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

I'm just out of Cartegena and I wanted to share my trip so far. I've been putting Rooster's Passage range through its paces out in the Med on a delivery from Malta to Las Palmas then to Gibraltar and back again to Las Palmas. We left Malta and Tuesday the 29th and motored out of the Lee of the island. It's a delivery, not a race this time so what better opportunity to get fishing off the back? We caught 3 small tuna in the space of ten mins, buzzing, I was taught how to gut them on board and cooked them for the crew for dinner. The conditions were just beautiful as well, there's something pretty awesome about catching your own food out of range of land, food shops, useful kitchen equipment or 4G. We motor sailed for two days to get us on the right track towards Sardinia with 15kts of wind. At night I just layered my Passage Jacket with my Softshell Jacket, PolyPro Top underneath and Passage Hi-Fit Trousers and I was very toasty for a late-Autumn night. For those who know, it goes without saying but for those who don't, the night sky offshore is just the most beautiful sky you can possibly see... and the photoluminescent water is unreal, it's glowing like the stars are underwater, you have to see it to believe it. We came into Sardinia on the Thursday to refuel and get pizza. I learned pepperoni is pepper in Italian (now so do you) and was very sad when my pizza arrived with extra pepper... When it was calmer during the day my favourite floppy hat kept the sun off perfectly in classic floppy hat style. The Tech shorts as ever were great as another layer to keep my bum dry with wet teak again if you know, you know. We headed south towards the coast of North Africa after 24hrs the wind picked up to around 35kts and increased to a steady 40 for 2 days with gusts of up to 50 and Max 6-7m waves, maybe less, it was sooooo wet and uncomfortable. After 6 hrs the main ripped and every jib we attempted to put up came out the foil. The spray was so big that it just hurts so much when it smacks you in the face. The little adjustable wire on the Passage hood was my ACTUAL saving grace for shaping the hood to block off one side of the spray. After 2 days in the storm, the wind started to drop and we headed to Cartagena to repair and rest. We have now left Cartegena and are hugging the Spanish coast round to Gibraltar. We will stay in Gibraltar for a day then a five day trip to Las Palmas. The sunsets and sunrises here are something else. The kit made a huge difference to my entire passage. It keeps all the huge waves breaking over the deck completely out. After days with constant spray, I was actually dry, even when I was on the bow, which may as well have been underwater for that leg of the journey. When waves did go down the jacket at a bad angle all my rooster PolyPro Base layers made it so it was still warm and didn't feel uncomfortable, they also dried super quickly before I came off watch. The Polypro socks were my top workers, so warm for the thickness and yet so dry. We've got a bit more to go but there's been a lot of important lessons learned here, check the menu twice before you order pizza. Follow Sam's Adventures: @sammabey1

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