Heavy-Duty PVC and Fishing Aprons in Australia: Which Apron for Boats, Abattoirs and Dairy Sheds?

A heavy-duty PVC apron takes more punishment than any other piece of gear on a fishing boat or in a dairy shed, abattoir or washdown bay. Cold water, animal fat, milk and sanitiser hit it every shift, and a thin apron splits at the straps or goes stiff in the cold within weeks.

Stormline started in Southland, New Zealand, in 1966 and is still a third-generation family business, making heavy-duty PVC gear for Australian fishing, farming and processing. We make three heavy-duty PVC aprons, the 999ST, 999HWST and 999HW. Each one is made to the highest quality and is comfortable enough to wear for a full shift. This guide explains which one suits which job, how the straps differ, and which sleeves to wear with them.

Heavy-duty PVC aprons: our three models

All three Stormline heavy-duty PVC aprons are 1.2m long and 90cm wide. The difference is the PVC weight and the straps.

Why PVC apron choice matters in Australian processing and farming

A dairy shed or abattoir apron is hosed down, splashed with fat and worn in the cold every day. The right heavy-duty PVC apron is heavy enough not to tear, resists the oils and fats it meets, and stays soft enough to wear for a full shift.

• Fat and oil: animal fat and oil break down cheap plastic aprons. All three Stormline aprons are oil-resistant PVC, and the 999HWST apron is also fat-resistant.
• Sanitiser: the 999HWST apron is resistant to dairy sanitising chemicals and can be power washed.
• Abrasion: heavier PVC lasts longer against stall rails, conveyors and benches. The 999ST is our heaviest at 650gsm.
• Cold: our PVC is lab tested to stay flexible down to −25°C, so a Stormline apron stays supple in an unheated processing plant, a chilled boning room or a dairy shed on a winter morning instead of going stiff and cracking.

Comparing Stormline heavy-duty apron models

999ST heavy-duty apron

The 999ST apron is our heavyweight apron and the heaviest in the range: 650gsm oil-resistant PVC with 38mm elastic braces, a back divider and adjustable clips. The 999ST apron is tested to −25°C. The 999ST cannot be cut down, so it suits people who want the full 1.2m length. The 999ST is our best-selling fishing apron in Victoria and New South Wales.

999HWST cross-back dairy apron

The 999HWST apron is 500gsm oil- and fat-resistant PVC, resistant to dairy sanitising chemicals, and can be power washed. Cross-back PVC straps with stainless steel eyelets spread the weight over both shoulders, and the 999HWST apron can be trimmed to length.

999HW heavy-duty apron

The 999HW apron is 500gsm oil-resistant PVC with sewn PVC neck and waist ties. The 999HW apron is quick to put on and take off and can be trimmed to length, which suits aprons shared between staff.

Where heavy-duty PVC and fishing aprons are used in Australia

In Australia, Stormline heavy-duty PVC aprons are worn on fishing boats and in seafood processing, in dairy sheds, in food processing plants, at abattoirs and in butcher shops. The right apron depends on how wet the job is, what splashes on it and how long it stays on.

• Fishing and seafood processing: 999ST, our best-selling fishing apron in Victoria and New South Wales. Use the 999HW for recreational fishing.
• Dairy sheds: 999HWST, or 999ST for the heaviest washdown work.
• Food processing: 999HW for shared aprons, 999HWST for long shifts on the line.
• Abattoirs and butchers: 999HWST or 999ST. Use the 999HW behind the counter.

Commercial fishing aprons and seafood processing

Stormline is best known for commercial fishing gear, and the 999ST is our best-selling fishing apron in Victoria and New South Wales. On a trawler or a charter boat, or on the floor of a seafood processor, the apron is covered in salt water, fish slime, blood and oil all day. The 999ST is a heavyweight apron in 650gsm oil-resistant PVC, with 38mm elastic braces and a back divider that stay in place when you are bent over a bin or a filleting table.

Seafood is a big trade on the east coast. The new Sydney Fish Market is the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere (realcommercial.com.au). For recreational fishing, cleaning the catch at the boat ramp or the fish-cleaning table, the 999HW is the simpler choice. Tie the 999HW on, rinse it off afterwards, and cut it to length if it is too long.

Dairy sheds and milking

Milking means hours in splash, spray and milk, whether the shed is in Gippsland, northern Victoria or the south-west (Agriculture Victoria dairy regions), and winter milkings start cold and dark. The 999HWST is our dairy apron: 500gsm fat-resistant PVC with cross-back straps that keep the weight off your neck through a full milking. For hosing down the yard and the heaviest washdown, the 999ST in 650gsm PVC with elastic braces is the tougher option. Wear N001 neoprene sleeves with either to stop water running up your arms.

Food processing

Food processing plants, from dairy factories to seafood and meat plants, need aprons that stand up to sanitiser, cold water and washdown every day, and that can be issued across a whole crew. The 999HW suits seasonal staff, visitors and shared aprons, with neck and waist ties and PVC that can be trimmed to length. For staff on the line all shift, the 999HWST cross-back straps are easier on the neck and shoulders.

Abattoirs and butcher shops

Abattoirs and butcher shops deal with animal fat, blood and constant cleaning. Choose the fat-resistant 999HWST or the 650gsm oil-resistant 999ST for the kill floor, boning room and processing line. In a chiller or freezer, the PVC stays flexible down to −25°C, so it will not go stiff or crack. Behind the counter at the local butcher, where the apron goes on and off all day, the neck-tie 999HW is quicker.

Strap systems: elastic braces, cross-back straps or neck ties

Elastic braces suit fishing, cross-back straps suit long milkings and processing shifts, and neck ties suit quick jobs. On a boat or at a filleting bench you are bending, reaching and twisting all day, so the strap system decides whether the apron stays put or ends up hung on a hook by morning tea.

• Elastic braces (999ST): the 38mm braces stretch as you move, and the back divider stops them sliding off your shoulders when you lean over a bin or a gunwale.
• Cross-back straps (999HWST): the weight sits across both shoulders instead of your neck, which is what you want through a long milking or a full shift on the line.
• Neck and waist ties (999HW): quick to throw on and take off, for cleaning the catch, short jobs, visitors and aprons shared between staff.

Arm protection: neoprene and PVC sleeves

Gutting fish, hosing a deck or cupping cows sends water straight down your arms, and an apron cannot stop it. Sleeves can. Pick the sleeve by how cold the water is and how much feel you need in your hands.

• N001 4mm neoprene sleeves: high-density neoprene with stitched, glued and taped seams and a snug watertight wrist seal. The N001 sleeves keep forearms warm in cold water and fit over gloves or under a jacket cuff.
• N002 3mm neoprene sleeves: thinner and more flexible, for warmer days on the water or jobs where you want more feel.
• Stormtex-Air 230 PVC sleeves: 340gsm oil- and chemical-resistant PVC with double-welded seams and a welded latex wrist cuff, for the driest seal in heavy spray.

Fitting out a dairy shed? See the full dairy and milking shed clothing range.

Cleaning and care after a shift or a trip

Rinse a PVC apron with fresh water as soon as you finish, before salt, fish slime, fat, blood or milk dries on. Hang it by the straps to dry, out of direct sun and away from heaters.

• After fishing: hose the apron front and back with fresh water to get the salt off, then hang it in the shade.
• After a shift in the shed or plant: if fat has built up, wash with warm water and a mild detergent, then rinse. The 999HWST can be power washed.
• Sleeves: rinse neoprene sleeves inside and out, squeeze rather than wring, and dry them inside out.
• Every few weeks: check the straps and eyelets. The 999HWST and 999HW can be trimmed shorter if the hem wears.

Where to buy Stormline aprons in Australia

Stormline aprons are sold through stockists in all six states and the Northern Territory. Not every stockist carries every apron, so call ahead to check sizes and stock. The full list with addresses and a map is on our store finder.

Frequently asked questions about heavy-duty PVC and fishing aprons

Related guides

• Wet weather gear in Australia: jackets, bib trousers and full kit for work in the rain.
• A guide to PVC rain gear for fishermen.
• Based in New Zealand? Read our NZ guide to heavy-duty PVC aprons.