I am just taking up sailing- its quite daunting looking at all the gear!

Can anyone xaplain to me exactly what is meant by a steamer wetsuit?

I'm guessing it means it will dry out fast, but I don't know..

Also, it seems obvious to me that a winter suit is required even in summer here in good old Blighty...

Am I missing something (evaporation related again perhaps) which makes me completely misguided???
Any help??

Hi Ben, glad you are taking up sailing. You won't regret it. But tell us a bit more about the sort of boats you are sailing, as this will make a big difference to the sort of gear you require.

Thanks Cathy.

Good question- I don't even own a boat yet..I see myself in future as a gentle river-cruising type, but meanwhile I have just begun basic dinghy training at my local gravel pit.. All four students had capsized within minutes last weekend, so I concede to the need of getting wet.. (however I am greatly interested in the prospect of dry suits too. Perhaps a semi-dry wetsuit is what I should be looking at? Dont want to spend too much time in the water, afer all... ^^?

P.S It's still me, Ben!
I just changed my name after validating account...seemed mildly amusing at the time.. sorry...

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that we're using lasers and picos at the moment, but I intend to move into something less back-breaking! Try and pick up a Graduate or Enterprise, I suppose....

While you are sailing dinghies capsize is inevitable - capsize drill should form part of the training syllabus. Therefore you must be dressed to get wet. You can either wear a wetsuit, which keeps you warm by trapping a layer of warm water against the skin (warmed by your own body heat, but then acting as good insulation) or a dry suit, which keeps you warm by keeping the wet out, and therefore allowing you to wear appropriate layers underneath. Which you choose is a matter of preference and budget.
On yachts, which don't capsize, the priorities are different. Foul weather gear for yachts is not about protecting you from submersion, but designed for keeping out rain, spray and cold.
So if you are planning to graduate quickly to yachts, do not invest too heavily in dinghy gear - many sailing/training centres hire out wetsuits etc. On the other hand, if you plan to stay in dinghies for a while, get the best gear you can reasonably afford. Take advice from instructors or experienced sailors about what works for them and which are the brands to look out for. Enjoy!

Ben - A steamer is kindda half way between a wetsuit and a drysuit - not sure exactly how it works but closer to wetsuit theory I think as it certainly is not dry!

I used mine in winter on a windsurfer - for dinghy sailing I'd probably go with a wetsuit

If its windy a wetsuit can still get cool (well my 15year old one does!) so use a light wind proof top (I use a top that packs into its own pocket designed for cyclists) - a bouyancy aid would probably help keep most of the wind off not sure what's available with sleeves and this may depend on how you react to cold arms :v)

Get gloves !

A steamer would be too hot in summer - even this summer, you'll end up going over the side to scoop cool water in.

Crusing will need totally different approach - oilies with warm under layers - sustained exposure to wind and rain will cool you off faster than you can believe and a wetsuit is wrong approach.

If you go to extreme locations maybe a drysuit but for most cruisers I think good oilies and two under layers is enough

On my two RYA weekends for the Dinghy course we capsized dozens of times, I was wearing my wetsuit and both overtrousers and a windproof top as you can get very cold after going swimming a few times. On our test day we held the record of six capsizes in 20 minutes due it it being very windy but it was great fun.
A dry suit is a good investment if you intend to go for a dinghy such as an Enterprise as I have capsized mine many times and you keep warm and dry when wearing the drysuit but you can cook in it between putting it on and getting launched. Ent's are notoriuosly tippy and as I single hand mine I've had a lot of practice righting it. A dry suit also helps if you are daft enough to crew for other people when racing as I found out when crewing a Hobie. Dry suits are not cheap though and you may be better sticking with a wet suit or steamer and some good windprofs over the top - make sure you get good fitting trousers else the sliding around on the deck will send you over the side regularly...
As mentioned above get a good bouyancy aid and wear it all the time - our club requires that you wear one at all times.