Gear Poll

Nothing better to do at work than to pick your brain...

anyone got the ultimate shoe, glove, harness suggestions. I'll start with one, Crocs for shoes. So far after 3 sails with a dry suit and the strap pulled around they have been the best grippy sole shoe I have worn They stay tight on my feet with the rubber dry suit booty, but probably wouldnt work too well with bare feet.

Gloves? Havent found a good one for winter wear anyway. I went out saturday in 50 degree F air temp and cool water and my hands were real cold, real fast. Nothing on but Harken Black magic 4 finger gloves.

Harness? No suggestions here, they all hurt at some point, especially after day 6 of the Tybee.

Okay, your turn, tell your boss to wait a minute, you're busy!

boots.... check out jet ski boots. lace up, non marking soles, grippy suction cups. made of neoprene. almost as warm a surf booties but the lace up makes them easier to use. there are several brands. lace up is the key.

Crocks? Really - hadn't considered that.

i've been wearing high-top wrestling shoes to sail in. They're lightweight, extremely flexible, and have gum rubber soles that are very soft and made for gripping a mat. I can get them on ebay for $11 to $15 a pair so I can have a dry warm pair for every day of sailing.

I've always liked the Gil Dinghy boats for shoes, but during the frostbite I resorted to wearing my Tevo sandals over my drysuit rubber booties. I could layer on as many socks as I need to stay warm without having fit problems in the shoes. Worked out great. But, I've seen lots of pics of people doing distance racing in bare feet. Anybody have thoughts on that?

As for harnesses - I've heard the Aquata Worrel XT is the one to get, but does anybody know who's selling them?

I've started to prefer the Ronstan gloves, full fingered (except for index finger) for general sailing. I had neoprene frostbite gloves which I really liked but they disintegrated last year.

I got to like the full finger gloves that leave the tip of the index and thumb open - but I'm really tearing the skin off my index finger when sailing just about anything. I think I'm going to a completely fully fingered glove and hope I don't need to untie any knots.

Keith: the Worrel XT is now the Magic Marine Ultimate.

As for gloves, in the winter I use the gill neoprenes, and in the summer I use the "gardener" blue rubberized gloves. Although I just got a set of new shiney Zhik gloves that I'm dying to try out, or, dying to have my crew try out.

Harken shoes
New Gill Gloves are best ever.

Did I say Harken and Gill again, sorry.

I like Ronstan Racing Boots. For $40 they are nice and warm when needed and great grip. As for gloves, latest are West Marine brand for $18.00 and work great so far.

Doug

Gloves:
I really like the Ronstan Sticky gloves about $25. We have been using them for a couple of years and we both like them the best so far.

Harness:
I make my own based on a design that Metcalf made many years ago. The nice thing is that I do not worry about modifications, small tweeks, because it was my hand that made it in the first place. I admit that I have not used it for 6 days solid like a Tybee, but have many 5-day worlds and nationals events without a care. Custom fits are usually good.

Shoes:
I do not wear shoes, but Eileen likes water aerobic shoes that are like tennis shoes with gummy soles. I think they are Avia, about $60. She sticks very well to the boat.

Dan

Hi Group,
I use the Magic Marine Ultimate harness(Gulfstream Marine in Miami)and have had no issues.
I use Sailing Angles race gloves, but they are not for cold weather, but they do stay grippy.
I have use Sharks and TopSider brand boating shoes with good results-not for cold water, but are comfortable for the day of racing
Regards
Ken
H20

I go barefoot as long as I can. When it gets too cold I wear the next best thing: O'Neill neoprene surf booties
Oh yeah, and Gill gloves

I like the blue latex gloves you get at walmart for 2 dollars, but they don't last more than a day or two and they don't grip very well on the tiller bar.
Full finger gloves are key (except for the thumb,index) otherwise.
Gill sailing booties are really nice... but I think mine are about 1/2 size too small. Work great though.
I have a new Astral Newton vest that looks great but haven't actually tried it out yet.
I would LOVE some sunglasses that solved the problem of becoming really annoying to look through once they get splashed at all.

PTP:

I have some of these. They are treated with something, the water just runs off and they don't fog up. Came with safety case and the strap keeps them from getting knocked off. Friend suggested them and I LOVE them. Polarized and NO glare,

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15638-405_FOXMN6-1-Clothing-156-Eyewear/Fox-The-Main-MX-Goggles.htm

Doug

The yellow slipproof gloves are the best, they last at least one season and only cost $6.
(When sailing solo, good grip is like having an extra pair of hands).
http://www.plastimo.com/catalogue/1/3070004.html

I'm really enjoying my Keen shoes, bought them to sail and find I wear them all the time. Cold weather gloves I like are O'Neill surfing gloves, good grip and warm. They do wear quickly from sheet abrasion. The black magic gloves are my favorite in warm weather.

Several years ago I ran into Sailing Angles Gloves and have never seen better. Most gloves deteriorate in less than a season, but these last for a year or more.
The best part is the grip part (inner side of the glove) is made of some great material that makes it really easy to grip line. Sticky, but not sticky.
I am presently trying out a new version and they are even better than the old version.
We carry those, DaKine, Gul, Thunderwear and Ronstan gloves here on this site as well.
Click on Store in the masthead, or go to www.OnLineMarineStore.com and click on <Sailing Gear <Gloves in the left index. or here is the link to GLoves:
http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=112

Rick

Tad - you mean this one? Looks very different from the Aquata Worrel XT. It looks like it doesn't have the leg support - the bottom of it looks a little cramped around the tender bits. Does anybody use this version of it?

Magic Marine Ultimate on APS site

While talking about gear - I'll expand to eye wear. I bought a Barz set and found that to be the biggest waste of money, went back and forth with them and never even got the polarized lenses I paid for. Fog in an instant, I've never even been able to sail one day using them. I've been using a set of Dirty Dogs (convertible, with the elastic head band strap) and really like them. Anybody else?

Keith: Yeah thats the one. Not sure what the aquata one was but IIRC the ultimate "used to be" the "worrell"


As for the Barz, we couldn't live without them during the tybee on a rough day. If you are getting fog, then you probably have them on too tight and are closing up the holes in the seals. I cried like a baby when I lost my pair during a capsize in 2005.

The times I've wished I had the Barz with me I've left them ashore because they have been generally useless. On rough overcast days I usually wish I had them with my yellow high def lenses. I use the gaskets with the holes, try to have them loose to allow air flow, etc. But unless I'm getting firehosed they are more pain than gain.

On the harness - do you use this version? How's the comfort around the legs and crotch?

My usual harness is a Murray's full race harness. Very good for an evening of racing around the cans, but excruciating for long legs, as the battens in the back dig into my ribs and the leg straps conspire to render me sterile. So I really need an upgrade here for Tybee.

I used the murray's full race harness for the tybee, it was fine. I did use a different spreader bar though.

Trey uses the Ultimate, and I'm pretty sure he likes it. He'll have to comment on it.

As for the barz, they'll fog up if you look up. If you're constantly looking at telltales, they'll fog. They'll fog if you're wearing a big hat that traps heat. You can use the spray that hockey players use on their visors to get rid of the fog. Use rain-ex on the fronts of the lenses. Make sure you have them lanyarded to something on your body during the tyb.

Harness: Magic Marine Ultimate harness, which is NOT the Worrell XT
-this is a pretty good harness, but a little difficult to get it where you want it. I've spent 100's of hours trapped out in it. For light wind days, I'll still take my half-harness from Murray's. The Ultimate is good though, I've done 2 Tybee's with it. I'll probably pick up a Worrell XT for this year's Tybee though.

PFD: Stohlquist Drifter
-man-ohhh-man, this is a great jacket! It is like wearing nothing at all (as far as pfd's go). It fits wonderfully, stays away from the trap harness, and doesn't ride up at all. I'll be sticking with this one for as long as they make them. The only gripe I have on it is that it needs another pocket.

Gloves: Ronstan Sticky Race full finger
-I really like these gloves, and I have tried dozens of different gloves. When I worked at Layline, I had access to all the different gloves in stock there, so of course I tried them all on for fit and function. The Ronstan Sticky gloves fit me very well, and have been very durable. They do grip the line better as well.
(note: stay away from the Gill Championship gloves, they are crap and will fall apart!)

Shoes: Ronstan Dinghy boots
-When I'm not wearing my drysuit, these are great. They are hard to get on over a drysuit though. I've been happy with them thus far.

Eyewear: Barz goggles AND sunglasses
-I've had great a great experience with Barz. My polarized goggles are a must for heavy winds and big seas. For long days like Tybee days, they are invaluable for keeping the salt and sun out of your eyes.
-For the beach and the milder days, I have Barz polarized sunglasses. They are fairly light, and the lenses are very clear. Once again, my crew Alan, nor Tad, nor I have had any problems with fogging.

http://www.aquatausa.com/harness.htm

Scroll down.

I use the Worrell XT; I had to buy the XL size, then I had Tony cut the leg length so the legs wouldn't cut into the back of my knees whilst kneeling.

Just by it.

Teva Gamma Pro for the feeties.

well I'll be a monkey's scratching post

Guess I'm wrong about the harness

I wear an Aquata Equipe XT and love it. Has adjustable lumbar support, quick release bar, kevlar seat and padding everywhere. Very comfortable. Never used for prolonged distance racing but comfortable for a weekend.

Chris - did you get the harness straight from Aquata, or somewhere else? I haven't found it sold in the usual places. For some reason I seem to be "search challenged" on this one.

Sounds like I may be the only one with Barz issues as well!

I've found a pair of $12 Stearn goggles at Walmart (sport / fishing section) that have hard plastic vented cups and a soft band with a plastic clasp. They work better than anything I've ever worn...not incredibly stylish (neither are the barz) but I went through the last Steeplechase and only recall twice getting any saltwater in my eyes. I missed out on a lot of the 2004 Tybee 500 experience because I couldn't see past the bow since my barz were all fogged up. It scared me on day three when I finally admitted this problem to David who replied "geee...me either!".

You, issues? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Call Mr. Bliss and do it soon. He is going to be "out of pocket" shortly.

Just called him, harness on the way... I love when I'm productive at work!

have a pair of those as well--very nice

Funny thing is, I was filling up my car today and saw'em laying in one of those €2 bargain bins.

I bought the Barz as well, you have to put the vented eye gasket in to avoid the foggin'. They are great for haevy weather. For lighter weather I have Gill glasses with the soft strap, wrap around lenses and vented frame. I do prefer the Gill product over the Barz though...

I have to put a vote in for the Aquata Equipe harness. I owned a Murry's "Full Race" (POS) and i now have two Equipe's. I used a Worrell harness for two days in the Worrell and switched to the Equipe. That thing HURT me! The metal adjusters on the outside of the upper thigh killed. I don't know if it's b/c of how I'm built or what... I', 6'2 and have large thighs from running track and xc in college and then racing mountain bikes. Once you get an Equip right, they are a dream... till then... not so much. Mine has also been modified a bit to fix some problems with the design.

IMHO Maui Jim's ROCK and don't want/need anything else for my eyes. Even on the NASTY days.

I also have a system for gloves and it involves the orange box gloves. They rock as well, only problem is that they get heavy when wet.

I first had a Burke cheapo harness which is good if you like waddling up the beach instead of walking due to the painfull wedgee... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I now use the equip harness and ronstan full fingered gloves minus the thumb and index.
No wetsuit just long microfiber paints, a tee and sunnys.. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I didnt think about eyewear in my original post..But I have found the mother of all glasses. Harken Hydophobics! Water repellant like nothing else, polarized and tight fitting. I have Polarized Barz and some polarized Gill floating glasses, but the Harken's are way and beyond my expectations.

I found the Harken hydrophobic coated lenses:



Looks like they are brown lenses (which I do not like). Do they come in grey? They look like regular sunglasses (actually just like the Hobie Turbos, which you can get pretty cheap on ebay) but you say they really work?

They can be seen at: Harken Store Sungasses

Not cheap but how are they to wear everyday?

Later,
Dan

Hey Dan -

Day-to-day wear, the brown lenses are not as attractive, sure. But I understand that brown is a better color for water sports.

Dan:

Get the Salty Dogs I posted link to. You will LOVE them. Grey lens and water runs off. And a good price.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15638-405_FOXMN6-1-Clothing-156-Eyewear/Fox-The-Main-MX-Goggles.htm

Doug

brown is definitely different than what Im used to, but it sure works well on the water and in low light(which my 40 year old eyes are not quite adjusting to these days). They do look like the Hobies, maybe the same, dunno, but they sure are my favorite eyewear so far. Jake has touted the Salty Dogs too.

The green and brown color will give you the best contrast, (brown the best depth perception) better than gray, blue or yellow.

UV radiation is the cause of cataracts. I'm 49 and the doc says mine are already developing. I wear, and have worn, sunglasses outdoors religiously. Protect the eyeballs!!!

Sometimes theres nothing you can do <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Yup, Amongest the highest consentration of UV...on the water. Time of day? 10am to 4pm

Actually I liked the design of the Dirty Dog "wet glasses" or whatever they were...but the clarity through the lenses wasn't that good because of the hydrophobic coating.

my bad, I meant Dirty Dogs

Dave/Gus:

Here you go:

http://www.dirtydog.biz/subcat.php?id=1

Mine are like the Wet Glass. But goggles look nice, AND you can get them in prescription lens too. Think euro is about 1 euro to 1.3 dollars?


Doug

Mine are like the wet glass, polarized. I like them alot. The only issue is the starp likes to pop loose on one side from time to time.

My strap is different, I guess. I am not sure they make mine anymore? Strap is stitched to a piece of plastic that snaps between to other pieces of plastic by where the arms bend <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> (if that makes any sense)? I have never had a problem. I love the way water runs off and they do not fog. The polarized lens saves the )&)*(&(*&(* out off your eyes and REALLY helps in finding the marks.

Doug

That's how mine are put together, but on one side where the plastic piece clicks in there's something slightly mal-formed and it will pop loose sometimes.