Foulies Review | Sailing Wisdom
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- After full time cruising and sailing across the Atlantic, Herby and Maddie talk about their foul weather gear. What works, what doesn’t work, and what was the best bang for the buck!
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Thank you for yet another fun video and for your observations. Please allow me to add some information based upon not only my use but my time selling this gear and the input from the factory reps.
First, although you didn't say it outright, you hinted at a very important item, and that is one of comfort. When trying on foulies, they MUST be reasonably comfortable. If they are not, you will be miserable. You will always be fidgeting with it on top of being out in less than desirable conditions. What works for someone else may not be comfortable for you.
This brings up differences in size/fit between manufacturers Each manufacture has differences in their fit. For example, Gill and West Marine are a looser fit. They tend to fit suburban Americans very well whereas Helly Hansen tend to (but not always) run a little smaller. Musto often have sleeves that are slightly short for about 1/3 of the people I've seen try them on.
All manufacturers make good gear and their foulies have similar features within their class. For example, Gill, Helly Hansen, West Marine, Musto, Henri Lloyd, Slam, etc. OFFSHORE gear all tend have the high collar, dayglow hood, double sleeve, double flap at the zipper, etc. It is the construction, materials, cut/fit, custom features, style, and other detail differences that separate them. Some examples: Musto has an extra high collar that covers the ears whereas the others do no. As you point out, this is a plus and a minus. Some like it and some do not. West Marine is made with noticeably lesser quality materials but it is a tremendous value FOR THE MONEY. As you noted, the collar material, as well as the hand warmer pocket material is significantly nicer, but is it $100 or more nicer? For me it is, but for others it may not be.
Speaking of materials, there is a BIG difference in the materials between the West Marine and the Gill, Musto, HH, etc. materials. The first thing one will notice is the collar and hand warming pocket lining, but what the coat itself is made of is the major difference. West Marine foulies use a spray on water proofing. Eventually this will wear off although it can be renewed by washing it with Nikwax. Gill, HH, Musto and the others use materials that are themselves water proof. For example, per the Gill factory rep, the Gill jacket uses three layers bonded with temperature and pressure so that the coat itself is waterproof and there is no spray on application.
Dom't worry about the color/colour of the jacket and its effect on viability. When you are in the water, the body will be below the surface and the only thing visible will be the head/hood and the lifejacket (hopefully).
Something I noticed based upon my experience is that I wear the bibs far more then I wear the jacket. The bib is in some ways more important since it allows you to sit in water without getting wet and it keeps your core warm. The bibs, as opposed to the water pants, come up above the waist and in front cover the chest. conserving heat.
Finally, your positives and negatives are very good observations. As Voltaire said, Perfect is the enemy of good enough. While the Gill OS1 is great for going around Cape Horn and high latitude sailing, it is overkill for most situations. The West Marine Third Reef is a little lighter than the Gill OS2 and similar HH, Musto, etc. and if great for warm weather where it is raining heavily. For the money it is also a great value so long as you understand the limitations. The HH, Musto, Gill OS2 and others are excellent for crossings, and are the best for all around needs. I have three sets of West Marine Third Reefs but my favourite is the Gill OS2. I use them for different situations but find them all to do a good job. The end result is that like a yacht, we have to balance our needs, desires, and budget with reality.
Thanks again for another great video. Fair winds and following seas!
Thank you very much for your insight!
Thank you for taking the time to post! I'm getting set to buy a new offshore jacket and want to spend my money wisely. I'm trying to decide between the OS1 and the OS2. I sail the US east coast from FL to ME and appreciate how a good jacket can make literally save your life in cold/wet conditions.
I'm familiar with the Gill brand (had an old "two dot" Gill jacket - equivalent to the new OS2 ?) and trust them. I'm trying to compare to HH or Musto and match up with equivalent models for an apples-to-apples comparison.
Best regards from Key West,
Capt. Blackheart Charlie
Many thanks for your views on the foul weather kit.
I think you could have given a little more useful insight however regarding whether seams are stitched and taped, reinforcements, if the fabric is breathable (branded breathing like Goretex or unknown 'own-brand' system), if the item is additionally lined and how the coat or salopettes perform with different materials worn underneath - these are areas that make bigger differences between price points.
I have enjoyed following your adventures but just thought this video lacked your usual level of information - Cheers.
looks like safety week amongst sailors :-) i would call that zipper problem a hazard. i've had similar issues here on dry land and was not very happy. i may be wrong here but i don't think you should ever wear a life jacket under anything. it restricts its inflatability and could be dangerous.
isn't wearing it OVER your lifejacket a bit of a problem ? 😳
If it’s raining really hard and the life jacket gets super wet, it could inflate. Also, there’s plenty of space if we do indeed fall overboard
@@RiggingDoctor I thought those life jacket hydrostatics had to be fully submerged before they'd fire though ? ....and an inflated life jacket under your foul weather jacket is surely going to cause a huge restriction. You'd be battling zips, poppers and velcro, trying to get that jacket off in the water 😳.... I'm not trying to be a dick here - you're obviously not stupid people and you can do what you want ....but I'd urge a rethink on this, for your own safety.
We will look into it and double check. We have always worn them under the foulies because for some reason we thought we were told that from the beginning. But it was a long time ago and I’m not certain who the source was.
I’ll be in contact with west marine to find out for sure
@@RiggingDoctor I wouldn't worry much about inadvertant inflation due to waves or rain. I'd be FAR more concerned with the complete and total lack of mobility you'd have if a PFD inflated under your gear. Try it in a pool if you can; I bet you'll change your tactics pretty quickly.
@@RiggingDoctor I'm looking for an inflatable lifevest with good D-rings that's a manual release. I also do a lot of sea kayaking, so an auto system would just go off all the time. I asked at West Marine, the only ones like this have small webbing loops instead of metal D-rings. (I'm cool with webbing but don't know if it's considered okay with various sailing regs and rules ) If you happen to know.
I’d suggest prowling around sailing consignment shops for foulies. Spend some time to make sure the important features are there, but there are very often a good selection of used foulies. My coat and bib are both pre-owned for waaaaaay less. Thanks again for these very detailed episodes. You could hang them in the head to let them dry, then back into the locker.
Bacon is the best place ever!!
Life jacket goes on top of foulies, people.
Not if you don’t want it to inflate if a wave hits you. There’s plenty of space underneath. That’s why we go a size up
@@RiggingDoctor I suggest maybe you should get advice on that - I am pretty sure that is dangerous advice - have you actually tried jumping in and checking it both inflates properly and supports you in the water with your head up even if unconscious..?
@@RiggingDoctor - a properly designed lifejacket will not inflate if a wave hits it. I know that from personal experience. Lifejackets go outside your foulies. If you wear them inside and they inflate, they will restrict your chest and may stop you breathing.
Also, a decent lifejacket has a lifting ring used to lift unconscious casualties out of the water. That will not work if the LJ is inside your foulies. It is also used to attach you to hardpointrs on the yacht when using tethers.
Tip to stop the zipper from catching is to grab it with the index finger on the outside and thumb on the inside to pull up and push down. Thumb guides the fabric away from the zipper. Great content on your videos.
Dale Cunningham... a quick spray with silicon also helps the zippers work easier and also restores some waterproof properties.
An old trick is to use a stearin candle and rub against the tooths of the zipper. :) A dentist should know how to do that! ;)
Good presentation thanks!!
Very good video thanks !!!
Personally I prefer the Gaastra foulies, they are up there on price like HH but like you said, they keep me warm and dry.
I wouldn't/couldn't sail the North Sea without them.
We had the West Marine Offshore suits and didn’t like them and felt all foul weather gear was a joke. We then got Henry Lloyd foul weather gear, and what a difference!! Warm, waterproof, even more than 2 years later after lots of use, but yes, more expensive. Our West Marines always fell apart after a few years, so we are really happy that our Henry Lloyd gear is still like new. That zipper issue is bad!!! -Rebecca
🤣 the zippier is the worst! But it does keep the water out
thanks!
A note on zippers, if you keep your fingers pressed against the zipped part when unzipping, the fabric can flow over your fingers instead of getting stuck. Hope that helps!
Thanks! The zipper is my biggest issue with that jacket so fixing that problem is huge for me :-)
I feel soooo much better about my Third Reef today. I don't think the difference is great enough to warrant that much more money. It's easy to add a face shield for hardly any extra money. Also, the cuffs on my Third Reef are more like the HH. I can tighten my waterproof inner cuff with such a tight barrier that it would cut off my circulation if I made it too tight. I don't have the bib pants. Do you?
Do both if your jackets have material that wicks away sweat?
Are you going to do a follow-up video on what you wear below the waist?
They do not wick away sweat.
Below the waist we have foulie pants but I usually just wear pjs and put them out to dry later.
I have the third reef. Its been in my locker since 2006. It still looks new too.Never used it. But i only sail in the tropics. For me i use a weather proof shell from patagonia and it works sweet. However if i ever sail to africa i am covered. I used to wear a springsuit wetsuit a lot. But now i have enclosed my cockpit so not needed .
That’s one way to keep it looking new!
Thanks you guys. I use guy cotton fisher man's oilskins . My fancy breathing waterproofs under the oilskins. Which are totally waterproof .selopettes up to the chest and over the top pull over the top no buttons or zippers. Great for sleeping in the cockpit during cold and wet...
That sounds comfy!
I love my Foulies! I have 1.5 sets of em; I say 1.5 because there is a full set of Helly Hanson's (coat and bibs) and then one coat from Gill.
I commonly use the HH coat on dock, when the weather is just too gross, then save the bibs and ght Gill for sailing. Got the HH's at a consignment store up in Gig Harbor WA, for like only 200- for the set! The Gill I really decided to splurge on.... I really like have the extra, this way they both wear a lot less, and both remain more rylabe over longer time. Chucks are Gill and in black, which honestly makes my slightly nervous from a visibility standpoint regardless the dayglow yellow bits and reflectores. Mine are all red! Fortunately our wet locker is pretty generous. If I come up with a creative storage solution for you, I will let you know!
Thanks! If ours are soaked, we drape them on the companionway steps to dry.
Have you tried storing in the airtight plastic storage bags. They let you press all the air out thus compressing pillows blankets... coats etc
We have not! That would save some space
@@RiggingDoctor i use them for the bedding on my boat. And they do save a lot of space. You would want to make sure sure that stuff is dry before storing.
Are you seriously wearing your foulies over your life jackets? What sense does that make, in case you go overboard? How should the life jacket be able to inflate if it is stuck inside a fouly?
There’s a lot of space inside the foulie. I emailed West Marine asking for clarification. For the past 10,000+ miles, that’s how we have been wearing them.
@@RiggingDoctor Well, as others commented already, the PFD should not inflate just from an occasional wave, but only if completely submerged for a considerable period of time. And I would consider the consequences of my PFD inflating within my fouly as probably quite detrimental to its purpose. But, that's just my opinion.
❤️🎥🍎⭐️🅰️➕💯👍👏👏👏 If you wear the life vest underneath and it is watertight, how much longer will it take the life vest to activate and wouldn’t that make it the strobe light and MOB AIS device slow to deploy as well?
It’s not water tight on the bottom and there’s lots of space
Great video, I'm just trying to decide if the Frogg Togg Bibs I just bought are too big.
Zippers are critical. I'm not sure if the zipper on my $250 Berghaus Jacket is good or a problem. There's probably a video on zippers somewhere. A funky zipper that's hard to connect and start, or always sucks in the flap and jams? Deal breakers. You get hit by two waves and your next reef is delayed because you have to screw around with it. (Same on sleeping bags. It's freaking cold and the zipper is caught.... )
Wax your zippers, paraffin, birthday candle... beeswax, even a bar of soap can work in a pinch.
Might consider sticking to a minimum size that fits the whole crew. Then on watches you can trade off one set of foulies so they'll be room in the locker for it to dry. Spring clips on strings at the corners of the closet so you can pull your foulies open. (I've got two magnets on my shower curtain. After a shower I attach each side up so no part touches anything else, no mold, or mildew.
You never got to bibs????? I know what's going to happen. Tomorrow, I'm going to step on board, snag and tear it and my instructor will then immediately say, "Nice foulies, but the bib's a size too big, get the next size down."
What I've found with wet suits and jackets. No matter what they say just wash them in the washing machine. Boom it's done. So they don't last forever, and you need to buy a new wet suit in 8 years. Gortex. Gortex doesn't work if it's dirty. I don't get it. I would think it would still be waterproof just less breathable, but ... I guess dirty Goretex isn't waterproof.
Stink. When your wetsuit or foulies or synthetics (that you should get rid of anyway) stinks, none of those wet suit deodorizers work. I know I've tried them. What does work great and is free? Sunlight. I have a bathing suit I wear under my wet suit that really started to reek. No washing could get the stink out. Four days hanging in the sun, turning it inside out, and turning around so each side got full sun: problem completely solved after that normal washing (and not leaving it in a wet clump for two weeks) is enough.
Good idea about the stink! I will put my jacket outside tomorrow!
Have you checked to see how heavy it is if you fall overboard while wearing it as well as how quickly it drains once you get out of the water? I just saw a video comparing a Henry Lloyd brand to a cheaper brand and the cheaper brand absorbed so much water it weighed 40 lbs when first pulled out of the water! The other was only 15 lbs and both weighed only 5 pounds dry.
We never have done that test and I never even thought about that! Our first plan is to stay on the boat and never dunk the jackets, but if we did fall in, trying to pull an extra 40 pounds onto the deck for rescue could spell disaster.
@@RiggingDoctor No kidding. Every mfr should test their jackets for this. I think too much in the way of lining is probably a factor. Also the outside pockets of Henry Lloyd jacket actually had a few tiny spaces in the stitching at the bottom to allow for water drainage out of the pocket.
Awesome job explaining the pros n cons... I'm going to roll with Simple military spec gortex with military poly pro... it will do just as good or better job for way less $$$
My west marine fell apart in 2 years with very little use. using gill currently. Better quality material you get what you pay for.
#1 Cheap Foulies = Fishing jackets & bibs from the sports stores like Academy. Same protection, Jacket is $75. #2 Jacket goes outside, its designed to take splashes but not submersion before expansion. If its under your jacket it could limit expansion, blow the jacket apart, or pop your ribs. Something will give. #3 Lube the zipper. Bees wax, silicone spray or even a candle will help.
Maddie. In Europe, you can get acyclovir without a prescription. If applied early it will stop cold sores dead in their tracks. Available from most drugstores for 2-4 euros if you get the generic version.
That’s really helpful info. Thanks! I don’t usually get them, but all of the sudden I woke up with that craziness!
@@RiggingDoctor Me too. I get them once in a blue moon but really suffer when I do. I was amazed to find it was prescription-only in the US. Usually the other way around.
At the very first twinge, or sight, of a developing cold sore apply a cotton ball w/ rubbing alcohol on the sore. It will kill the sore before it develops further. @@RiggingDoctor
I spent a day searching for ocean weather gear / rain gear / safety gear looking for this topic, hoping more for product comparison too. There’s very little that I could find 🤷♂️. I’m subbed and this only came up as a recommendation on the home page, but not in any of my search terms for rain gear. What country do they call rain gear foulies?
The US calls them Foulies, but our European friends call them Rain Gear.
Looks like I need to improve this videos SEO!
❤️ market in Cadiz
Ah, the joys of a bigger boat. With my tiny trimaran, I wear a drysuit made for kayaking. If you think the HH zippers are bad, try climbing in through the shoulders of a drysuit and getting the T-zips to close afterwards.
That being said, only my hands and face can get wet (if they're not otherwise covered).
If I were you, I'd rinse off your jackets when in port. You had months on the hard, to manage that.
Do you actually wear your life vests UNDER your jackets?
Thanks for the video!
We do rinse them off when we get somewhere but they usually get a good rinse off from rain before we make it into port.
We have always worn them under the foulies.
@@RiggingDoctor I'd call that "washed" then. The only issue with breathable membranes are if they get clogged with oil and such.
Do you vests have room to inflate if they're under a jacket? The offshore ones I've worn have 32 lbs of buoyancy with a section behind the head to keep you face up when inflated. Seems like that would get trapped behind your shoulders in the jacket and have the opposite effect?
Yeesh, the zipper!
I've had issues with that type of zipper and learned to use my thumb on the inside to push the cloth getting caught out of the way as I zip up. Same thing on the way down. You can do it with just the one hand you use to zip up or down.
Try it and after a few tries, you'll get it and wonder why you never thought of it before.
You're welcome! Lol.
Great vid BTW!
Thanks!
What about bottoms, maybe floaters?
Good vid ya'll.
sorry, i don`t get it: do you wear your jacket over the life vest? What happens when you get into the water and the vest pumps up? Or I misunderstood stg?
There’s plenty of room for it to inflate under there. That’s why you buy a size up. If the life jacket gets super wet in inclement weather, it could inflate accidentally
@@RiggingDoctor thank you!
I think these foulies only need to be wiped down with soap and water with a good rincing. That's what I would do with my Third Reef. It's plenty strong enough that you could probably scrub lightly with a scrub brush both inside and out.
My Musto MPX has a collar so high that it covers my ears. Makes a HUGE difference in cold weather compared to my previous Gill vest. Got the MPX at a 50% discount. I wouldn't buy it at full price.
I have heard great things about Musto
Great job on your review, folks! I still have my foul weather gear I purchased from West Marine (yes, price was the main factor) over 20 years ago. It's still in fairly good condition and does the job. Of course, styles change over the years, and my West Marine gear actually has similar dual cuff protection in the sleeves like the H-H (only not as cool or as fancy). The hood is not wonderful, but works. Guess I can't really complain though, since I have more than received my money's worth of use. If I wasn't so cheap, I'd consider buying a new set of foul weather gear - it's about time...... I love the way you two maintain your sense of humor and keep things light during your presentations. Your style makes for greater entertainment value in addition to providing usable and sensible information. Thanks again!👍
Great to know they hold up for that long!
Thanks for watching :)
@@RiggingDoctor Update: After years of repairs and trying to keep the jacket portion alive, it finally gave up the ghost and is officially DOA - I now have to dig deep and buy a new one. The lowers are still in service, though. Maybe a few more years (yes, I'm quite frugal to put it politely).
If you still have the West Marine life jackets you had in the “$23K we wasted on our boat” video, they will not properly inflate under your foul weather gear. We have them. I’d encourage you to take a close look either online or in person at what these jackets look like when inflated. You also may really need that harness in foul weather, and it should always be your top layer. I know you care about safety, so I’d encourage you to re-think this one.
We can’t believe no one mentioned the giant mistake we were doing in all our videos over the past two years!
Thankfully this video got everyone telling us about the order they should be layered and that has now been corrected! Lifejacket on the top.
The tether used to come out of the bottom and I thought the double zipper was to facilitate the tether coming out from the harness. Boy was I wrong!!
That zipper is why it was at the outlet store.
🤣🤣 could be!
Omg an upload daily? you guys are for real crushing it! Cheers
Just for this week :)
Alright let’s rip the statement about life jackets apart. It always always goes on the outside of everything for a multitude of reasons.
1. If it inflated under wet weather gear you will suffocate
2. Modern inflatable life jackets will only inflate if water water rushes up from the bottom or you go 1m or more under water.
If it is a manual you still can’t inflate it. Literally no one with common sense wears a life jacket like this!
We looked into it because of the comments and you are correct. Life jacket on top.
When I bought the foulies, the sales lady said life jacket under the foulie and I never questioned it.
I’m just surprised that no one has ever pointed this out to us. For the past two years in our videos, we have had the life jacket under our foulies!
Better to learn sooner than later, but I wish we had known that before sailing 10,000 miles and an ocean!
@@RiggingDoctor its always better to learn than wait until its to late and something happens if you get washed overboard.
What about the footsies?
Rain boots or aleaders!
Yah, I found the Sea Boots too heavy, so went with wetsuit boots. Better traction, lighter, warmer and easier to get on and off. Personal preference me thinks. Keep up the good Vlogs.👨🏻✈️🧑🏽🔧
Yes, they keep your arms warm but do the pj's keep you butt warm and dry? All kidding aside, they really make watches in foul weather possible. I'd pin a loud whistle on the outside of the jacket for emergency use if you go over board. It's too bad they don't make a panic button you could have in the jacket that you could press and a loud alarm would go off in the cabin to alert the crew that there was a mob.
You gotta iron out that lip with a wet dish cloth. That “might” helps the snagging.
My lip was having issues
Rigging Doctor yeah. It’s an old sewing trick I learned. Where the lip in your foully gets snagged by the zipper. So now there is a crease in the lip.
You can iron that out with an wet dish cloth.
But! You probably don’t have an iron on the boat. You can also try to pinch the zipper.
I will give pinching it a try!
Rigging Doctor , don’t over do it. Otherwise your zipper won’t fit.
Rigging Doctor You might consider sewing a short tack in the trouble spots from the inside to hold the fabric away from the zipper. Should be central layer to stitch to so you don’t penetrate the outer shell.
pants and boots?
Wearing a life jackets underneath your jacket jet? That’s bad advice, I’ve never seen anyone do that including professional sailors etc. A proper life jacket will not inflate unless you are completely submerged in water. Being in heavy rain or being splashed by a wave will not inflate it. If it does you have a defective life jacket
Yeah, we learned that when we put this video out. No one mentioned it for about 2 years of seeing me wear my foulies over my life jacket. Thankfully, from the comments, this error has been corrected and we now wear them the safe and correct way 👍
YOU ARE USING MUCH BETTER GEAR THAN THE OILSKINS I HAD TO USE ( SLICKERS SEABOOTS SOU'WESTERS AND "BODY AND SOUL LASHINGS OVER LAYERS OF WOOL) WE STILL GOT SOAKED GOT COLD AND THE STUFF NEVER REALLY DRIED AND YES THEY STANK BUT THAT WAS WHAT WE HAD
You'd think that for $800 the damn zipper would not get fouled. A pet peeve of mine.
I know right??
According the the Gone With The Wynns channel, bad weather does not exist and you don't need foulies. Its perfect weather 24/7/365.
🤣🤣 all the way across the pacific too!
LOL 😂😂
N1CE review, good points... But what’s the difference...!! 😱👍. LOL
Is it really worth the price gap?
❤️🎥🅰️➕💯👍⭐️🍎👏Wax the zipper so it will glide
Yeah dressing in tactical black probably isn't the best idea when trying desperately to be seen.
don`t wash it - I lost several jackets do to it.
Tibor, the Helly Hansen uses HellyTech which works different from goretex. It’s not hydrophobic, but hydrophilic. Sometimes it can use a new DWR treatment to help.
I wash my Hellies all the time with Nikwax tech was and a wash in waterproofer. Sure, normal detergents tear away in the fabric..
@@TheAlphaKap thanx!
I hear a bunch here dogin these people out and it's evident that most people do not tether ... Evidently many people are allergic to temperature... I say keep it simple. I carry just enough to stay alive because any more than that is just filler. Plus some of us can't afford a bunch of fancy gear and have to suffer anyway. GO HARD OR GO HOME! D:
👍
"MUSTANG SUITS" ARE FAR BETTER
You mentioned that you never washed your foul weather gear. Have you ever rinsed it off with fresh water? Good video. I know what you mean about the zippers. Major PITA.
We do rinse them off after we finish a passage or if we have plenty of water on hand. Usual though, I get caught in a good downpour and all the salt is rinsed right off!
How about creativity and a sewing machine? No time on a boat?
Maddie is attractive from any angle, but especially striking in profile.
To much commercials. to bad
We have no control over that