With the cold season approaching in many parts of the country, it’s time to take a look at gear that will let you enjoy time on the water with toys such as kayaks, rowing and sailing dinghies, paddleboards, and the like. 

Samples of cooler-weather kit were ­provided by the manufacturers and by Team One Newport in Rhode Island, which sells brands such as Helly Hansen, Musto and Patagonia. The hands-on testing was rather informal. 

Living outside Boston, where big boats often get put away by mid-October, I was launching my inflatable for dinghy rides and my paddleboard late into the fall thanks to Mustang Survival’s Taku dry bib and Taku dry top. The chest-high overalls and socks are watertight and rugged, with room to wear heavy socks and a pair of jeans or long underwear underneath. Made from waterproof fabric, the bib’s seat, knees and socks are reinforced with Cordura to resist abrasion, and the overall-style outerwear comes in designs for men and women. The men’s version includes a waterproof Aquaseal relief ­zipper, and the men’s and women’s bibs have an adjustable neoprene waistband.

Wearing the dry bibs and my trusty Crocs for footwear over the rocks, I was able to wade into some pretty chilly water and go as deep as I needed to mount a motor on the back of an inflatable or land a paddleboard without grounding out its fin. On windy days, spray was not an issue, nor was rain, especially with the dry top on.

The dry top, made from the same waterproof, breathable fabric, has an extended skirt for kayaking, and has trimmable latex neck and wrist seals to keep water out. The top’s neoprene waist has hook-and-loop flaps on either side, so it’s adjustable too.

For paddleboarding in the dead of winter in icy water, a drysuit would probably be more advisable, but in late fall and spring, I found that if I tightened the waist straps built into the bib and top, not a lot of water came in when I went for an unintended dip. As a bonus, air trapped in the clothing added buoyancy.

Prices for the top and bib varied online, but expect to pay $400 to $450 for each.

Gill offers its own cool-weather ­protection for active watersports such as paddling, windsurfing and kayaking with its ThermoShield top, available in sizes small to extra-large. On paddling and boat rides, I found it warm and comfortable for extended periods. The ThermoShield is made from a nonabsorbent laminated fabric, and a fleece lining keeps in the heat. I really liked the fleece-lined collar, which can be drawn tight or left loose. The top’s neoprene waistband seals tight with hook-and-loop flaps. 

I paired the ThermoShield Top with Mustang’s Taku bib. The combo worked quite well and kept me mostly dry, even with an occasional dunking so long as I didn’t go under all the way. You can find the ThermoShield top for $165 online.

Gill has a few other neat things to consider when the mercury dips and the water beckons. The Fisher fleece is a heavy-pullover wind-resistant top that’s comfortable to wear around the yard or on the boat. Its large kangaroo-style pocket is a good place to warm up your hands on a cold day. It sells for about $130.

And for cold, raw nights in the ­cockpit—or to change into dry clothes on the beach or in the parking lot—Gill’s Aqua parka has you covered. Literally. The parka is a big coat, with a waterproof shell, welded seams, a soft high-loft thermal lining, a big hood, and large zippered pockets. The one I tested fell well past my knees, had tons of room if I wanted to pull my arms inside to juggle shorts, and kept me warm as toast. Top it off with a Seafarer beanie, and you’re ready to chill. The coat is available in three color schemes and in sizes from extra-small to large. Expect to pay around $200 for the parka and less than $30 for the hat.

For three-season inflatable rides and dinghy sailing, Musto’s ESS Softshell jacket is lightweight, comfortable and warm. The coat has a water-repellent coating and stretch cuffs for a close fit. The ESS is available in black, navy and platinum, and in sizes ranging from small to extra-extra-large. I tried on an extra-large, my normal size, and found it a bit tight. The coat is priced at just under $150.

I have a daughter who likes sailing and fishing, and on a blustery day this past fall, she found that Helly Hansen’s Pier 3.0 sailing jacket and bib would be fine for either activity. The bibs were easy to adjust and move around in, and she liked the elastic cinch around the waist, which she said made the pants snug and warm.

The Pier 3.0 jacket is designed for coastal and inshore sailing. It’s fully waterproof, windproof, and breathable, with adjustable cuff seals, a high collar, and fleece-lined hand-warmer pockets. Expect to pay around $200 for each piece of kit.

Wearing the dry bibs and my trusty Crocs for ­footwear over the rocks, I was able to wade into some pretty chilly water and go as deep as I needed to.

For a midlayer, HH’s Verglas tops for men and women are comfortable and warm. The ones I tried out fit well and weren’t in the way when I moved about. They come in a variety of styles, including half-zipper and hoodie. Prices range from $30 to $60.

Another good layering top was Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Daily hoodie. The sample I tried was thin, but it was warm and fit well. The top is available in sizes extra-small to triple-extra-large and runs right around $60. 

The above is just a sampling of the smart clothes available these days to help you handle the elements. With winter coming and the holidays approaching, hit the fall boat shows and keep an eye out for deals on duds that can withstand whatever Mother Nature has in store.

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Every so often, a set of foul-weather gear arrives at our offices that makes us really sit up and take notice. Helly Hansen’s new coastal/offshore sailing jacket and bib salopette from their Skagen line is one of those. But it wasn’t the quality that first got our attention—we’ll talk about that in a bit. It was the price. A true offshore jacket for $375 and $275 for the salopettes? There must be a typo. But we checked. No typo. Fantastic news for the budget-conscious. 

But is it worth the savings? You bet. Let’s start with the jacket. Like most coastal/offshore jackets, it’s made of breathable, waterproof material, but just handling it you get the sense that, yeah, I’d wear this just about anywhere Perfect for Mackinac races. The material is made from Ocean Bound fabric, sourced from discarded plastic near and in coastlines and waterways to clean up those underserved areas but also create a burly yet protective fabric.  This is tough stuff. But it doesn’t weigh so much that you’ll notice it after wearing it all day. Inside is a mesh moisture-barrier liner, so you won’t end up as wet inside as outside. There are no interior pockets, but with three on a side on the exterior, it’s doubtful you’ll ever need them. On each side of the upper chest are large, fleece-lined pockets with waterproof zippers. Great for stashing valuables or warming up cold hands. Below each of those is a large, horizontally opening pocket, secured with a Velcro flap. Adjacent to each of those is another fleece-lined pocket—more great hand-warming options. The cuffs have the usual exterior Velcro closure, but inside there’s a soft rubber cuff with another Velcro closure. Water’s going to have a tough time getting into these sleeves. A cool safety detail is that when you extend your arm out of the cuff opening—think waving to rescuers while in the water—a section of fluorescent-green cuff is exposed, providing one more way for searchers to spot you. In addition, there are reflective patches at the ends of each sleeve, on top of each shoulder and on top of the fluorescent-green hood. Great safety touches.

One of the unique features of the Helly Hansen coastal/offshore sailing jacket is the super-high collar. It’s fleece-lined and, when fully zipped, comes about halfway up your ears and then tapers higher yet from there so that about half of the back of your head is protected. But there’s more. Attached to the left side is a breathable, fleece-lined flap that, with the hood up, can be secured across the bottom of your face and over your nose, cocooning you in a secure envelope of sorts, leaving only your eyes exposed. Talk about protection. When not in use, the flap can be secured off to the left side with Velcro or rolled up to disappear into a small pocket off to the side. Pretty cool!

Helly Hansen’s bib salopettes are constructed of similarly tough material as the jacket, with extra beefiness on the seat and knees. Inside, they’re fully lined with the same moisture-barrier mesh liner as the jacket. There’s a large gusset and two-way zipper to make seeking relief a breeze. Like the jacket, there are plenty of pockets, including one on each thigh. We particularly liked how these were designed to extend out from the thigh when holding something, such as sailing gloves. No discomfort here. Southpaws will like the dual chest pockets. Often there’s just one, and it’s located on the left side, making it difficult for left-handers to access the pocket. We also liked the waist cinchers with positive latching system. Set them to length, click in, and they’ll stay put. Finally, there are the Velcro tabs at the ankles. Rather than positioning them horizontally, they angle upward, which causes the ankle openings to flare out slightly—think boot-cut jeans. That funnels water away from your shoes instead of straight down into them. Nice comfort feature!

The Skagen line is named after Denmark’s northernmost town, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Withstanding the elements is certainly an aspect of life there, and in keeping with its namesake, Helly Hansen’s Skagen line does the same. 

To shop the collection, visit hellyhansen.com/en_us/shop/activity/sailing/skagen.

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The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series will kick off its 33rd season in St. Petersburg, FL., this weekend, with races Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Formerly called the National Offshore One-Design NOOD Regatta and featuring one-design racing, the series has expanded over the years to include dinghies, multihulls and keelboats. All sailboats race under an established handicap system.

2022’s regatta series includes weekend races in San Diego, CA.; Annapolis, MD.; Chicago, IL.; and Marblehead, MA., and will be hosted by the yacht clubs in each of these popular sailing venues. Top teams will compete in the overall season championship held in October in the British Virgin Islands.

The regatta series is owned and managed by Sailing World, a Bonnier Corporation property; the series has grown significantly over the past three decades and remains the most popular weekend racing series in the United States. 

Follow the Series: #SailingWorld #RegattaSeries #HellyHansen #HHNOOD.

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Helly Hansen recently announced its continuation as the name and title sponsor of the National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regattas in 2022. The NOOD series is the largest sailing regatta series in North America.
 
Helly Hansen has had a longstanding partnership with the NOOD Regattas and is a leader in performance sailing apparel. Helly Hansen and NOOD look to build on a solid 2021 season that saw strong participation among competitors at all five domestic events.
 
“Helly Hansen is very excited to be back again for the eighth year with the NOOD Regatta Series. NOOD, Sailing World and the host clubs have been fantastic partners since we came on as title-sponsor in 2013,” said Deborah Beggan, vice president of sales, Helly Hansen US. “It’s been amazing to be a part of a regatta series that brings so many people out on the water in multiple locations. Each NOOD Regatta has become a cherished summer event for locals, increasing participation in the sport and contributing to the future success of sailing. It’s an honor to be involved and provide them with amazing technical sailing gear that helps them perform and have fun.”

RELATED: National Regatta Series Gets New Director

The NOOD Regattas were founded in 1988 by Sailing World and have grown to become the largest and most popular sailing regatta series in the US. Five domestic events comprise the regular season schedule, culminating with the Caribbean NOOD Championship in the British Virgin Islands.          
 
“Helly Hansen has been such a great partner for so many years with the NOODs and we are honored to have them continue that relationship in 2022,” said Sarah Renz, Bonnier Corporation event director for sailing events. “We are also excited to announce the 2022 schedule, which has all of the traditional events our competitors have come to know and appreciate. We experienced great momentum this past season and can’t wait to hit the water in 2022 and continue to build and grow the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta series.”
 
As has been the tradition for several years, the 2022 regular season will open in February in St. Petersburg, FL., with a regatta hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The season continues in March in San Diego for a regatta hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club. See the full schedule below.

Registration and race updates for the series may be found at https://www.sailingworld.com/helly-hansen-nood-regattas.

2022 Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Schedule

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Helly Hansen Hellypack Bag

From the outside, this may look like an ordinary duffel bag, but unzip the sides and it unrolls to reveal pockets and pouches to keep all your gear organized. Clips at the top allow you to hang the pack up, keeping your cabin tidy, and the waterproof outer fabric ensures your stuff will survive splashy ­dinghy rides.

https://www.hellyhansen.com/

Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket

Gill has updated its ­popular OS gear for coastal cruisers. The new OS3 Coastal range features jackets and bibs for men, women and kids. The jackets (women’s shown) feature waterproof and windproof two-layer fabric, adjustable cuffs with inner seals and a fully lined, high-visibility hood.

https://www.gillmarine.com/gb/

Henri-Lloyd Freedom Hi-Fit ­Trousers

The Hi-Fit trousers are designed for comfort and ease of movement. Adjustments for a customized fit can be made at the waist and shoulders, and the contoured cut reduces windage. The women’s trousers feature a convenient drop seat.

https://www.henrilloydonline.com/

Dooney & Bourke Regatta Boat Shoe

Look stylish on board or off in the new Regatta boat shoe. The shoe is available for men and women and features hand-sewn leather ­uppers, a cork-lined foot -bed and a durable rubber sole.

https://www.dooney.com/

Seatek Pablo

Protect your eyes while you’re on the water. These glasses feature durable and lightweight frames, and offer 100 ­percent UV protection and scratch-resistent ­polarized lenses. The blue-mirror finish helps to cut reflection and glare off the water.

https://www.seatekgear.com/

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