Wet weather gear. "foulies"

[seafox]

does anyone here waterproof their wet weather gear?

My expensive set has started leaking in the pockets. The brand is Aigle.

I am thinking of using some sort of waterproof spray like scotch guard.

What do you reckon?

[exfishnz]

Can't comment on the Aigle brand. But with the commercial gear (that gets ripped all the time), we used to cut another piece (from an old pair) as a patch (in a circle) & use pvc/vinyl glue, it worked great.

[Vasco]

Duct tape.

[Alan Wheeler]

My expensive set has started leaking in the pockets.

You are not supposed to poor water into your pockets. The jacket is for keeping water out ;-)

[Hud3]

Seafox,

If your jacket is made of polyamide fabric (eg Goretex or equivalent), it may be leaking simply because it's dirty. The breathable fabrics can start allowing moisture to penetrate if they have dirt, oil, or soap/detergent residue on them. Try washing it thoroughly with a gentle detergent, and then rinse it several times to get all of the soap out.

Another possibility is that the seam tape has given way. Check your seams for separation.

If none of that works, here's what the Goretex people say, "If water fails to bead up on the surface of your cleaned and tumble-dried garment, its DWR treatment has reached the end of its useful life. But don’t worry: You can restore the garment’s water repellency by applying a topical water repellency restorative (DWR treatment) for outdoor fabrics, available at your local outdoor retailer. We do not recommend wash-in treatments, as they can hinder your garment's breathability."

I haven't tried the DWR treatment, because the washing has worked for me so far.

[seafox]

Thanks Hud, I'll give that a go.

[MidLandOne]

I have tried using ScotchGuard on a jacket made from light polyamide fabric (so that not heavy wet weather gear) designed to repel water by beading it and I don't think it made any improvement at all.

Solution for likes of Gortex that I've heard is washing and drying as Hud states but I suspect you will need something better than ScotchGuard for the water repelling bit if the wash process doesn't do the job.

John

[seafox]

I dont think the jacket is very dirty. Only had it a few years.
I regularly hose it on the clothes line to remove salt spray.

These jackets cost an arm (dont have a leg) and don't seem to last that long.

[GordMay]

See the glossary of tradenames of technical outerwear fabrics, with descriptions of fiber construction, chemical treatments and fabric characteristics at the Technical Fabric Library.
Goto:
Technical Fabric Library

[Steve Pope]

You must not wash goretex or similar products with normal washing machine soaps or detergents as they will clog the pores and are very hard to remove. Sports wash made by atsco is an acceptable product for washing goretex lined gear.

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by seafox

scotch guard. What do you reckon?

I’m with Exfish… I use motorcycle wet-weather gear, cuz I’m too cheap to buy specialized gear for both my vices -- no gortex here, and just patch the tears (or when I burn a hole through on the exhaust…), t’aint pretty, but it works just fine… Have had limited (and I do mean lmited) success Scotch Guarding ski-clothing, but it seldom lasts a season…

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by dcstrng

I’m with Exfish… I use motorcycle wet-weather gear, cuz I’m too cheap to buy specialized gear for both my vices -- no gortex here

I agree. I used commercial stuff for 10yrs, why should it be any different on a yacht? Besides, I'm gonna be throwing over the odd trot line every now & again

Looks like if Mr Sea-foxy-man wants to look like a yuppie, he'll have to pay the yuppie prices