Dinghy Hiking Kit FAQs
Hiking pads or hikers, which should I buy?
Pads if you already own a wetsuit you like, hikers if you are buying a new suit anyway. Strap on hiking pads go over any long john or skiff suit and give you padded thighs for a fraction of the price of hikers. Hikers are a wetsuit with the padding built in, so there is nothing to slip or bunch, and they are warmer because there is no gap. Serious ILCA and Aero sailors tend to end up in hikers. Everyone else does fine with pads.
Do I need hiking kit for my boat?
Only if you hike with your legs under a strap. That means singlehanders like the ILCA, RS Aero, Solo, Phantom and Streaker, and the crew in some doublehanders like the RS200 or 2000. If you trapeze, or sail a boat where you sit on the deck rather than hang off it, you do not need padding and a normal wetsuit is the better buy. See our dinghy sailing wetsuits.
Does a better hiking strap make a difference?
More than most sailors expect. A worn or stretchy strap lets your feet move on every wave, so you never fully commit your weight and your legs tire faster. A padded strap with a grippy surface holds your feet where you put them and takes the pressure off the top of the foot. It is the cheapest hiking upgrade on this page and the first thing we would replace on a secondhand boat.
How should hikers and hiking pads fit?
The padding should sit across the top of your thighs where the gunwale lands when you are fully hiked, not on your knees and not up at your hips. Hikers fit like a wetsuit: snug on land, comfortable once wet, and your usual size unless you are between sizes, when you go up one for the thicker padded version. Strap on pads should be tight enough not to rotate when you tack. Try them over the suit you actually sail in.
Can I hike in a normal wetsuit?
Yes, and plenty of club sailors do for years. A long john or skiff suit with a reinforced seat will take the wear, and your legs will get used to the gunwale. What padding gives you is the ability to hike harder for longer without your thighs going numb, which shows up as boat speed on a long beat. If you are not racing hard, skip it. If you are, it is the upgrade that pays back fastest.
