If you’ve been looking at sailing equipment lately, and you’re new to doing so, you’re probably wondering why it’s just so expensive. A shirt is a shirt, right? Is that “sailing” jacket a branding thing, or is there a real difference between it and a normal windbreaker?

Well, you’ll be happy to know that the vast majority of sailing clothing companies aren’t ripping you off. There is a reason it’s more expensive. In fact, there are several.

We understand that you’re probably concerned about it. So, we’ve built a little guide showing the specific reasons sailing clothes cost as much as they do.

Let’s take a look.

1: Safety Reasons

A company that makes sailing clothes isn’t just making t-shirts. They’re making clothing that can potentially save someone’s life. After all, when you’re sailing, you’re on the open seas. Things can happen, and even something as simple as your clothing can affect your ability to survive.

Manufacturers have to put extra effort into crafting clothes for sailors that actually work. If not, they might be responsible for someone’s death or injury. That raises costs.

2: Build Quality

Your average t-shirt is quickly processed at a textile factory and shipped off to a store. If manufacturers making clothes for sailing did that, your clothing would rip to shreds with all the activity you see on a boat. You need clothes that will last, and manufacturers know that. However, that takes more effort to make. In the end, that means they need more material, higher attention to detail, and more compensation per item to stay open.

3: Features

Sailing clothing isn’t as simple as making a cotton shirt and printing a little boat on it. Each item has to have features that help sailors.

These features can be anything useful.

One of the most common features is quick-dry fabric. Quick-dry fabric does as its name suggests. It dries quickly. This means that, if you go overboard, you won’t be wet for long; preventing hypothermia and adverse health effects of cold water sitting on you.

Then, you have waterproofing. This is even better than quick-dry fabric because it simply reflects water. It doesn’t get soaked through, it keeps your skin dry beneath it, and you don’t have to worry much.

Waterproof pockets are also common. Tech is necessary nowadays. You probably take your phone everywhere. On a boat, you need a satellite phone, your cellphone, and other electronics and valuables on you at all times. These waterproof pockets ensure that you don’t destroy those items the second a big wave hits your boat or you topple overboard.

Finally, insulation is another common feature. Hypothermia is one of the biggest threats sailors face. Water gets cold quick, and when you’re soaked hours from shore, you can freeze to death. Even when you’re dry, the temperature on the surface of the ocean is cold enough to cause harm. By wearing insulated clothing, you can stay warm, and manufacturers take this into account.

 

It’s Worth it

All of those features are well worth the added price. They keep you safe while you’re on the water. When you go shopping for sailing clothes, make sure you take these things into account instead of just thinking about your checkbook.