Wetsuit Tops for Dinghy Sailing

Wetsuit Tops

There is a stretch of the season, usually early May and again in late September, when a long john on its own is not quite enough but a full spray top feels like overkill. That gap is what a wetsuit top is for. Neoprene over your arms and chest, worn over the long john, and suddenly the cold spray down the side deck stops mattering.

We rate them for anyone who sails through the shoulder months, and for crews who get more water over them than the helm. A neoprene top does not flap, does not fill with water on a capsize and keeps working once it is wet, which is where a fleece gives up. We stock mens and womens tops in two weights: a thin, stretchy summer top for sun and wind, and a lined one for September to April. Wear them over a long john or long jane and under your buoyancy aid.

Sale

Rooster Aquafleece Headband

£20.00 £18.00

Rooster Aquafleece Headband

£18.00 £20.00

Wetsuit Tops FAQs

Which wetsuit top should I buy?

A lined, warmer top if you sail from September to April or crew a boat that ships a lot of water; a thin, stretchy top if you mostly sail in summer and want cover from wind and sun without overheating. The warmer tops have taped seams and a fleecy inner that holds heat even when soaked. The light ones are closer to a thick rash vest with better wind block. If you are only buying one, buy the warm top, since you can always take it off.

Do I wear a wetsuit top over or under my long john?

Over. The top goes on after the long john so the two overlap at the waist and chest, which stops water running down inside the suit. Under the top you can add a thermal rash vest on a cold day. Over the top goes your buoyancy aid and, if it is windy or raining, a spray top. Putting the wetsuit top underneath the long john works but it traps water and is awkward to get off.

Wetsuit top or spray top?

Both, for different days. A spray top is a windproof shell that keeps rain and spray off but does nothing once water gets in. A wetsuit top is neoprene that warms the water it traps, so it keeps working after a capsize or a wet beat. Crews, trapeze sailors and anyone who swims regularly get more from a wetsuit top. Helms who stay dry and want to block the wind get more from a spray top. On a cold, wet day, wear the wetsuit top with the spray top over it.

Can I wear a wetsuit top on its own?

Yes, with shorts or hikers in summer. A light wetsuit top with wetsuit shorts is a common warm weather set up for sailors who want their arms covered against the wind without the heat of a full suit. The warmer, lined tops are too hot on their own in July, but fine with shorts on a cool, breezy afternoon in May or September.

How should a wetsuit top fit?

Close to the body with no gaps at the armpits or lower back, where water pools. The arms should let you reach forward to grab the mainsheet without the shoulders pulling. Neoprene gives a little once wet, so it should feel firm on land. Go for your usual size and check the product chart, since the mens and womens cuts differ and some brands size smaller than others.