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January 20, 2023 3 min read
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.
Nearly 40 years on from my first "Laser" I have just taken delivery of my second - a Devoti Ilca 7. Buying this new ILCA has been a 5 star experience, and dealing with Andrew, Jason and Steve at Sailing Chandlery have all been great - candid advice, all the help and assistance I could have wished for. And to cap it all Steve delivered the new Devoti to my home address - 5 hours away, and up in the hills, not easy to get to - and what's more Steve then stayed to help me sort out the rigging - all very different from what I remember. When I last sailed a Laser you had to lean on the boom to put on more kicker. I'm very happy to give the team at Sailing Chandlery a fulsome recommendation.
quick and easy to deal with prompt delivery on order will use again
We ordered a 100m reel of sheet rope for our sailing club's training fleet of Toppers and Fevas. It runs through the blocks very easily and is great to hold. The children on the courses love it!
Great little piece of kit, use it for giving me an idea of wind direction in the marina on my narrowboat!!
Great harness, really comfortable, looks to be good quality and well made.
Great service from Sailing Chandlery.
Delivery was super quick after bank holiday, and product is just as described. Super convenient pockets inside a comfy backpack kitbag so great and practical for walking to/from dinghy parks
Just a small item, a bung! The super quick delivery got me back on the water. Thank you.
Good rope for low load jobs - easy to splice, smooth and flexible.
Perfectly layed out numbers
WIP have really pulled out all the stops on this impact vest to suit all forms of hi-performance watersports. Feels great on, good snug fit - no restrictions to movement and doesn't impact on trapezing like a lot of buoyancy aids. A very well made, high quality vest that has everything you need to keep you safe on the water.
Purchased for my old Albacore sailing dinghy. This is a well made quality cover with straps and clips that look like they’ll last many years. I no longer have to bail out the boat before sailing!
Found the staff at Sailing Chandlery most helpful to a no-yachtsman with flags to fly to cheer the day.
It may seem strange but my husband purchased this item as he was making me some wooden bunting for our outside space. The range of colours was fab and the rope is ideal for our needs.
Easy to order and arrived quickly….great service
Made with good quality material and sizing is accurate. Comfortable to wear with plenty of secure pocket space. Buoyancy aid arrived promptly and securely wrapped.
Waterproof, spacious and different ways to carry it
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