Sailing Gear: Life Jackets, Gloves, Boots, Foulies and Sun Protection

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The dock bag says a lot about a sailor. A dinghy racer’s has a life jacket with a whistle clipped on, gloves with worn-through fingertips, sunscreen, a water bottle and a spare hair tie. A keelboat crew’s adds boots, a foul-weather jacket and an inflatable life jacket that looks like a pair of suspenders. Whatever you sail, the right sailing gear keeps you afloat, dry, gripping and out of the sun, so you can enjoy the day and come back for the next one. This list covers what to buy first and why, plus the recovery gear for after a long day on the water.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Our top picks

Life jackets: the one piece of gear that matters most

Federal rules require a Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person aboard, the right size and readily accessible, and many regattas require everyone to wear one (see our sailing rules page). Wearing it is what counts: in the Coast Guard’s 2024 statistics, 87% of boaters who drowned, where life jacket use was known, weren’t wearing one. Read the label: newer Coast Guard labels show a performance level from 50 to 275 (a measure of flotation in newtons; lower levels suit calm water near shore, higher levels give more flotation and turning ability offshore, where rescue takes longer) and say whether the jacket will turn an unconscious wearer face up.

• Dinghies, boards and racing: a foam vest. You’ll capsize and swim, so you want flotation that works without doing anything and big arm holes for moving across the boat. The Onyx MoveVent Dynamic (about $69) is Coast Guard and Transport Canada approved, with a mesh lower back, SOLAS reflective trim and expandable pockets. Clip a whistle to it.
• Keelboats and cruising: an inflatable is light enough that adults actually wear it all day. The Onyx A/M-24 inflates automatically when submerged or with a pull of the handle, can be switched to manual-only, gives 22.5 lb of buoyancy and fits 30 to 52 inch chests. It’s for ages 16 and up and over 80 lb; prices run from about $115 to $210 depending on color.
• Offshore: more buoyancy and visibility. The Mustang Survival HIT inflatable (about $380) is Coast Guard approved as Type II, with 38 lb of buoyancy, automatic hydrostatic inflation, a neoprene collar and a high-visibility color.

Inflatables need care: the Coast Guard says the cylinder must be full and all status indicators green, and its boating safety program doesn’t recommend inflatables for anyone under 16 or for non-swimmers. Kids wear foam; see our youth sailing page for sizing.

Check the Onyx MoveVent Dynamic price on Amazon

Sailing gloves

Sheets, halyards and control lines run through your hands all day, and hands and fingers are among the most commonly hurt body parts in sailing; cuts and bruises are common. Sailing gloves have a grippy, abrasion-resistant palm and often cut-down fingertips so you can still tie knots and work a phone. The Gill Championship short-finger gloves (about $35) have a Dura-Grip palm and a stretchy back with UV 50+ protection; the Gill Deckhand (about $29) is a lighter, cheaper all-rounder with double-layer Amara palm reinforcement. Long-finger versions protect more on cold days or on big boats with heavy loads. Rinse them in fresh water after sailing and don’t store them wet.

Check the Gill Championship gloves price on Amazon

Deck shoes and boots

Trips and falls are among the most common ways sailors get hurt, so footwear matters more than it looks. Choose a non-marking sole with a siped (razor-cut) tread that grips a wet deck, and never sail barefoot on a keelboat, where toes meet cleats and blocks. For dinghies, a neoprene sailing boot or a quick-drying water shoe works. For wet and cold days on bigger boats, the Gill Short Cruising Boot (about $90) is 100% natural rubber with a polyester lining, removable cushioned insoles, reinforced heel and toe and a non-slip, non-marking razor-cut sole. Size it to fit over a warm sock.

Check the Gill Short Cruising Boot price on Amazon

Foul-weather gear

Spray and rain plus wind chill you faster than you’d expect, even in summer, and cold hands make for clumsy, slow reactions. “Foulies” are a waterproof, breathable jacket (and often bib trousers) built for spray, with high collars, adjustable hoods and cuff seals. The Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket (about $275 at Gill) is made for coastal and inshore sailing, beginner to advanced: recycled XPLORE fabric, fully taped seams, a PFAS-free water repellent, a lined hi-vis hood, a high thermal collar and cuffs with inner seals. It’s cut to fit layers underneath. Dinghy sailors who swim often usually skip foulies for a wetsuit or a spray top over a thermal layer. Either way, dress for the water temperature, not the air: the Coast Guard notes that cold shock from a sudden plunge passes in about a minute, but you can lose useful movement in your hands and arms within about 10 minutes.

Check the Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket price on Amazon

Sunglasses, sunscreen and sun protection

On the water you get sun from above and glare from below: the CDC notes that UV reflects off water. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says polarized lenses cut glare off water, but polarization alone doesn’t block UV, so check for 100% UV protection on the label.

• Sunglasses: the KastKing Skidaway (about $25) has polarized TAC lenses, a coating that sheds water and a light Grilamid frame, and the maker says it blocks 100% of UVA and UVB. If you want glass lenses, the Costa Del Mar Fantail 580G (about $233) uses Costa’s 580 glass lenses.
• A retainer: most sunglasses sink. A strap like Croakies Original (about $16 for two) keeps them on through tacks and capsizes.
• Sunscreen: the American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every two hours and after getting wet. Blue Lizard Sport SPF 50 (about $9 for 3 oz) uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and is water resistant for 80 minutes. Don’t forget lips, ears and the backs of hands.
• Cover up: a long-sleeve UPF shirt, a hat with a leash or clip, and a neck gaiter like the Buff CoolNet UV (about $25, UPF 50) for face and neck.

Small safety extras

• A whistle on your life jacket: the Fox 40 Classic (about $7) is pealess and works wet.
• A throwable device for any boat 16 feet or longer, like the Onyx Type IV cushion (about $26).
• A small knife you can reach, a dry bag for your phone and keys, and a water bottle such as the Nalgene Sustain 32 oz (about $16).
• A watch with a race timer if you race; we compare options on the sailing wearables page.

Recovery gear for sailors

Hiking out on a dinghy loads the quads, core and lower back, and grinding and trimming on a keelboat works the shoulders and forearms. After a regatta weekend, a foam roller such as the TriggerPoint GRID (about $40) is good for quads, hips and the upper back; a small massage gun like the Hypervolt Go 3 (about $149, 1.6 lb) fits a sail bag; and recovery slides like the OOFOS OOahh (about $60) are easy on tired feet and fine on a wet dock. On hot days, many sailors add an electrolyte tablet like Nuun Sport to their water. These are comfort tools, not treatment: back or knee pain that lasts needs a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer. See our sailing recovery page for the routine, and compare more in our best foam rollers, best massage guns, best recovery shoes and best electrolyte powder guides.

How to choose sailing gear

• Buy the life jacket first, and buy the one you’ll wear all day: foam for dinghies, boards and kids; an inflatable for adults on keelboats.
• Match gear to your boat. Dinghy sailors get wet, so think wetsuit, neoprene boots and short-finger gloves. Keelboat sailors stay drier but stay out longer, so think foulies, boots and an inflatable.
• Check the Coast Guard label on any life jacket: approval, user weight or chest size, and performance level.
• Look for non-marking soles on anything you wear on deck; boat owners will thank you.
• Rinse everything in fresh water after sailing in salt water, dry it, and check inflatable life jackets before each season.

Back to the sailing hub, or see sailing rules and boating safety, youth sailing and sailing injuries. For other water sports, see our rowing gear and surfing gear pages.

Sailing gear questions

What gear do you need to start sailing?

A Coast Guard-approved life jacket that fits, shoes that grip a wet deck, sunscreen, sunglasses on a strap, a hat and water. Most sailing schools and community centers provide the boats. Add sailing gloves and foul-weather gear as you sail more.

Inflatable or foam life jacket for sailing?

Foam for dinghies, boards, kids and non-swimmers, because it floats without any action. Inflatables suit adults 16 and older on keelboats and cruising boats, where comfort helps you wear one all day; keep the cylinder full and indicators green.

Do I need sailing gloves?

Not to start, but most sailors use them. Hands and fingers are among the most commonly hurt body parts in sailing, and gloves with a grippy palm protect against rope burns and cuts from sheets and lines.

What shoes should you wear on a sailboat?

Shoes or boots with a non-marking, razor-cut (siped) sole that grips a wet deck. Neoprene boots or water shoes for dinghies; deck shoes or rubber boots like the Gill Short Cruising Boot for keelboats in wet weather.

Are polarized sunglasses good for sailing?

Yes, polarized lenses cut glare off the water, which helps you read the wind on the surface. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes polarization alone doesn’t block UV, so check for 100% UV protection, and wear a retainer so they don’t sink.