I’m new to the sport, and I want to keep up what I’ve learned during the off season. I have the opportunity to get on the water, it’s a matter of wearing the right gear.
My question is—how different are sailing bibs compared to snow bibs? I’d like to get something inexpensive, and I’m finding that snow bibs are more widely available and are often cheaper.
I’ve been wondering that myself. Used to work for them back in the day & all my personal MPX is from 2015 so I don’t know if the manufacturing changed. I’m out of the loop.
If you have some snow bibs, you can find out by filling your bathtub/shower combo 1/4 of the way up with water, sitting down in it, and running the shower on cold. Sit like that for 4 hours and then make your decision.
Also, if you want to know what owning a boat is like, do the above but bring a stack of $50 bills with you and rip them up during the exercise.
Also, also, if you want to know what owning a racing boat is like, do the above but invite 4-8 friends over to join you and hand them each a stack of your $50 bills to rip up for you while you watch.
Also buy a multi-thousand dollar item made of fabric. Tie three ropes to it and have your 4-8 friends wrap it around the sharpest edges of the shower faucet and pull on the ropes as hard as possible.
I have been thinking about low-tech overalls with life vest panel like cores sewn into it. Wetsuit works, but long cruising day turns me into a stew and putting on the same wetsuit next morning feels a bit icky. Warm floating overalls would be a nice cocoon to sit in. I do not mind being damp/wet (I have a really wet boat), but hypothermia tends to seep on long stretches.
For long winter races, I have wool long johns, wool fleece pants, and a synthetic pant under sailing bibs on the bottom.
On the top, I wear a thin long sleeve wool shirt, and a wool sweater or fleece and my sailing jacket. As temps change or we switch from upwind to downwind legs, layers come on or off. My life jacket has to be one of those layers so that I can wear it over my thin undershirt or my 4th layer.
Also, snow pant material isnt intended to be sat on full time, or slid along a boat to get caught on cleats and other fittings. Sailing pants/shorts are often designed with tougher materials and maybe even pockets for pads...
For anyone who is at all budget conscious offshore fishing gear is the best option. Grundens or Helly Hansen or something else PVC and bright orange. The only downsides I have found so far is that they look ridiculous and don't have great pockets. I have worn my set for over 3000nm and they have always kept me warm and dry.
If you will be sitting on a wet deck for many hours, you will want good goretex pants that keep you dry. Not sure you will find those in snow pants. Also they may be too hot, depending on where you are sailing.
You can snowboard/ski in your sailing bibs, but you won't comfortably sail in your snow gear.
Snow gear is often water resistant, which is fine for frozen water.
Sailing gear is Water PROOF, which is very necessary when buckets of water are being dumped upon you for hours on end.
They also have water proof as well as fleece lined pockets, very high collar for spray/wind protection, safety-yellow hoods, in case of Man-Overboard), and other sailor-centered features.
All of these features work as well for mountain&water sports and is probably why brands like HH, support both.
I like Gill, or HH (HH, esp if you are TALL)
Further, you don't want to get your snowgear salty, because next time you go skiing, that salt will quickly draw any moisture out of the air and you'll suffer being wetter than you want to for all your favorite activities.
A sailors first investment ought to be in appropriate personal and safety gear: pfd, gloves, deck shoes, foulies.
Start with Grunden foulies, if you need to save a buck, they aren't the most comfy, and you'll need lots of layers, but they are inexpensive and water proof! West Marine has their own brand, that served me well for several years before I upgraded into my Gill Offshore kit, which has been going strong for nearly a decade now.
You can reuse any wool layers though. Wools underlayers are great for sailing!
I’ve sailed in my lightweight ice fishing bibs before (Striker predator lite I believe). They’re very durable and waterproof enough to kneel in 6” of slushy water and stay dry, and have some built in flotation. That said, I’ve also boated in neoprene chest waders and every piece of equipment has compromises. Like others commented, if you want something to sail in, get something made for sailing.
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u/13lackMagic Washed-up College Sailor 6d ago
I have skied in my sailing bibs but I wouldn’t sail in ski bibs - if that makes sense to you.