What’s so funny about souwesters?

[NormanS]

I agree. Excellent things, and who cares if they're fashionable or not?

 

[NormanS]

Oops, time warp again.

 

[NormanS]

Oh! I give up.

 

[vyv_cox]

If I were to wear a souwester in public the sounds of laughter would only be drowned by the sounds of sides splitting. Why is this?

Let’s face it, a hood on a jacket is perfect for avoiding identification when committing petty crimes, but as an item of serious weatherproof headgear it falls a long way short.
1. Your head turns inside it as it remains firmly facing forwards
2. You cannot hear anything when wearing it
3. Rain and spray run down your face and down your neck
4. If you wear spectacles they become covered with water and are knocked off by the hood

Whereas a souwester has none of these faults.
1. It is attached to your head, providing good forward vision at all times
2. Ears are not covered so hearing is not impaired
3. It keeps the face and neck more or less totally dry
4. Spectacles are kept drier and are not knocked off.

Its only disadvantage is that it is unfashionable, probably because hardly anyone these days goes out in the rain.

I think the time has come for the big fashion houses to ‘discover’ the souwester and restore it to its rightful position as the headgear of choice.

 

[VicS]

Had a couple, but admittedly only PVC standard issue work wear. Not found them at all satisfactory. Much prefer hoods ... but perhaps a decent one ????

 

[drawp]

Souwesters

I'm with Vyv on this one. I think they are great.

 

[Twister_Ken]

http://www.baconsdozen.co.uk/souwester.htm

I want one.

 

[V1701]

You've reminded me of the snorkel jackets we had as a kid, put one on and you were an accident waiting to happen!

 

[jamesjermain]

I'm with Vyv on this one. I think they are great.

Me too! I have two - a PVC one which is old and cracking and a nice Musto one which is also old but not cracking.

Incidentally, to stop an oily hood from blocking your vision and knocking your spex off, wear a peaked cap under it. The brim makes it turn with the head and provides extra protection for the face/spex

 

[Twister_Ken]

Hah! You can get then in shiny black rubber. Wonder what sort of watersports those are used for?

 

[Robin]

We have them too and I much prefer them to wearing the jacket hood up although the peaked hat under the hood works.

[SMUG] Our new trawler boat in the USA however will have a pilothouse with aircon, heating and windscreen wipers and even the flybridge can be totally enclosed if needs be.[/SMUG] I'm hoping our oilies will be just for show then....

 

[vyv_cox]

Incidentally, to stop an oily hood from blocking your vision and knocking your spex off, wear a peaked cap under it. The brim makes it turn with the head and provides extra protection for the face/spex

I used to do exactly that, before finding a really good souwester in Germany. Since reaching the Med I now wear my HH oilskin jacket on average once per season and haven't worn the trousers for five years.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"Since reaching the Med I now wear my HH oilskin jacket on average once per season and haven't worn the trousers for five years."

Ain't life a bitch!

 

[Thistle]

If I were to wear a souwester in public the sounds of laughter would only be drowned by the sounds of sides splitting. Why is this?

If I wear mine in the bar, yes, folk do laugh. If I'm wearing it outside, I'll be the dry one and everyone else will be giving me jealous looks. I suppose a jealous glare can be mistaken for a laugh at a distance.

Don't bother with the ones you often see in yacht chandlers. Get the real - and cheaper - version from a fishing chandler.

 

[Sybarite]

Methinks Ken that this is a repeat post of yours dating back some time...am I right?

John

 

[Twister_Ken]

Well, it is a very fetching titfer

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Well, it is a very fetching titfer

Still too small !

I like the one's that double as a lifeboat.