When it comes to your foul-weather gear there are several factors in choosing what is right for you. How you boat, where you boat, what kind of boat you own—all of it comes into play. An angler who fishes from a center console in New England will have different needs than a boater in Florida who runs an express cruiser. Foul-weather jackets are categorized as having two, three, or four layers, and those layers offer weather resistance, insulation, wicking, and a slick surface to prevent your garment layers from binding with another. A basic breathable rain shell is built differently than a fully loaded offshore racing jacket. As we all know, breathability and waterproof capability are tradeoffs, and both will have an impact on a jacket’s price. So, which is the right jacket for you? We rounded up a variety of foul-weather jackets from some well-known brands and tested them. Here’s what we found out.
This article originally appeared in the July 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
