Foul weather kit

You sink to your gear

The old line is true: in bad weather you don't rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your kit. Foul weather gear is the difference between a wet afternoon and a dangerous one.

shell    waterproof, breathable, sealed
layers   wicking base → insulation → shell
hands    gloves you can still tie a knot in
feet     boots with a grip that works wet

Three layers, always

Cold and wet compound fast at sea. A wicking base keeps the skin dry, a mid layer holds heat, and the shell keeps the water out. Strip or add as the watch turns.

Test it in the rain before the storm

Every piece of foul weather gear fails at a seam you haven't found yet. Wear it on a damp day harbour run first — find the leak at the dock, not at three in the morning on a lee shore.