Rated 4.9 out of 5 by our customers
Rated 4.9 out of 5 by our customers
90 Day Risk Free Returns
Price Match Promise
5 Star Rated by Sailors
Over 60,000+ Orders Shipped
Sailing kit is an investment. A good drysuit, a well-fitted buoyancy aid, a reliable pair of boots: these things cost real money. The good news is that with a bit of care and a few simple habits, you can significantly extend the life of everything in your sailing bag.
I've been sailing for years, and I'm currently on a buoyancy aid and trapeze harness from Zhik that are well over a decade old. They've had a serious life on the water. The reason they're still going? I look after them.
Here's what makes the difference.
This is the single most important habit you can build. Salt is corrosive, and if you leave your kit wet and salty in a bag, it will deteriorate far faster than it should.
After every session, rinse your sailing kit in fresh water. This is especially important if you've been sailing on the sea or in any tidal water. Once rinsed, wring out the excess water, then hang everything up to dry on a proper coat hanger so it holds its shape.
One thing that catches people out: don't dry your kit in direct sunlight. UV exposure degrades materials over time, including neoprene and fabric coatings. Find a shaded, well-ventilated spot instead.
A couple of coat hangers live permanently in my sailing bag for exactly this reason. Rash vests in particular can lose their shape if they're just left in a pile.
We all do it. The kit smells, your sail was particularly grim, and the washing machine seems like the obvious answer. But before you put anything in on a 60-degree cycle, check the manufacturer's label.
Many sailing garments, particularly technical fleeces, drysuits, and anything with coatings or membranes, can be damaged by high temperatures or certain detergents. A hot wash could ruin something that a good rinse would have cleaned perfectly well.
For most sailing clothing, a thorough rinse in fresh water, a good wring out, and proper drying is enough. If you do need to machine wash, follow the label guidance exactly. The manufacturer knows the material better than the machine does.
A drysuit is one of the most expensive items in your sailing wardrobe, so it deserves specific care.
The seals. Rubber neck, wrist, and sock seals are the most vulnerable parts of any drysuit. Make sure they're not stuck together when you pack the suit away. Applying a small amount of talcum powder to the rubber seals prevents them from sticking to other items in your bag and helps them stay supple.
The zip. Drysuit zips get stiff over time with regular use. Keep a Snapstick in your bag and run it along the zip before and after sailing. It lubricates the zip, keeps it running smoothly, and extends its life considerably.
Storage. Roll your drysuit from the feet upwards. It gets the air out, keeps the suit compact, and means it's not sitting in an awkward shape that puts pressure on the seals or zip.
This one is probably the most overlooked tip in sailing clothing care, and it's the area where we see the most unnecessary wear.
Sailing boots are designed for the boat and the water. They are not designed for walking up and down concrete slipways, and they are definitely not designed for a kickabout on the shore while you're waiting for the breeze to fill in.
Watch any top sailor at a club or regatta. As soon as they come ashore, their boots come off. They leave them in the boat or in their bag and change into trainers or flip flops. It's a simple habit, but it makes a significant difference to how long the soles last.
Drying boots properly matters too. Water gets inside and doesn't come out easily. Store them upside down on a rack or hanging so the water can drain and the inside gets some air. Left sitting the right way up, they stay damp for days, and that leads to deterioration from the inside out.
How you pack your bag matters more than most sailors realise. The biggest culprit is loose Velcro. A single unfastened Velcro strap from a boot or buoyancy aid rubbing against a softshell or rash vest over the course of a journey can cause real damage. Before everything goes in the bag, make sure all Velcro is secured.
Roll your kit rather than scrunching it. It takes an extra thirty seconds and keeps things in better shape. If you have a large sailing bag with dividing compartments, use them. Keep your drysuit separate from other items. Keep softer, more delicate clothing away from anything with hard fittings or abrasive surfaces.
At the end of the season, pull everything out and go through it properly. I write a kit list at this point every year: what needs replacing, what needs attention, what I want to add before the next season starts. By the time the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show comes around, I already know exactly what I'm looking for and head to the Sailing Chandlery stand 😉 . It saves time, saves money, and means you're not discovering a failed seal or a worn-out boot at the first race of the new season.
Store your sailing bag somewhere dry and sheltered. A garden shed sounds convenient, but temperature swings and damp can do real damage to neoprene and coatings over the course of a winter. Inside is always better.
Cheap kit bought twice is never the bargain it seems. When you invest in decent sailing clothing and look after it properly, the cost per sail drops dramatically over time. My Zhik buoyancy aid has been out with me hundreds of times over more than a decade. Divide the original cost by the sessions, and it's worked out extraordinarily well.
The habits above don't take long. Rinse, hang, dry away from sunlight, store carefully, and give your sailing kit the occasional proper check. Do that consistently, and your sailing clothing will go the distance.
If you have questions about caring for any specific product, give us a call on 01268 222912 or drop us a message at info@sailingchandlery.com. We're sailors too, and we're happy to help.
