Navis Sailing gear, any opinions?

[SkinnyBoy]

Need a new jacket, seen some Navis ones on fleabay which look half decent and a change from the usual Gul/Musto stuff, anybody purchased or have experience with this stuff.

[roryfizz]

I have not used them but i have found with sailing kit that what pay for is what you get! i.e. If its cheap expect it to be as useful as cheap kit. I.E i recently bought some SLAM trousers pretty cheaply and they were labeled as breathable but are not very breathable at all and they also leak a little bit if it is very wet!!!!!!!!

However i have bought a new Gill OC racer smock which retails at £400ish so i hope that should be bloody good havnt got properly wet in it yet but it is nice and properly breathable.

It depends on your price range, if it is sub £100 then its probably ok however any more than that and i would look at a more known brand which will offer support if it leaks!!!!!!!

Hope this helps and sorry for rambling on

Rory

[SkinnyBoy]

I'll let you know, I bought the Offshore jacket as it gets a bit choppy here in Melbourne when out on the bay early morning fishing. I'm getting back into sailing this summer too so it will get a good work out at least. I bought this one:



Specs seem decent enough

Hi-Vis Offshore Hood with Twin Volume Adjusters
Fast Draining handwarmer pockets with Fleece Lining
Hook and Loop External Wrist Adjusters
Internal Storm Cuff
Double Storm flap with drainage channel
Two way Non corrosive YKK front zip
Secure zip fastening internal pocket
Buoyancy loops
Back Waist Channel Adjusters
Reflective patches at Cuff, Shoulder and storm flap
Differential Hem with Shock cord Adjustment
500D Cordura Reinforcement
Fully Mesh lined with waterproof tape seams
Contoured to reduce windage

Fabric:

Refreshing Dry Touch
Highly Waterproof and Moisture Permeable
Windproof and Durable Water Repellency (DWR)
Lightweight and Packable
Soft and Smooth
Waterproofness: 20,000 (mmH2O)
Moisture Permeability: 12,000 (g/m2/24hrs)

[hidetheelephants]

I bought a set, although i've not worn them much; wore them for the Scottish series at Tarbert(for those who don't know, 5 days of hard racing and 5 nights of liver abuse) plus maybe a halfdozen other occasions. They keep out the wet stuff fine and the material, although it seens a little lightweight has not shown any signs of wear. Bad bits are; the shoulder straps, in common with all waterproof trousers I've owned, are pants, the material seems to get dirty easier than other makes(shouldn't have bought yellow!) and the stitching isn't holding up to abrasion around the knees and arrse on the trousers; I will have to break out the Aquasure to patch it up.

Verdict: good value for the 100 beer tokens I forked over, just don't expect Musto quality. If you're only an occasional sailor, they will be ideal.

[SkinnyBoy]

Thanks David, yeah i picked this jacket up for a decent price too, not expecting quality like Musto but it should do for now. Thanks for the tips chaps, I'll do a product review when i get it out in some decent testing weather. Buying the boat has been the cheapest bit lol..

[Ayahuasca]

Have you tried fleabay?

I got one of these for a lot less than recommended retail.

[SkinnyBoy]

Yep I ordered the one posted above, retail was 250 quid, got it for 76 quid shipped. Should get it next week sometime.