Dry Suits

[gingercoastie]

Hi,

Do I need to get a very expensive drysuit, or will I be able to make do with some good quality foul weather gear?

[Mike C]

Ginger C,

My wife and I survived on wet weather gear for several years.... but dry suites are so much nicer! Try and invest in one or two if you can.

They really are a must for serious ribbing. You can launch up to you neck in them , you can swim ashore and then strip off to your DJ in them ready for Dinner , when you fall off the pontoon drunk it doesn't matter .... and if you sink half way to Cherbourg, you might not die!

Check out http://www.ravenspring.co.uk/system/index.html for (slightly) cheaper breathable ones!

All the best,

Mike C

[gingercoastie]

Thanks for the tip,

Unfortunatly, the price is a bit high at the moment, what with paying for the boat and all the extras that are needed.

Maybe try and cope with foulies for now and invest in a dry suit for winter.

[jools]

We lasted - for a while - with wet weather gear, which is fine if things arn't too bad!!

the problem I find is that if it is wet and you are getting a lot of spray then this all ends up down your neck. When your ribbing this doesn't seem too bad, but as soon as you stop you realise that your top half is soaked through.

the advantage of a drysuit, like ravenspings (which we now have and they are supurb), is that the rubber seals stop the water going down your neck / sleeve. Obviously normaly as mike says this just means that when you get to your destination your dinner jacket is still in mint condition, however if you did have a problem and were stranded the difference between dry and wet clothes could make all the difference.

Try doing a search on Ravensping - should be lots of past info!!

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...ght=ravensping

There you go i've done it for you!!

Cheers
Jools

[Alex Brown]

I agree with Jools on this one - having the neck seal is a great plus, although there are some other products around with just tops that have neck seals.... I'm not even sure if Ravenspring do that too.

The only snag I have had with my Duo drysuit is getting in, and out of it.... it sounds very simple, but, err, I have spent many hrs dancing around on the beach looking like a prize idiot with one arm up in the air, and the other suspiciously down my front not being able to move
I think I finally have it off to a tee though, after managing to get into the complete suit the other afternoon in under 5minutes (a personal record, only after advice from Jools!!). This has however taken over 10 attempts, so practice makes perfect.

The only thing I will say is that these drysuits are not thermally insulated. When we went out with the yacht club a month or so back, I was in my entire drysuit on a wet day, lots of spray, and a cold wind. Only being able to get a t-shirt and fleece jacket on under the top section of the dry suit, I ended up wearing my floatation jacket over the top section of the drysuit as well. I don't know if it had any affect on the way the breathable suit worked, but I was warm, and very dry in the end

-Alex

[Jono Garton]

If you still looking for a dry suite give me a call-

We have recentley become a gul dealer and can offer good quality new dry suites with neck seals and built in feet from £120.

Although I am a ravenspring fan, iwas very suprised how good the gul suits are (been out in a forcesfive to severn and heavy rain for the last few days in mine).

[whitingiom]

Jono

If you can do Gul drysuits at £120, please send me size details etc. - I need a new one.

Jon

[Jelly]

I have used oil skins for years and its fine if you are using pontoons.
Also there are times when just oil skin bottoms are all thats needed and you would drown in sweat in a full suit.
Horses for courses!
Jelly

[dgpw]

Dry suits keep you dry not warm. You need cloths as well. I have been known to ware thermals then normal cloths, then a flees layer then dry suit then full oily with a gortex hat, thermal boot and waterproof gloves and still be cold. It was hailing most of the day though. Remember a hat they are most important most of your body heat is lost through your head.

[gingercoastie]

Thanks for the tips, I will deffinatly get one, but have just spent the morning trying to get insurance, so the money has to be diverted elsewhere for now.

Thanks again for all the advice.