the waterproofness of the garment that much.

To be honest the place to buy ski gear is TK maxx...much cheaper than any sailing gear, it's usually "last year's" colours (oh no, the shame...not) and I'm sure you will have a better time on the slopes in gear that's right for the job in hand.
 
vjmehra said:
Has anyone used their sailing gear for snowboarding?

I have the Gill OS2 jacket and trousers and I'm thinking of using them for snowboarding in Poland this winter (well probably just the trousers as I'll take a different jacket with a warmer inner layer for the potential -20 degrees)!

Has anyone else used their sailing kit in the snow, is there any reason why it may be a bad/good idea?
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For skiing I'd say it wasn't a terrible idea (fashion concerns not withstanding) but for snowboarding, especially if you're not already an expert (which I'm guessing you're not as you don't have any kit) you'll probably damage your sailing gear in the multiple crashes you are going to have. I'd be scared of damaging your expensive sailing kit.

As Ianm says, there are plenty of places to get cheap ski gear these days, most of the "sports" shops seem to do their version too.
 
I'd arguably say it was worse for skiing...skiing has a more exaggerated stance, bulkier boots, and if you are a noob you are bound to end up cutting up the inside of your trousers on your edges.

From a fashion perspective, wearing sailing kit at the après bar is a complete no-no, however this fashion crime pales into insignificance compared to the complete shame of being seen on a snowboard anyway... ;-)
 
flaming said:
For skiing I'd say it wasn't a terrible idea (fashion concerns not withstanding) but for snowboarding, especially if you're not already an expert (which I'm guessing you're not as you don't have any kit) you'll probably damage your sailing gear in the multiple crashes you are going to have. I'd be scared of damaging your expensive sailing kit.

As Ianm says, there are plenty of places to get cheap ski gear these days, most of the "sports" shops seem to do their version too.
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I am most definitely not an expert and very prone to crashing :-)
 
Iain C said:
I'm a skier not a boarder but it's all fairly similar. I guess it would work, however wouldn't be ideal due to the following...

Not enough movement/flexibility
Trousers too short/not wide enough at the ends of the leg
Jacket collar too big, would hamper visibility
Not warm enough on cold days
Not vented enough on warmer days
No lift pass pocket on arm
Sailing kit is quite tough but tends to be reinforced on wear areas...knees and bum. Not sure how an elbow would stand up to a big stack?

For me, sailing gear has got to be 100% reliable on the boat, even a small tear would be a disaster, yet on the slopes it doesn't really matter or affect the waterproofness of the garment that much.

To be honest the place to buy ski gear is TK maxx...much cheaper than any sailing gear, it's usually "last year's" colours (oh no, the shame...not) and I'm sure you will have a better time on the slopes in gear that's right for the job in hand.
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I've done a mixture of all three permutations. Motorcycling gear on snow, on the boat. Sailing jacket on the bike once or twice, snowboarding mitts on the boat in winter and so on.
I think most sailing gear is too heavy for use on snow generally, and you often get far too warm- can't open vents to dump heat etc. The other way round works better, as long as the aim is mostly wind protection, rather than waterproof ness.
The extent you swap around depends on conditions. Eventually you find the purpose designed items are designed for those likely conditions. Having said that, riding a bike in winter is fairly hard, so using stuff to keep out cold and wet is the main aim... doesn't matter what it says on the label..

Graeme
 
Iain C said:
however this fashion crime pales into insignificance compared to the complete shame of being seen on a snowboard anyway... ;-)
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You obviously haven't watched me in possession of a board. I'd love to have been seen on it. My elbows, knees, coccyx and wrists would have appreciated it too.
 
I'd suggest that yachting kit might well be too warm, and it isn't easy to dump heat from it. In cold places, the real danger isn't getting too cold (though it is to be avoided) - it is getting too hot. The way it goes is that if you get too hot, you start to sweat. The sweat evaporates, and passes out through your nice breathable clothing until it hits a level where it freezes. If it freezes inside your clothing - which it almost certainly will of your clothing is efficient - then it will destroy the thermal efficiency of your clothing, and also destroy its breathability. Clothing for yachting is designed for a relatively sedentary sport - unless you're a round the cans racer, you're going to spend long periods sitting still. So it it designed for keeping heat in and conserving body heat. In an active sport like skiing or snow-boarding, you will produce far more body heat, and yachting clothing might well trap this heat so you get over-heated with the results above.

I've been in very cold climates (-30-ish is my record), and an outer garment similar to yachting gear was perfectly OK, with suitable layers under it. That was for an activity that wasn't very physically demanding.

The other point is that snow isn't wet - especially at temperatures well below zero. So, skiing gear needn't be water-proof, though being proof against snow is another matter, especially at cuffs and collar!
 
AntarcticPilot said:
In an active sport like skiing or snow-boarding, you will produce far more body heat, and yachting clothing might well trap this heat so you get over-heated with the results above.
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I think you're overstating this. The OP's OS2 jacket may not have all the fancy vents the snowboard jacket I have now has but it's "breathable" to a certain extent and you can control temperature pretty well by removing layers (to put in the backpack you handily brought with you for the purpose) and leaving the zip open a bit more at the top. I managed for years with a kagool over fleeces or occasionally a belstaff bike jacket (which would be ubercool now, but wasn't then). The thing I'd be more concerned about was the high collar on a sailing jacket: someone mentioned visibility but I'd also be concerned about it irritating the neck with frequent head turning, especially in conjunction with neck warming stuff you may be wearing.
 
I'd suggest it depends hugely on where and when you plan to snowboard: Greoliers in March and I'd wear shorts and suncream, Chamonix now and it'll be the down jacket.

Waterproofness is less of an issue than how breathable the gear is. You'll saturate yourself in oilies unless you are a total expert who does not exert themselves at all.
i'd strongly recommend hiring the right kit (breathable and a bit waterproof, but very easy to move in and well insulated)

Cheap (£15) breathable waterproofs would suffice if used over fleeces etc. You must be able to ditch layers as you will get hot.

Wear a back protector and wrist protectors.

Pipedreams in Uckfield are very competitive for hire and purchase...

http://www.pipedreams-online.co.uk/home.php
 
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