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Professional Rain Gear – five things you need to know

When it comes to choosing your professional rain gear there is a wide range of choices on the market. As much as their colours will vary, so will the quality and price.

Stormline has been designing professional rain gear for fishermen, farmers and general use for 50 years, during which time we have learnt to be innovative, resourceful and to be constantly listening to our end users. We’ve had our successes, but also made plenty of mistakes along the way. What is definitely true is that if your not listening, developing or innovating you will soon be dead in the water and just another endangered species.

To help you decide how to choose the best rain gear for you we have put together a simple list of 5 key things to look for when buying your gear:

1. The weight of the PVC. The weight of the PVC directly correlates to how strong the material is and how much abuse and abrasion it will withstand. If you are working with lots of chemicals or abrasion we wouldn’t recommend any PVC under 600 gsm (grams per square meter).

2. Zippers vs Snaps/Studs on jackets. We are big believers in zippers on jackets as the feedback from our users is they are easier to use. Snaps can be replaced, but if you are wearing gloves then zippers are definitely the winner. We recommend always looking for plastic though to avoid rusting.

3. Low Cost vs High Cost. Ask your self the simple question. Would you be happy to buy the cheapest gear for your hobby? When choosing your professional foul weather gear, you have to decide on a cost vs benefit analysis whether the gear will A. do the job (and for how long) and B. will you be comfortable. If you are working outside in tough conditions, does it really make sense to go for the cheapest gear you can find? We are not advocating simply buying the most expensive gear, just make an educated decision as to what you need to the job, how long it will last and what is it worth to you on a daily basis using it.

4. Don’t use chemicals to wash your gear. If you are commercial fishing your gear will very quickly become very dirty and stink. It’s just the nature of the job. We strongly urge you not to use chemicals or lubricants to wash them. Stick to warm soapy water. It will make your gear last longer.

5. PVC vs Softshell. Professional fishermen have been increasingly using softshell jackets in combination with PVC bib pants. As professional fishing has changed, so has the equipment and how we fish. Softshell are great when you want something lighter and can essentially be a throw away item after a period of time. Again, it just depends when and what you will be using your rain gear for. It makes sense to have both a heavy duty PVC jacket for when conditions are tougher and a softshell for light rans or hotter conditions. A potential compromise might be PU rain gear that is often lightweight and cost effective.

If you want more information about choosing products and what would best suit you, feel free to drop an email or to call us on our Contact page.

Professional Rain Gear by Stormline

2 comments

  1. Julie finlay

    Looking to buy PVC raincoat material (lined inside ) not sure if you can help or point me in the right direct any help appreciated want to make raincoats in bright colors for kids (pink, purple,blue) if you can help me or have a produce that would suit please email me thanks julie finlay

    1. Hi Julie,

      Thanks for your question. We don’t sell PVC material, but if you are looking to source lightweight PVC for kids raincoats the best option is to find a supplier online. The usual minimum amount of material you would have to buy would be 500m, but this will depend on the specifications you require. Kidswear will be fairly price sensitive, so it would be best to decide the price point you want or need to sell at and work backwards from there. Market research is pretty key. I hope this is of some help and good luck!

      Regards,
      Regan

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