What Zhik sailing top to wear with a skiff suit

Getting the right sailing top to wear with your skiff suit will ensure you are not only comfortable on the water but are also set up for a warm days sailing.

The beauty of owning a skiff suit is that you are not locked into one wetsuit with the same thickness for your sailing, you can chop and change your tops and layers for the day ahead of you.

In this article we are going to explore some of our sailing top recommendations which can be combined with your skiff suit.

If you are anything like me then you probably can't wait for spring to arrive, for me it signals the start of the main sailing season for those of us (me included) who are not brave enough to battle the winter elements on the water.

For spring sailing, you have two main options for tops, the Microfleece and Hydrophobic Top. We will talk more about the Hydrophobic sailing top later on.

The Zhik Microfleece range is 1 to 2mm thick neoprene that is designed to keep water out and away from your body. The Super Stretch Neoprene and Zhiktex II offer high levels of durability without sacrificing flexibility and abrasion resistance.

The Microfleece is obviously a thin top, so on those blustery days you might want to explore the Superwarm tops which are covered in the Winter section of this article.

Summer has arrived and last time you were on the water you were hot, bothered and sunburnt. This leads to you making mistakes, sailing the wrong side up the windward leg and doing other silly things you wouldn't usually. 

The ECO Spandex Rash Vest sailing top is one of the pioneering rash tops now made from 100% reusable and recycled materials. The Repreve fabric is lightweight, durable and breathable with an incredible 4 way stretch that becomes one with your body. The SPF 50+ protection keeps your skin safe from harmful UV rays. 

The Hydrophobic sailing top is one of Andrew's (Founder of Sailing Chandlery) favourite and most used pieces of sailing kit. 

The Hydrophobic top can be used all year round but is perfect for autumn as the temperature starts to fall. The hydrophobic fleece sailing top is a spandex top with a fleecy lining that also repels water away from your body. Combining this top under your skiff suit and top gives you the perfect base layer for all conditions. It keeps you cool by taking moister away from your skin and repels water from the outside.

You might also find you love sailing with this during summer as it is slightly warmer than a spandex top.

The Superwarm top is the ultimate sailing top for sailors and our customers love this range.

Constructed from 2/3mm neoprene the top at first may not sound the best for winter however, once combined with your 2/3mm skiff suit you have 5/6mm of neoprene on your core yet the flexibility of a summer wetsuit. 

The Zhik Superwarm wetsuits work differently from other brands. Zhik focus on keeping the water away from your body which keeps you warmer and drier for longer. This approach also helps when drying your kit in time for the next sailing weekend, or in fact the next day - these wetsuits dry very quickly. The materials in these tops help to ensure your body heat stays with your body and is not wasted warming up the cold water near your body.

If you've got further questions about any of the sailing tops in this article please get in touch with our friendly team, we are always happy to help.

You can email info@sailingchandlery.com or pick up the phone and give us a call on 01268 222912.