Mens Long John Wetsuits for Dinghy Sailing

Mens Long John Wetsuits

Ask around the dinghy park what people race in from March to October and the answer is nearly always the same: a long john. Sleeveless, full length, cut for sitting out rather than surfing, with a thermal or spray top over it depending on the day. It is the suit we would hand to anyone starting out, and the one most of us still reach for twenty years in.

Sleeveless matters. Your shoulders and arms do the sheeting, so a suit with no sleeves lets you trim all afternoon without fighting neoprene, and the layer over the top is what changes with the weather. Our mens long johns run from a light suit for summer club racing to a lined one for September to April, plus hikers with the thigh padding built in for singlehanders. Add a thermal or spray top and boots and you are dressed for the season. Womens cuts are on our long jane page.

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Rooster Aquafleece Headband

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Rooster Aquafleece Headband

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Mens Long John Wetsuits FAQs

Which long john should I buy?

For most club sailors, a mid weight long john in a lined neoprene, worn with a thermal top underneath and a spray top over it. That one suit covers March to October, and the layers over it handle the difference between a warm July evening and a cold October series. Buy a lighter, unlined suit if you only sail in summer, and a warmer lined one if you race through the early and late season. Singlehander sailors who hike hard should look at hikers, which add the thigh padding.

What is the difference between a long john and a skiff suit?

Very little, and the names get used for the same thing. A long john is a sleeveless, full length wetsuit. A skiff suit is a long john cut for sailing: flatter seams, a higher back, often a lined chest panel and a zip that works with a buoyancy aid. Most of the suits on this page are sold as either name. If you are choosing, pick on warmth and fit rather than the label.

How warm is a long john on its own?

Fine in summer, not enough once the water cools. A sleeveless suit leaves your arms and shoulders bare, so on its own it is a May to September suit for most people. From September onwards, add a long sleeved thermal underneath and a spray top over it, and most of us sail through to April like that. If you are cold in a long john and a spray top, the fix is usually a better thermal, not a thicker suit.

How should a long john fit?

Snug all over on land, with no loose neoprene at the lower back or behind the knees, and comfortable once wet. The torso length matters more than the chest size: a suit that is too short pulls at the crotch when you hike, too long and it bunches at the waist. Check the chart on each product page against your height and chest, and if you plan to wear a thermal underneath, size for that.

Are these suits for dinghy sailing or surfing?

Dinghy sailing. Surf wetsuits are built for paddling and are mostly full sleeve, which is exactly what you do not want when you are sheeting all day. The suits here are designed for sitting on a side deck: reinforced seats, flat seams where a hiking strap or a toestrap lands, and panels placed for hiking rather than swimming. A surf suit will keep you warm, but a sailing suit will let you sail.