i have seen hiking pants that are made of neoprene. they come to just below the knees and have battens in the bottom and back of the legs to protect you while hiking. i'm pretty sure tackle shack has them. i'm sure andy would know who does if they don't.

Gee whiz! There must not be any crews on this forum. Do you guys who sit in the back of the bus realize how much stuff there is up front to tear up your shins? I sure don't want any unprotected skin hanging out there below my knees!

I think my friend was right. It sounds like it is hard to find full-length legs in wetsuit bottoms only.

But not to worry, because there is a lady down here who designs and makes custom wetsuits any way you want them. So I'll just get her over here with her tape measure.

Thanks for all your help. It's hard to find something, though, if it doesn't exist in the marketplace.

Mary,

[color:"green"] > I was asking about two-piece wetsuits, not drysuits[/color]

Oops. Must have been reading your post late at night.

Two piece wetsuits are easier to find than two piece drysuits. There is another type of insulation that you might want to consider. Known by a variety of names including "fuzzy rubber", "hydroskin", etc. it combines a waterproof, breathable outer fabric with a fleece-like inner fabric. For anyone who has spent much time in a wetsuit, you'll appreciate the comfort of this new fabric. It's great for activities where you're not continually immersed in the water, but rather have concerns about evaporative cooling, etc. I love the stuff. I often wear my fuzzy rubber top combined with a farmer john wetsuit for cool Vermont sailing.

Mary,

How about these?

NRS Rodeo Pant

That's it, Kevin! That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for! Thank you!

Kevin (and all)-
Okay, now that we have Mary taken care of maybe somebody knows where I can get a replacement for my beloved (but now very holy ) Casad Farmer john wetsuit w/ built in lifejacket (Yes, it's CG approved- as long as it's worn).
This has been a great suit since it's hard to beat the ~1" of insulation (and padding Mary! I've crewed too!) around the torso AND the fact you do not have to wear a lifejacket (by the time I got a wetsuit top, farmerjohn, harness and lifejacket on I felt like Humpty Dumpty before!)-

Thanks!

Kirt

Yes, Kirt, I know that Humpty-Dumpty feeling.

I have never seen one of those suits with a built-in life jacket. Did the company go out of business or stop making them or what?

And I wonder if somebody still makes "float coats." Not that I care. My father and I had them when we were racing Sharks back in the 1960's, and I just recently threw them away, almost 40 years later.

Murrays sells this C-skin stuff. Anyone tried it? Sounds interesting. Its a heavy 1mill rash guard or a light wetsuit.

I also have "altered" my old wet suits to suit my purpose. I turned an old full suit into a shorty and then I also used the ankle to thigh part of one wet suit for big long knee and shin pads. A pair of scissors and some thread and you can do a lot. Burning the edges also helps.

I mentioned the "Shark Skin" brand shorts and tops in a earlier post. I have had a pair of the shorts (they are like bike shorts) but they are fleece inside and nylon/lycra on the outside. They last forever and add a soft and warm layer. I highly recommend them for use in combination with wetsuits.

Bill Vining

BTW, I have no affiliation with Sharkskin, Murrays or Cskin.

Kirt,

I've never seen a wetsuit with an integrated PFD. Interesting concept, though.

Mary,

Yes, float coats are still around and used by the Coast Guard, etc. The ones that I've used are from Stearns, and they are USCG approved.

've enjoyed all that has been said on the topic of wet sutis for sailing....


However, I thought I'd also suggest that one should dress for the water...not only for the air temperatures.

I do a lot of sailing and have found: if I don't dress for the water and air temps, life can get pretty miserable.

My set up, in cold water is a full wet suit (farmer john and top.)... with a semi-dry spray top. My wet suit top (a shorty) opens with a diagonal zipper, so I can open it if I get warm.

I've also noticed it is tempting to dress down on sunny days, forgetting just how cold the water is...and feeling that if I dumped the boat....I could get it righted and me out of the water in pretty short order..... HOWEVER....!!!!

In those unexpected conditions.... if one ended up separated from the boat or if the boat went turtle and one had to ride it out for an extended period..... and if one wasn't dress for it..... well..... I've read about how some folks have died of exposure.....because they were too optimistic or under prepared or such....

Also, keep in mind how hard it is to put a wet suit on in the water on the tramp of a bucking boat....

Be prepared and stay prepared for the worst...not the best.....

Just a thought....

Tom H.

I absolutely hate full wetsuits so I had to find alternatives. Gul C-Skins are my favorite. Those NRS pants are great. If the water is below 60, I wear a C-skin top and the NRS pants and a fleece stocking hat. I still have never found good shoes though. My feet always get cold.

The best "shoes" I have found are my drysuit built in booties- with socks beneath and 3-4mm wetsuit booties over OR thick wool socks under my 3-4mm wetsuit booties. Only problem with these booties is they are black so can leave black "streaks" on some white non-skid (not a problem for me- it cleans off but some skippers I've sailed with didn't appreciate it! )-

Kirt