Rain Wear, Rain Gear, Oil Skin, Oilies or Foul Weather gear, a bunch of different names for the same thing.
Are they really all the same thing? Simply put, Yes. On the east coast and the UK many call rain gear of today "Oil Skins". Oil Skins were worn by sailors before they had modern materials like PVC. They would make a suit of sailcloth or cotton cloth then coat it with tar or linseed oil to make it somewhat waterproof. Today manufactures use a cotton twill or polyester liner coated with a flexible PVC to product the rainwear of today.
Do the Pro's normally put the ship's name on their rain gear?
You may have seen on TV a lot of the guys put the ship name on the back of the rain gear. We have to say this is not the norm in the commercial fishing business. They have done this as fun for the TV show and to help get publicity for their vessel. People like to do business with famous people.
Pant verses bib.
I only see bibs on your site, why? We sell commercial / industrial rainwear and bibs are what you want. For example, wearing just a pant, you kneel down your jacket will ride up in the back and may expose your lower back to the rain. Reach above your head and you may end up with a wet mid section. We want you to be dry.
Which raingear should I get for doing construction work?
We recommend going with the heaviest weight for construction jobs. Pick the Bristol Bay bib jacket.
Which rainwear should I buy for salmon fishing trip in Alaska?
For those salmon charter experiences we recommend the lighter Commercial gear. It is easier to pack and will keep you dry like the heavier gear.
Where is the zipper in some of the rain coats?
Heavy duty commercial rainwear traditionally doesn't have zippers. If you are working in the mud on a construction job, you don't want to fight a zipper during that short half hour lunch break.