Waterproof waterproofs recommendation required

  • Thread starter Thread starter KAM
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Good to hear about the Decathlon kit. I looked at it in the shop and thought I'd give them a go next time. It did look like good kit at a decent price.
 
KAM said:
OK I have been very patient but my expensive Musto goretex waterproofs are just not up to the job. They have been a soggy mess most of the summer despite washing and nickwax. .
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Oh dear! i wish you had not said that as I have just spent 900 euros whilst in Holland on a set of Mustos.
My last set just suddenly died after 11 years really hard abuse & i found they worked as they should.
I just do not see the point in buying cheap gear that does not work- I have tried different makes over the years & found Musto to be the best
I did have a set of XM kit years ago that worked really well & i kept for working on moorings on the beach & still do not leak in spite of mud & paint attack
 
Flotation Suits. I have a mullion two piece if it is good enough for offshore workers its good enough for me warm and waterproof but mine are not breathable but very good at around £100.00 IMHO.
 
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+1 for Guy Cotten. I got a new jacket this spring for going to Norway. Totally waterproof. Had a number of positive comments about how tough it looks (which is more than can be said for the person wearing it...).

It is important never to let breathable fabrics anywhere near detergents. I just soak my kit in hot water in the bath for few hours to clean it at the end of the season.
 
Spyro said:
Good to hear about the Decathlon kit. I looked at it in the shop and thought I'd give them a go next time. It did look like good kit at a decent price.
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Their stuff is very good, but beware you will probably have to order online as Braehead doesn't have good stock. In addition it appears they have stopped their top of the range 900 jacket - or at least had when I wanted to buy one in June this year. I eventually bought the 500 series which I wore on the Faroes trip. On top of layered clothing kept me dry. And it was very wet at times!
Donald

Edit: the above replaced Musto gear.
 
My old Goretex suit is "Simpson-Lawrence". Not a lot of help, I know. It's warm and mostly waterproof, but there is a tear in the outer layer which resists attempts to sew up so it does eventually fill with water which reduces the warmth and dryness inside. It's still great for daysails in Spring and Autumn but not really any good for extended use. I bought a new HH Goretex suit last year, which is fine but not so warm. Both are washed and re-proofed with Nikwax products every season.
 
I bought a cheap (£25) Decathlon sailing jacket a couple of years ago for working outside and have been pleasantly surprised how waterproof it is.
 
Sandy said:
I was a sceptical until I did a course of Plas y Brenin some 35 years ago when one of the mountaineering instructors lent me his kit. The difference to my old Helly Hanson 8 oz neoprene was amazing, instead of being soaking wet and cold due to sweat I was dry and warm.

You need to understand how to use the material property. You need a base layer that wicks moisture away from the skin then one or two layers to trap the heat then a close fitting, but allowing for movement, outer gortex layer. Good seals at the cuffs, ankles and neck are essential.

There is a significant difference to the way that gortex is used between mountaineering and sailing. In mountaineering it is worn when you have no shelter from the elements, in sailing you can shelter for long periods of time and don't move much (well in my type of sailing).

I'd be interested in what sort of soggy mess the OP was in. Perhaps the sweat was condensing too quickly on the inside of the fabric?

Some basic stuff on gortex
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/goretex.html
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I presume the instructors kit was relatively new. The soggy mess was the jacket and trousers hanging in the cabin next to the heater many nights this summer. Its been a relatively wet one on the west coast of Scotland. The gore tex fabrics seem to absorb a lot of water and take a long time to dry. I think it would be much better to have a PVC set which could just be left to drain under the spray hood. Been using goretex from reputable manufacturers for climbing and skiing as well as sailing ever since it was invented I understand how its supposed to work but have been let down unpleasantly both sailing and on the hill on several occasions. Its just too fragile and have eventually come to the conclusion that it just does not last longer than a few months. I recently did a comparison with my old neoprene proofed very well worn musto jacket purchased in 1985 and found its performance far superior.
 
I found the Goretex went at the shoulders and inside elbows of the jackets and front of thigh in the trousers. As others have said a soggy mess.
Donald
 
JumbleDuck said:
Guy Cotten have at least two product lines. The heavy fishing kit is significantly cheaper than the more leisure oriented stuff. They used to do an intermediate line as well, which is what I have, but I'm not sure if that's still on the go.
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Thanks for the responses. Went into Gael Force this afternoon. They had a good selection of fishermens grade waterproofs. Quite liked the Guy Cotten. Just a waterproof not even any pockets nothing extra at all. The smock version was super minimalist.
 
My Gill offshore jacket I discovered was NOT waterproof this year - but I was on the West coast of Scotland and it was WET! They are about 11 yrs old but not used much so was a bit soggy at times. Can they be reproofed?
 
PetiteFleur said:
My Gill offshore jacket I discovered was NOT waterproof this year - but I was on the West coast of Scotland and it was WET! They are about 11 yrs old but not used much so was a bit soggy at times. Can they be reproofed?
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I discovered the same problem with my JAG oilies on the way back from the Scuttlebut Cherbourg bash this year. Before shelling out for a new set I am going to try a wash with Gill Wash-in Cleaner followed by treatment with Gill Reproofing Spray.
 
PetiteFleur said:
My Gill offshore jacket I discovered was NOT waterproof this year - but I was on the West coast of Scotland and it was WET! They are about 11 yrs old but not used much so was a bit soggy at times. Can they be reproofed?
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First Mates Gill jacket had a seriously leaky left arm.

Aerosol tent reproofer fixed it inexpensivly.

The question for us is now academic. Since owning our Island Packet SP Cruiser motorsailer the oilies and seaboots have only been used twice in two seasons, both times coming alongside in the pissing rain.....................................

Our delivery trip helper, a very experienced delivery crew on long passages was a bit sniffy about our big fat high and poor sailing new boat.

Rounding Lands End in heavy rain wearing his teeshirt and shorts he revised his opinion........................................
 
Humm as I understand it, various well know companies who sell Yacht clothing have changed ownerships over a few years so one might expect that the materials used or even the manufacturers have been changed from what we were used to some 10 jyears ago so that might just explain changes in durability and weather proofing from those good old days, when Yacht clothing was real men's (and women's) clothing
 
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