There is nothing worse than being wet and cold out on a boat, and there are a lot of false claims out there from jackets labeled water resistant that are not actually waterproof. Those are two different things, and the difference is what separates being comfortable from being miserable. Waterproofing is the one attribute that matters the most in foul weather gear, so we decided to put four jackets to the test — a PVC Grundens fishing jacket, my old offshore jacket that has seen better days, a new Helly Hansen near Coastal jacket, and a lightweight Helly Hansen racing jacket. We lined each one with an orange sweatshirt to clearly see any water penetration, then hit them with a power washer to mimic both heavy water and wind.
My Predictions Before the Blast
Going in, I figured the PVC Grundens would be the most waterproof because it is a full rubber-style fishing jacket. Out of the three breathable options, I thought my old offshore jacket should do best because it has baffles designed to keep water out, but it is old and the UV has done a number on it. My bet for the breathable winner was the new Helly Hansen Coastal. Brett from Nautalis Studios was there to help put these jackets through their paces.
The Results
You could see the differences immediately during the blast. The new Helly Hansen Coastal was soaking up water on the outside, while the nicer model was completely repelling it. My old jacket had completely lost its water protection from UV damage and was soaking up everything. The PVC Grundens was completely water repellent, no surprise there.
When we opened them up to check the orange sweatshirts, the lightweight Helly Hansen inland racing jacket had let water through the collar down to the chest and onto the sleeves and shoulders. The Helly Hansen Coastal had a similar pattern from the collar but the sleeves were completely dry — no water penetration there at all, and less collar water than the lighter jacket. My old offshore jacket was completely soaked through on the outside, but the orange sweatshirt underneath was not as wet as I expected. The jacket is double insulated and the inside was still dry, though it felt cold once that much water was in the outer layer. And the Grundens was pretty much completely dry — just a little water on one shoulder, much less collar intrusion than anything else, and no water anywhere on the back. Definitely the most waterproof of the four.
The Winner
Two of the four jackets did not hold up to a real waterproof test, so they were out. That left the Helly Hansen Coastal and the PVC Grundens as the two dry competitors. The Grundens is technically more waterproof, but here is the thing — there is no point in staying dry on the outside if you are just going to sweat through everything underneath. PVC does not breathe at all. The Helly Hansen Coastal was the most waterproof of the breathable jackets and it is also the most breathable of the waterproof ones. That combination is why it got my pick. If you are choosing foul weather gear, remember that water resistant is not the same as waterproof, and breathability matters almost as much as keeping the water out. Smooth sailing.
If you want to see what other gear made my list this year, check out my rundown of the boating upgrades that actually earn their price tag.
