That all depends on where you are? Here in Houston/Galveston a spray top with fleece under and shorts will suffice for most of the winter. However, I have sailed in much colder conditions, and I will tell you this: DON'T SAIL IN JUST A WETSUIT!!! You will hate yourself for it. A wetsuit with spray suit over it is fine. There is nothing worse than the evaporative cooling effect a wetsuit has when it's already in the 40's.



I tend to feel that unless the water you are sailing in is REALLY cold, skip the drysuit. They are too much trouble and, I feel, offer a sense of false security. What if you have a leak you didn't know about and your suit starts to fill up during an extended time in the water? How are you going to get back on the boat carrying that much water? Don't get me wrong, with care and a keen eye a drysuit is a very valuable tool in cold weather. From personal experience, everytime I have worn one, I was wishing I had just worn spraysuit with fleece (my favorite).



Just some thoughts from a fair weather sailor.