Warm Weather Sailing Clothing

It may come as no surprise that here at Desert Wind Sailboats we do a lot of warm (hot) weather sailing. The sailing clothing you choose for warmer climes is just as important as the layers you choose for the cold. The sun and the spray have no mercy in the heat of summer. Here are some of our suggestions.

• Knee length shorts. In typical “sailor tan” fashion, we recommend shorts that cover. Generally, clothing in lighter colors will be cooler. Board Shorts tend to be lighter but they also tend to have fewer pockets. Under my shorts, we suggest some “tech undies” made of fibers that wick away wet and sweat (read – not cotton).
• Long sleeve shirt. Yep…generally we recommend a loose fitting, light colored long sleeve shirt in a tech material. There is one exception though. If you are racing small boats and/or wearing a full PFD you may want a tight “rash guard” style shirt with spandex in it. Spandex tends to hold water v/s polypropylene which tends to wick it away. They both can cool you off, just in opposite ways. You’ll probably want a dry shirt to change into after sailing if you opt for the rash guard. Steve Cockerill does a great demo of the two materials in the video in my post on Base Layers.
• Hat – Most of us sail with hats. Floppy hats or some hat with an all-around brim help keep the sun off better than the ball cap. On larger racing boats, I’m usually a bowman and I actually prefer not to wear a hat up there as it can restrict vision.
• Shoes – We always recommend close-toed shoes when sailing. We don’t always wear close-toed shoes when sailing. Boats bite, and they like to bite toes and feet, but many people prefer to take the chance. The sole of many sailing shoes are specifically designed with non-slip grip for wet environments and they uppers protect the tops of your feet from the sun.

You can see all our clothing options on our website and if you ever have questions about a piece of clothing either on our website or not, please don’t hesitate to email us!

Get our full Definitive Guide to Sailing Clothingtoday!