Whether an athlete is competing or training on the water, in sports such as sailing, canoeing or kayaking, they need to ensure that they keep themselves as dry and as buoyant as possible for their own safety and well-being.
The Gill Pro Women’s top (1) has special features which help to keep the wearer as comfortable as possible whilst sailing in a dinghy or keel boat. The close fitting polyurethane collar and cuffs stop the water from going up the sleeves or down the neck line, and the wide neoprene waistband prevents the smock from riding up keeping the sailor warm around the middle.
For kayaking and canoeing the Crewsaver vest (2) has a neoprene outer cover and a supersoft PVC foam inner which moulds around the body of the wearer, a combination which offers enhanced body warmth. Buoyancy aids are sold with different levels of Newton ratings, this example has a rating of 50 Newtons of Buoyancy making it suitable for active surface water sports such as dinghy sailing, canoeing and kite surfing. This level of buoyancy is only suitable for competent swimmers and for use in sheltered water where help is close at hand, only providing support to conscious people who can help themselves.
The equipment used on the water also needs to float so that it can be retrieved easily if dropped. The C100 Ainsworth canoe paddle (3) has a glass / epoxy shaft and an Advanced Foam Technology blade. The blade is made using a unique polyurethane foam construction to produce a paddle which is tough but also light and buoyant. The superb buoyancy in the light-weight blade provides maximum efficiency per stroke saving the paddler energy over long distances.
