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

Sailing in the UK during the winter time might sound like a bad idea, but with the correct kit you can be comfortable and unrestricted - it's all about selecting the right layers for the job. UK winter time is generally between 3 and 12 degrees, often windy and very damp.   Base layersStart with our PolyPro garments. Worn next to the skin, they are naturally hydrophobic so you will remain warm and as dry as possible. These garments will come out of a good spinner almost dry enough to wear and are available in top, bottoms and socks for men, women and junior sailors. "On cold, wet days I find myself wearing them to the club under my jeans. My wife loves her PolyPro Socks and gets rather upset if she loses one". Upper Body:Mid LayerThe ThermaFlex™ top is the most adaptable mid layer made at Rooster. Used on its own you can cope easily in windy hot climates, or in less windy British summer climates. When combined with a Polypro top you can sail through all but the worst of the UK winter season. These are available in Men's, Women's and Junior sizing. Having argued for the versatility of the Thermaflex® and Polypro combo, if you are really serious about being on the water when most would rather be drinking mulled wine at the bar, then the Supertherm® Top is ideal. Again, this is available in Men's, Women's and Junior sizing to make sure you get the best fit for you. Outer LayerAquafleece® - Classic, Pro Lite and Pro versions to suit you needs and your budget.The Aquafleece® Range isvery popular with many other watersports enthusiasts. Rooster designed the Aquafleece® fabric, the style of top, and own the trademark. With a wide range of colours and styles available, you can be sure they all stop the windchill in a more comfortable and snugly way to a standard spray top. Classic and Pro Lite now also come in a ladies' fit in the colour teal and the Aquafleece® Hoodie is a true favourite with the paddle-boarding community Lower Body:"I wear my Pro Hike Pads inside Supertherm® Longjohn inside a pair of Race Armour Lite shorts" Steve. SuperTherm® is a 4mm "winter" Longjohn and comes in Men's, Women's and Junior sizing. Accessories:Head Gear - My Dad used to get rather hot under the collar when he saw sailors in cold weather not wearing a hat. I must have heard him say that you can loose 3/4 of your body heat through your head so many times that I almost believed him. I absolutely love the Aquafleece Beanie and Pro Aquafleece Beanie. It's just the right tension which means it's not going to fall off in a winter gale, in or out of the water, and when I get hot from working hard, it's the easiest thing to take off and stuff down the front of my buoyancy aid during the race. The Pro version has taped seams and extra thick Aquafleece® fabric are ideal - at least my Dad would be happy.The Aquafleece Neck Gaiter is also a great shout, keeping the wet and the wind-chill from your neck, ears, jaw and your nose if you pull it up. There's a variety of colours available in our Aquafleece materialHandsHands are the hardest things to keep warm AND keep the dexterity you require. My first recommendation is to use Polypro Glove Liners. Worn under a pair of summer gloves, they can work down to 8 degrees or so. Our Aquapro Gloves are very unique and warm. However, the Aquafleece® fabric itself is not cut out for rough rope work, so we have used as much extra reinforcement as we can to ensure you get the grip and dexterity you want. If you have a strange grip on your rope you might find they wear more quickly than you would like. Your next option would be our All Weather Neoprene Gloves which use a heavy duty Amara all round with extra soft PU coated grip for the high load areas. Polypro Glove LinerWe hope this helps to get you clued up for winter weather gear and if you're ever unsure, our lovely customer service team are more than happy to offer their advice too.

Here are some ingenious tips and tricks to make your kit bag work harder for you this winter without breaking the bank. TIP #1: Cold Hands and Feet Your trusty sailing gloves and boots haven't let you down all summer but the rapidly dropping water and air temperatures are leaving your extremities cold and numb.  I can manage down to 8 degrees by adding some glove liners  such as Hot Hands or PolyPro™ Glove Liner. We also have a number of options on sock liners you can wear with your wetsuit boots to keep you toasty. If your boots are already on the right side, then take a look at Hot Socks, Thermaflex Wetsocks and PolyPro™ Sock Liner or if you have some space in your boots  then try the Supertherm Wetsocks are sooooo warm.  The fabrics and thicknesses vary depending on each individuals needs and the great thing is they can be used for a range of other sports too, like SUP'ing, cycling, skiing and Although our biggest selling glove by far is the Aquapro Glove, If you need some super warm hands - then the NEW Combi Glove will hit the spot with a space for a hot sachet where the tuck away mitten lives.  I've enjoyed super warm hands whatever the weather.  Check out the Fell Running Guide's review on our socks, and he also uses our glove liners when racing :) If the options seem confusing, give us a call and we'll guide you through the range.  Photo Credit: www.fellreunningguide.co.uk   TIP #2: Cold Ears/ Ice Cream Headache! Winter showers, hail, snow or an unexpected dunking, the most important part of your body to keep warm and dry is your head. It's amazing the difference putting a hat on can make to your day on the water. Even in Summer it's worth carrying a hat in case you find yourself hanging around in between races. Our Pro Aquafleece® Beanie gives you the comfort of a fleece lining, while the waterproof outer and taped seams work to keep the water out. It was one of my favourites:   Cold ears? Try our Heabands - I have even used them Cross Country Skiing.  The updated Superthem Beanie has become my winter favourite.  I like the way it stays on my head whatever with its new elastic drawcord.   TIP #3: My summer wetsuit is great, I don't need another one but I'm COLD!! Get your base layer right. Lycra rash vests are out I'm afraid, the fabric is designed to keep you cool so these should only be worn to protect you from UV rays. PolyPro™ base layers are in and will make a huge difference to your core temperature. Once again, these items can be used across multiple sports and activities. The brushed, fleece-like lining is very soft and comfortable next to your skin and the polypropylene fabric is naturally hydrophobic which means it repels water rather than absorbing it.    TIP #4: I'm STILL cold :-( Take a look at your first line of defence, what's keeping the wind, rain, snow and spray out? Our Aquafleece® revolutionised the standard spray top - waterproof outer AND a soft fleece lining, the perfect combination! You can wear it all year round too, just adjust the layers you wear underneath in the warmer months to stop you overheating. Our range is available in a number of different colours, styles and constructions - watch this video to find out more.   Check your Neoprene Thickness Next is to look at the thickness of the neoprene you are wearing. Usually, less than 3mm neoprene is used in the summer months or in warmer climates. We would recommend our Men's Supertherm range or our Women's Supertherm range which is 4mm and provides good warmth in colder months. A Supertherm Longjohn and Top Combo is very cosy. Our Pro Hikers are also 4mm and can be paired with our Supertherm Top which is what I wear for most of the winter months - but only when combined with our awesome Poly Pro base layers.    Who said its too cold to go sailing!!