Kit Guides

From a first glance, you may not notice too much difference between our Aquafleece® Robe and the Aquafleece® Rigging Jacket. And that’s totally understandable, after all they’re made from the same iconic Aquafleece® material, are available in the same colourways and just look like two long coats. But we’ve been listening to our customers as we’ve been meeting them at shows in the UK this year, and we feel as though they deserve a comparison spotlight so you can make the right choice. Similar they may seem, but let’s take a closer look at what makes these two coats completely different, and find out which one is the best match for you and your lifestyle. We’ll compare the fit, the price and the technical features and function of the two to help you decide. Size Getting the right size for your equipment and gear is essential for experiencing the ultimate enjoyment from your day. Learning the difference between the sizing options of our Aquafleece® Robe and Aquafleece® Rigging Jacket could be the difference between why you purchase one from the other. Robe: One size fits all (Junior available). This gives everyone room to have the option to use the robe as a changing tool. Wear the robe over your wetsuit, zip yourself in and remove your arms to comfortably get changed wherever you need. Adjust the cuffs to suit your arm length when worn as normal. Rigging Jacket: Comes in sizes; Junior, XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL and XXXL/XXXXL and is designed to be ever so slightly oversized, so you can fit your buoyancy aid under when transitioning from rigging to sailing. If you’re looking for more of a day-to-day style, this one might be a better option for you. The Rigging Jacket should come to your mid-thigh and the adjustable cuffs allow you to tailor the wrists to your arm length. Length & Shape We’ve thought very carefully into the shapes of our Aquafleece® Robe and our Aquafleece® Rigging Jacket. Their unique functions and uses mean the lengths are slightly different and here’s why. Robe: The ‘one-size for all’ fit means the robe is much longer in the body than the Rigging Jacket. The robe will come to your mid-calf, or your ankle at the very most. The length is designed to allow you to feel comfortable getting changed, and for keeping the elements off from your whole body after you have been fully submerged in the water. The Aquafleece® outer shell will keep the wind off you whilst getting changed too. Rigging Jacket: The coat should come to your mid-thigh at the front, and it has been designed with a lower tiered back to protect you and your clothing from wet surfaces when you sit down or lean. The longer back also allows for rain and spray to run away from your core, keeping you warm and dry for the rest of the day. Lining It’s the inside that counts the most, and that is certainly true if you’re comparing these two garments. It’s the lining of these coats that truly set them apart in design and purpose, and ultimately complete preference to the customer. Robe: The robe includes a fleece terry lining, which is fully removable. The lining is extremely warm and cosy in very cold weather and exposed elements, but acts double as a soft towelling material to dry you as you change. The lining can be removed completely, including the arms and hood, to allow you to wash the inside of your jacket, so you can freshen up your robe for your next adventure. This is the first changing robe on the market to have this ability. Rigging Jacket: Like our other Aquafleece® range, the Rigging Jacket has a soft and smooth ‘short’ fleece lining throughout, including the pockets. This makes the jacket more lightweight, but with the Aquafleece® windproof shell, this is still a great option for you if you’re prone to feeling the cold, but manoeuvrability is required.  Hoods Not the most obvious comparison to make on coats, especially when made by the same manufacturer, but the hood could be the reason you pick one coat over the other if you’re looking at costs and technicality. Robe: The robe has a spacious hood. Just like the rest of the robe lining, the inside of the hood has a terry lining to aid drying your head and hair. The hood has a soft Aquafleece® shell which keeps the wind off your head. Rigging Jacket: The hood of the rigging jacket is much more structured than the robe, and includes a peaked cap to protect your face from elements such as rain and spray or as a block shield from the sun.* The Rigging Jacket also has a reflective patch on the top of the hood, which is visible when you wear it down, a great safety feature for off-shore sailing and walking in low visibility.  Cost Comparing the cost between the two is an important part of piecing together the aesthetically set apart differences. The features listed indicate that the Rigging Jacket is in fact a more technical product and this is reflected fairly in the price point. Robe: £165 A competitive price for a high tech changing robe, the first on the market with the ability to remove the lining for the purpose of keeping your robe hygienic. The Aquafleece® material has a Polyurethane coating on the outside for water resistance, durability and flexibility. The Aquafleece® Robe being our largest Aquafleece® product, you would assume that it would be the most expensive in the range.  Rigging Jacket: £172.50 The Rigging Jacket price attracts plenty of questions when we compare the two coats. If the Rigging Jacket is smaller in size and length, then why does it cost more over the heavier and larger Robe? The Rigging Jacket may have lighter properties at first glance, but when we take a closer look at the structured hood, this explains the slight price increase as the hood is much more technical than the Aquafleece® Robe’s.  Use Depending on what it is you’re most likely to be doing, taking a closer look at how these coats were designed to serve the customer, the ergonomics that have gone into the process are fit for purpose. But depending on what that purpose is will be the decider.  Robe: Primarily designed for the on-the-go, quick changing, watersports mad individual, the concept of the changing robe has stretched beyond the boat park in the UK. Customers are tending to use them for day-to-day errands such as commuting, walking the dog and even going to the shops. It’s hardly a surprise whilst our winters seem to get colder every year. The robe was created to give the option to change in the most convenient way, and giving the ability to wash this after use, but you can use it how you wish! Rigging Jacket: Rigging by name, rigging by nature. The rigging jacket was created to keep you warm and dry whilst you get ready for your day out on the water. It's also perfect for coaches out on the rib all day long. But like the robe it has transferring powers taking you from the boat park and beyond into everyday activities due to its lightweight feel but weather battling qualities.   photo credit: AASailing We hope that looking into more detail, we've have helped you understand the differences between the two, and have given you food for thought when choosing which one is better suited to you. If you’re still struggling to decide, then please feel free to get in touch with our friendly customer service team if you’re still not sure. *Please don’t use the peak of the Rigging Jacket to protect your eyes from the sun alone, we advise you use proper UVA/UVB protection sunglasses

Blog entry by Steve Cockerill     Putting your spars and foils into a cosy bag feels like the right thing to do. But if you are not careful, what appears to be a caring thing, might also be the worst thing. After sailing on salt water, we should wash our spars down with fresh water and where possible allow them to dry out. I tend to bag mine for safe keeping in transit. However, many bags use non-breathable fabrics and foams in their construction which trap any residual moisture. Moisture encourages dissimilar metal corrosion where stainless or Monel rivets react with the aluminium of the mast. The fizzing is proof of the corrosion taking place. What you need is a spar bag that breathes.Foils packed away in a non-breathable foil bag will sweat rather than dry out, causing Osmosis. Ideally, you should dry off your foils before packing them away. Again salt water is a hindrance as it attracts moisture so a quick wash helps to remove the salt and gives it a chance to dry out. Look for foil bags that breathe. What to Look For Open cell foams with a breathable membrane is the safest option for both Spars and Foils. Spars and foils dry out naturally if they are packed damp which prevents dissimilar metal corrosion and osmosis. In my experience, many manufacturers are keen to save money on material cost which ends up costing you more in replacement spars and repairs to foils. Below are some of the bags we make to protect your gear: Padded Spar Bag 3650mm by 165mm (Laser Top Mast, Aero Top Mast and 9 Lower Mast, Lightening Upper and Lower mast) Padded Spar Bag 2950mm by 165mm (Laser Boom and Standard Lower Master, Topper Upper, Lower Mast and Boom, Aero 7 Lower Mast, Aero Boom, Optimist Lower Mast and Lightening Boom) Padded Spar Bag 2350mm by 165mm Optimist Foil Bag Foil Bag for the Laser/ILCA - also fits the Europe 4000 Rudder Bag 4000 Daggerboard Bag Solo Rudder Bag Solo Mast Bag Europe Travel Mast Bag Europe Boom Bag  

Rooster Harness with Nappy Crotch The Rooster harness has been reimagined, redesigned, and rigorously tested by our team to provide to ideal amount of support and comfort on the Trapeze. The curved and pre-shaped body can be adjusted at 3 points on each side to allow adjustment down the upper back, across the middle and up from the seat panel, to tailor the fit to different shapes. This harness is compatible with a wide bar to support the hips and lower back, the bar can be changed to preference through the harness bar slot at the front. There is NBR rubber on the inside of the harness, this has minimal water absorption ensuring that no weight will be added when wet, applies a small level of shock absorption, and moulds the harness to your body. Soft Duratex II neoprene nappy style crotch with reinforcement at edges to add structure and comfort 3 point lace adjustment (each side) - upper back, waist and seat Inside pocket to tuck away laces Internal waist band closure for a more secure fit Wide spreader bar slot that allows for your preferred bar Adjustable shoulders with webbing and buckle closure Internal foam creating shock absorption Section on back for optional back support   Materials: Heavy duty Ripstop Nylon Duratex II seat and crotch NBR Rubber

Rooster is one of the biggest Buoyancy Aid designers and manufacturers in Europe and has a vast amount of sailing experience within the team. You can be sure that once you have read this you will know what buoyancy aid will suit your requirements. If you are buying a buoyancy aid for the first or even the nth time, this article will help you work through the different versions, styles and specifications of those on the market. Our different buoyancy aids, often mistakingly called life jackets, have unique features that make them suitable for kayaking, SUP-ing, kite surfing, high-performance trapeze boat sailing, single-handed sailing, sports boat sailing and junior sailing. We tend to use the industry term PFD which stands for Personal Floatation Device. Which Buoyancy Aid is right for me? Our 50N overhead PFD took its inspiration from a kayak pattern and has been super popular with high-performance dinghy racers who want a clear view of their trapeze hook or who are looking for a PFD that gives them a good clearance with a low boom. Its high cut volume gives you extra manoeuvrability with your arms - so it is super comfortable sheeting or paddling. It also comes in a junior overhead PFD is the same volume as the small adult but has leg straps. As they grow, you can remove the leg straps and still have a functioning PFD as they grow. One possible drawback is as an overhead PFD, it can be slightly harder to put on for those with less flexibility. Every effort has been done to ensure that the foam has been shaped around your chest for comfort and that the adjustments have been covered by neoprene to reduce snagging, This can make it a little awkward to release the tensioning straps at the side (the ladder locks are hidden under the neoprene cover) but once you have felt the ladder lock under the neoprene with your thumb, you can release the tension from the outside of the neoprene. If you are looking for a junior PFD for your 8 year old - then the junior front zip makes it really easy to fit as your youngster only needs to stand in the loops when it is undone and you just zip them in. On the other end of the spectrum, we have our newest addition, the low profile 50N CE impact neoprene buoyancy aid, specifically developed to fit snugly in all the right places. Unique to Rooster, this CE12402-5 Approved certified buoyancy aid is an advance in our buoyancy aid range. I have been wearing the initial sample 50N CE impact PFD for a couple of years during its development. I wanted something that I did not know was on me and was as slim as it could be. We also wanted the smaller chest sized sailors had sizes that fitted snugly but also offered the required buoyancy for their weight. Used by high-performance dinghy racers wakeboarders, windsurfers and kitesurfers. You can tell how much we loved the final samples by our reaction in the office back in Autumn 2019. EN ISO 12402-5 Side Zip PFD Our Side Zip Buoyancy Aidis a less sporty more general-purpose side zip option which is simpler and easier to put on and also uses the same softest foam for ultimate comfort we find in all our pfds. The foam does not have the internal shaping that we use on the Black Diamond Overhead PFD, but it is thinner which makes it more flexible. You do, however, have to remember to zip and clip once it is on before it will offer you the security you require. You would have seen my Father wearing a side zip version when he was sailing his GP14 until he hung up his sailing boots 86 in 2015. All of our specifications have passed regulations for use in dinghy sailing and both conform to the 50N rule detailed in the rule book we all sail by. You may, however, notice that this 50N rule does not mean that every PFD has 50N of thrust - since smaller users would find too much buoyancy a hindrance - the 50N rule laid out in the specification details the required amount of lifting thrust required for the weight of sailor. Still confused - give our technical or sales team a call on 01243 389997.