I have three kids in a youth sailing program and spent the first year profoundly confused as I stumbled my way through the gear issue. Now that we’ve got our sea legs I wanted to share what gear my kids need, use, and/or have found helpful to save you the steep learning curve I navigated with the help of my favorite child Bay (who definitely did not type that).

I’ve included some examples and prices of specific items because that is what I would have found helpful in the beginning but it’s important to note that you do not need to buy all of these and certainly not now or new. Your program likely has used gear swaps and discounted group orders throughout the year so it’s okay to take your time and only acquire things as they’re needed. My kids spent the first year in pieces they already had around the house and they were just fine.

Keep in mind that while it might seem like a lot, so too are the benefits I’ve witnessed my kids enjoy from participating in sailing!

Worn

PFD

This is the life vest that they will wear all day every day in the boats and on the dock. Coaches have suggested choosing bright colors so you can spot your child from a distance and so a rescuer could spot them in the water. The two parts I use to identify my kids from the shore are their life vest and sleeve colors.

Stohlquist Youth Drifter $150
Stohlquist Edge $150
Stohlquist Cruiser $139 This model boasts “supportive inner cups” to accommodate breasts.

Helmet

Most sailors on our team do not wear helmets and I did not feel a need for my sailor to wear one until he was going to a week-long high-wind clinic and regatta (high wind plus very tired kid felt like it warranted a helmet). With all the new research coming out about concussions and traumatic brain injuries, the cultural tide is definitely shifting toward helmets in this sport. In the Pacific Northwest region, single handed sailors in Optis and Ilcas (lower boom) often wear helmets while double handed sailors in c420s sometimes do, and FJs (sailed during the shorter distance/quicker rotation high school sailing season) never do.

Zhik Youth Impact Protection Helmet $84
Zhik Kollition Adult Helmet $125

Swimsuit

On a warm day, swim trunks and a uv top are the only clothing needed under the PFD. The swimsuit itself is worn underneath all the following layers as the weather cools.

Thermal Skiff Suit

This thermal layer looks like wetsuit overalls and will be worn on cold days. We live in a cold climate up here in the pacific northwest where the warmer versions are recommended. Wetsuits are sometimes even required by race committee for regatta participation when conditions are cold, so this should always be in the sail bag, just in case.

It’s worth noting that my kids sailed in the cheapest wetsuit I could find on Amazon for their first year and survived nary a frostbitten limb. Once they got more advanced, they needed the specialized cushioning and grip of a skiff suit paired with the versatility and flexibility of the thermal top.

Zhik Youth Superwarm Performance Skiff Suit $210
Zhik Men’s Superwarm Performance Sailing Skiff Suit $315
Zhik Women’s Superwarm Performance Sailing Skiff Suit $315

Thermal Top

This layer is worn under the skiff suit to keep their upper half warm. The skiff suit and thermal top together constitute a wetsuit.

Zhik Youth Hydrophobic Fleece Top $54
Zhik Men’s Hydrophobic Fleece Watersports Top $72
Zhik Women’s Hydrophobic Fleece Watersports Top $72

Salopette/Bib

These waterproof overalls, worn over the skiff suit on a cold day or over a swimsuit on a warm day, are reinforced on the back and knees and keep them dry (at practices, my kids will even just throw this over whatever street clothes they happen to be wearing and jump in the boat). My kids sailed in their REI rain pants at first but hiking on the boat’s edge tears the pants and water gets in at the waistband. The salopette is one piece of gear (along with boots and a pfd) that are worn every time they sail, so it’s worth investing here.

Helly Hansen Junior’s Salt Sport Pants $115
Gill Marine Offshore Sailing Bib $275
Gill Marine Women’s Offshore Sailing Trousers $275

Spray Top

This waterproof jacket seals around the wrists and waist and keeps their upper half dry (worn over the salopette). Like the salopette, it’s the waterproof layer for the upper half. My kids wore these until their skill and confidence were high enough that they knew they weren’t going to capsize, at which point they instead opted to wear a regular jacket (which they experience as less restrictive/uncomfortable).

Gill Marine Junior Thermoshield Top $135
Zhik Performance Waterproof Smock $210

Boots

These non-slip neoprene boots keep their feet warm and protected and are very specific to dinghy sailing because of the way they hike out against the sailing straps on the top of the feet. Most kids wear a pair of wool socks with them. My kids wore their Keens at first and they worked fine until they got more aggressive with their hiking (which happens quickly).

Gill Marine Junior Edge Boots $100
Zhik Lightweight High Cut X Boots $215

Socks

These waterproof socks are not a necessity but they make the boots much easier to get on and off and protect the kids’ feet from blisters. In the colder months most kids wear wool socks (the kind I’m sure you already own) with their boots.

Gill Marine Waterproof Boot Socks $65

Gloves

For the hands yanking hard on those salt water soaked lines, having some warmth in the colder seasons and protection in all seasons is important (my big kid’s hands were covered in blisters until we got him quality gloves). 

Gill Marine Junior Deckhand Long-Finger Sailing Gloves $30
Gill Marine Championship Long-Finger Sailing Gloves $40
Gill Marine Women’s Long-Finger Championship Sailing Gloves $40

Hat

A cap or visor is helpful to keep the sun and hair out of their faces in warm weather and a beanie is needed to keep warm on the cold days.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are nice to have with the bright sun reflecting off the water. Not only are you preserving their ability to see in the present, but you’re preserving their vision long-term by preventing sun damage to their eyes. Just be sure to pair them with a floating strap or get a pair that floats.

Goodr Tidal G $45

Watch

A large-faced waterproof watch with a countdown timer is helpful for timing their starts. It’s needed in summer sailing and is required by some coaches for all skippers.

Gill Stealth Timer $135

c420 Crew Trapeze Harness

Some programs have a few harnesses but if your sailor is a committed 420 crew on the varsity team, it is recommended that they wear their own personal harness, sized and set for their body. This harness connects the crew to the wire they use to hang off the boat in high wind and allows them to quickly disconnect in case of capsize (i.e. not drown). It is imperative for their safety that they only sail in this one specific setup as the rest of the options on the market do not work with the PFD and pinnie most kids are required to wear. The key piece is the quick release hook. There are two systems on the market: Magic Marine and RWO. You may be able to fit a different harness with the spreader bar for these systems, but the following options have the full harness and the quick release included.

Magic Marine Pro Harness $215 OR Smart Harness $175
Magic Marine Quick Release Spreader Bar $65
Magic Marine Replacement Quick Release Hook $20

Packed

Dry Bag

They need a small waterproof bag that clips to the boat for summer regattas, which will contain their lunch and any other personal essentials for a full day out on the water. I find 8 liters to be the perfect size to fit their water bottle too.

8L Dry Sack $30

Water Bottle

A water bottle seems obvious but I want to include everything my kids use while sailing and it gives me the chance to add that the bottle needs to be tied into one of the lines in the boat, clipped on with a carabiner, or enclosed inside their secured dry bag. Whatever floats their boat is fine (did you see what I did there) but think through how they want to attach it or it will float away when they capsize.

Sunscreen

Another obvious one but seriously, the sun on the water is brutal, so my kids always have a quality sunscreen in their sail bags.

Med Kit

A small med kit kept in the sail bag can be the factor that allows your kid to successfully complete a regatta in the face of minor injury or feeling unwell. The specifics will be unique to each kiddo’s health and bodily needs, but these are a few common components for inspiration. Note: Band-Aids don’t stay on in this sport, so we apply a Band-Aid and then wrap it in the medical tape (that is one component that everyone needs).

Band-Aids (regular and extra large)
Med Tape $8
Advil
Imodium
Nail Clippers

Whistle

A whistle is required to be in their PFD pocket at some regattas and is an inexpensive and solid safety measure regardless. Just be sure to get a plastic/non-rusting emergency whistle.

Non-Rusting Emergency Whistle $8

Multi-Tool

A pocket knife/multi-tool is not required but extremely helpful. One specifically for sailing has a piece for loosening hardened knots and a piece for cutting lines (can be life-saving if trapped underwater).

Folding Sailing Knife $50

E-Tape

Sailors use e-tape for a wide variety of applications and quick fixes and always have a roll on hand in their sail bag.

Bailer

If your kid is sailing an Opti, FJ, or c420, they will need a bailer tied into the boat to scoop out water. Most sailors simply cut the bottom off of an Arizona Iced Tea jug.

Gear Bag

Once my kid was doing high school sailing and his bag was sitting in the rain for hours, a big, fully enclosed, waterproof bag was essential. The bag below can be carried as a duffel or worn like a backpack, which is very handy for some of those long hauls between the dock and the parking lot. It has compartments for things like a pair of shoes and a phone and the entire top opens fully, making it easy to get big gear (like a PFD) in and out and find small gear quickly. It can be checked with the airlines for national competitions.

Helly Hansen Guide Duffel Bag 90L $210

Folding Chair

Your sailor will want a folding chair during the high school sailing season when the rotational racing means they’re spending half the time on the dock (not needed during summer sailing). Keep in mind all the kids sit in any of the chairs, so I wouldn’t invest in high quality here, just a quick set up and lightweight carry.

Cleaning

Upon returning home, my kids hang any wet gear on a drying rack in a covered space outside. At the end of each season, we soak all the gear in a neoprene wash in a big plastic bin, rinse it all down, and hang it to dry. A boot/glove dryer is also very handy, especially in the rainy season.

Neoprene Wash $11
Boot Dryer $50

Packing

When packing up to leave the house, they use the checklist below that I have taped up on the wall. Hot tip: Label everything with your last name (a lot of the gear is identical)!

Parents

Spectating at regattas can be lovely. Lounging on a dock reading a book, chatting with other parents, and cheering on our kids is a nice way to spend a day in my book. We even kayak or SUP around during the summer races. But the weather can be formidable (it’s one of the ways this sport fosters grit in my kids). So just as our kids need some gear to make it through a long day on the water, we need some gear to make it through a long day on the water’s edge.

Folding Chairs

We started off hauling around the heavy camp chairs we’d had for years but after a few seasons of that my husband rage quit those and invested in these incredibly light and comfortable Nemo Stargazer chairs that make me disappointed that I have to put them away at the end of the day’s regatta. They are ridiculously expensive ($280) but fold so compactly, assemble so easily, carry so lightly, and are just. so. comfortable.

Binoculars

There are some locations where my children are nothing but white specks on the horizon of a tumultuous sea (ahem, Bellingham), so a pair of binoculars is nice if you actually want to follow anything that’s happening. Even when the race location is fairly close to the shore, it’s nice to be able to zoom in and actually see your kid. Several of the coaches recommended Nocs ($100) and we are loving them, particularly their durability.

Sunscreen

Each of my kids has sunscreen in their sail bag but I’m not always in the same location as their gear, so bringing sunscreen for myself is essential. Even on cloudy days the sun can peek through and reflect off the water with brutal intensity. Don’t forget to reapply halfway through the day! And on those sunny days, a full water bottle is a must, sun glasses are essential, and a hat can be nice.

Cold/Rain Gear

Up here in the PNW, especially in the fall and spring, we are often sitting out in cold, windy, rainy weather. On these days I am wearing thermals, fleeces, a waterproof bib and coat, beanie, gloves, wool socks, and waterproof boots. Even a waterproof blanket is nice.

Pop-Up Tent

Every family does not need their own pop up tent but two for the team to gather under (one for the kids and one for the parents) creates a nice home base for the team. The program and/or parent volunteers typically provide this.

Snacks

There are often great little farmer’s markets and local restaurants within walking distance but bringing a few snacks for those long days is a good idea. An emergency bar in case you’re stuck with a protest hearing well past dinner time can keep hanger at bay.

Book

I’m often chillin’ in my hammock chair with a good book but I’ll even bring my laptop and get work done if there’s a nice yacht club at the location (like Willamette Sailing Club) or my embroidery if there’s warm, dry weather. You’re going have a big chunk of time on the shore so you might as well do something you enjoy—nurture yourself while supporting your kids. 

Bravery, responsibility, independence, teamwork, grit, focus . . . my kids have gained so much in character strength right alongside all the science knowledge and physical skill that they have developed in this sport that gets them outdoors, into nature, moving their bodies, with friends. It is a financial investment to get them properly outfitted for the physical stress and elements, but it’s an expense that is well aligned with our values. As my second sailor heads off to college to sail for a D1 sailing program this fall, I’m revisiting my own list to ensure he’s properly geared up, and feeling nostalgic for all the life experience and opportunity this sport has provided him.