Dilemma-floatation or not.

mick dunn

mick dunn

Well-known member
I,m in a bit of a dillema lads.
Need a new suit and was thinking Fladen or Sundridge floatation.
But the Mustard 4 seasons jacket and bib and brace look canny and is cheaper by £15-£20.
With the extra money i could buy some fleece lined wellies.

I,m also fancying a light wieght rain top and Titan do a canny one for under £40.
Have you guys got any sort of waterproof smocks-seen one lad with a Greys outfit on lately but looks pricey.

Mick.
 
I've been sourcing non fishing branded waterproofs as to be honest I think the main fishing brands for clothing aren't very "cool" for want of a better word

Never been keen on the idea of flotation suits as they seem very cumbersome to me and most fishing smocks are shapeless and lack originality in their design

That said my Greys Apollo salopettes are spot on but I'm still in the market for a decent waterproof

As to keeping warm a decent set of thermals will have you sweating your cobblers off without the need for massive jackets
 
Mick I'm also looking at buying the mustad 4 seasons kit. I've looked all over and I recon the cheapest place it can be bought from is spotty dog tackle in stockton, have a look on their website ;)
 
4 seasons

4 seasons

I bought the mustad bib and brace last year mick, i found it to be waterproof enough to keep you dry but not so warm, would defo recomend a fleece underneath, i also bought a sas mk5 which in my opinon is warmer, but if you still fancy the mustad got one here for sale only worn half a dozen times,pm me if you interested.

Cheers
Paul
 
think a lot depends on your chances of getting washed into the sea, a floatie could be thing between you and drowning
 
Thats what concerns me-does a floataion suit work?.
As to the suit Paul what size is this-i am an xxl.-
Oh and i hit a bargain last night my mate has a lightwieght Titan top smock-waterproof. £10.
I have seen the suit in spotty dog on flea bay.
Mick.
 
I have a Mk 2 Greys Apollo Smock, good all round design,snug fit, zipped pockets, fully waterproof and you dont have to reproof, just hoy it in the washer, well pleased
 
Floaty

Floaty

Mick,
I bought a floaty (Imax) last year and it was the best bit of winter clothing I ever purchased. I would imagine all floaties are the same. When it was close to zero and a strong wind blowing, I was still snug and toasty warm. I got a 2 piece for practical reasons but a one piece would even more air tight. The extra padding of the floatation suit keeps you really warm. The only slight draw back is that is not breathable...you have to shell out a bit more for one of those.
Having said all that, i am looking for something like the Greys gear or shakespeare salt range for the cold and wet times that are not quite arctic enough for the floaty. I broused the mustad four seasons rane but thought they were not up to what I was after. In my opinion, Mustad should stick to making hooks because everything else in their brand is just junk.
 
I got the sas mk5 2 piece last year, i find it so warm i only need a t shirt and fleece under it, whats more i don't need to wear gloves anymore as it's so warm, if your fingers do get cold, a couple of minutes in the fleece lined pockets does the job, also a bonus with the 2 piece if you do get too warm the jacket can easily be taken off .
 
I use a flotation suit or a smock depending on where I am fishing and how cold it is. If I had a long walk it would usually be the Grey's smock, as with the flotation suit I would be dripping with sweat. Usually on the beach or rocks it would be waders and smock but somewhere like a wall or jetty with just a short walk would depend on the temperature. Sometimes I would wear the bottom half of the suit with my smock, if you have both it gives you plenty of choices. Just throw both in the boot and make your mind up when you get there, sometimes coming from Consett you don't know what it is like at the coast so it's sometimes handy to have both.

As for price, the Gray's Smock was not the cheapest nor probably the dearest either, but it has never let me down so it was worth every penny to me. Since I bought it I have definately worn it a lot more than my flotation Jacket and never been really cold. If it is very cold I just put my fleece on first and it is fine.

Jim.
 
Hello Willy
spoke briefly with a lad fishing Hendon the other night, when checking the prom out, he was fishing the second or third Bay he was from consett, cracked on about the price of rag he was getting it for nowt...lol .... was that you.
 
Cheers,
He was a canny bloke, am in two minds wether to fish up, at Hendon or the headland Hartlepool tonight.

The Greys Smock is a quality item, I paid just under £60.00p, money well spent, I dont use the boats a lot so a floatation is a bit overboard in my case, I wouldnt buy one. How many people fish the shore and fall in deep water ...lol..not many...and regarding warmth Layering up with good gear is the answer.
 
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looking cool

looking cool

The Great Wallsendo said:
I've been sourcing non fishing branded waterproofs as to be honest I think the main fishing brands for clothing aren't very "cool" for want of a better word

Never been keen on the idea of flotation suits as they seem very cumbersome to me and most fishing smocks are shapeless and lack originality in their design

Christ man.....the gear yr want is for keeping you warm and dry for use fishing the north east fishing marks in the middle of winter, and most time in the middle of the night as well, not bothered if their shapeless looks and lack of originality and making yr look cool.
Flotation suits..keeps ur warm n dry and afloat if you fall in the north sea and can save yr life.And are not cumbersome when clambering back to safety.

Shapeless smocks gives you plenty of movement when casting and moving about over the rocks and you can bulk up under them with warm fleeces when the cold north east wind blows doesn't make yr look any cooler but a lot warmer.
All above are not for use on a Saturday night doon the big market on the pull or to make yr look cool.....try a brand called Primart for that...suits yr sir.:D
Click to expand...
 
Take a look at the outdoor clothing market for non fishing clothing and you will see that fishing gear is miles behind in terms of design and technology - and I'm not talking about your Berghaus jackets either...

A lot of that clothing ticks all the boxes the typical N/E winter fisherman requires and usually is a lot better designed and manufactured

Fishing clothing and the attitudes around it is stuck in a bit of a timewarp I feel

People buy the fishing brands because they want to be associated with the sport which is totally understandable - all I'm saying is that when it comes to keeping warm and dry it pays to think outside the box a little
 
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Well guys got the Tiatn coat-nice and lightwieght and in xxl. It looks ideal for autumn and spring sessions. As to the floatie-i,m going to get another sometime. Think in the long run and with me having one before it is the best option.
Codbiter i was down Hendon and spoke to a couple of lads checking the fishing out. I had the silver picasso with the reg which looks like LEMON.
No joke please it was cheap plate with MDN on the end for Mick Dunn. till i put it on and a mate at work said hey that looks like lemon-so it sort of describes me in a way.
 

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