Wetsuit Shorts and Padded Deck Shorts

Wetsuit and Sailing Shorts

The seat of a long john wears through in one place: where you slide across the side deck on every tack. Sailing shorts solve that two ways. Neoprene wetsuit shorts are the warm summer option when a full suit is too much, worn on their own over a rash vest. Padded deck shorts go over whatever suit you are wearing and take the wear instead of it.

Our view: if you race a boat with a non slip deck and a hiking strap, a pair of padded over shorts will pay for itself in the life of your wetsuit alone. If you sail through the summer in a rash vest and want something warmer than board shorts, 2mm neoprene shorts are the answer. See our hiking shorts if you want padding built in for the hike.

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Rooster Aquafleece Headband

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Rooster Aquafleece Headband

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Wetsuit and Sailing Shorts FAQs

Wetsuit shorts or padded deck shorts, which do I need?

Wetsuit shorts if you want warmth in summer, deck shorts if you want to protect your wetsuit and your backside. Neoprene shorts are worn on their own in warm weather, over a rash vest, and keep your legs warm when you sit in water on the floor of the boat. Padded deck shorts go over a long john or skiff suit and stop the deck wearing through the seat. Many sailors own both and wear the deck shorts year round.

Can I wear wetsuit shorts on their own for dinghy sailing?

Yes, from late spring to early autumn on a warm day. A pair of 2mm neoprene shorts with a rash vest or thermal top is the standard summer kit at most clubs. They keep the parts of you that sit in bilge water warm and give you a bit of padding against the deck. Once the water cools in September, you want a long john or skiff suit instead. See our dinghy sailing wetsuits.

Are padded shorts worth it over a wetsuit?

If you race regularly, yes. Deck shorts have a reinforced seat and sometimes padded thighs, so the abrasion from a non slip deck lands on a cheap pair of shorts rather than an expensive wetsuit. They also give you grip on the deck through a tack and some protection when you hit the boom or the gunwale. For a sail or two a season you can skip them. For a full season of club racing they make your wetsuit last years longer.

How should sailing shorts fit?

Snug on the waist so they do not slip when wet, and close on the thigh with no bagging. Neoprene shorts should feel tight on land, as they loosen slightly in the water. Padded over shorts are worn over a wetsuit, so take your usual size or go up one if your suit is thick. Check the waist measurement on the size chart rather than trusting a letter size, since brands vary.

How do I stop neoprene shorts smelling?

Rinse them inside and out in fresh water after every sail and hang them to dry away from direct sun. Salt and sweat left in neoprene is what causes the smell, and once it sets in it is hard to shift. Every few weeks wash them with wetsuit shampoo in cool water, never a hot machine wash, which breaks down the neoprene. Treated this way they last several seasons.