Think back for a second to some of your best fishing days on the water? Most likely it was in connection with bad weather. It may have been just moments before a storm rolls in or you may have found success immediately following a huge thunderstorm.
The truth is that sometimes catching those big fish calls for fishing those rough weather days. But that doesn’t mean you need to get wet. Equipped with the best fishing rain suit, we can stay dry and enjoy our time on the water.
In this post we are going to answer a question that many have when fishing those wet days, that question is: What is the best rain suit for fishing?
Let’s take a look at 6 of our favorites.
What is the best rain suit for fishing?
Here is a preview of what we are going to discuss in this post, please continue reading for more details, videos and lastly my personal selection in the section below.
- Frogg Toggs All Sport
- Coleman .20mm PVC/Nylon
- SWISSWELL Mens Waterproof Rainsuit
- Frabill F3 Gale
- Frabill F2 Surge
- Frabill F1 Jacket & Frabill F1 Pants
Features:
- Made with 100% Polypropylene
- Waterproof
- Adjustable/detachable hood
- Lightweight
When caught fishing in the rain, we want to be able to throw something on that is comfortable and most importantly something that will keep us dry. That is exactly what we like most about the Frogg Toggs All Sport.
This suit is made from 100% polypropylene. We like this material selection because the fabric is breathable, lightweight and comfortable. Best of all they are very quiet. So if you are the type of angler that gets annoyed when your jacket or pants sound like a plastic bag, this might be a good option for you.
Another great feature is that this suit is designed to fit very easily over your clothes. It is equipped with elastic bands at the wrist and ankles designed to keep the water out and keep you nice and dry.
While there certainly are a lot of features that we like about this suit, there is one improvement we would like to see to make this option the best rain suit for fishing. We want to pockets! Unfortunately, neither the jacket or the pants have pockets. This can be a little annoying when you have to open up your rain suit to access your pockets to say grab your car keys or your wallet.
With that being said if you are looking for an affordable option to have in the boat just in case it starts to rain, you won’t be disappointed with the Frogg Toggs All Sport Rain Suit.
Let’s take a closer look at this option in the following video:
Features:
- Made with 20mm PVC
- Waterproof
- Adjustable hood
- Slit Pockets
Another great option that is relatively inexpensive and easy to throw over your clothes is the Coleman .20mm PVC/Nylon Suit.
This model is made from 20mm PVC that helps to keep it waterproof. Once you hear the word PVC without a doubt the next question is: How breathable is it? Will I be dying in this suit? Well first I would like to note that no rain suit is going to breathe well, especially one that is waterproof. With that being said, this option has several breathing holes strategically placed to keep you cool. The best part of this suit being made from PVC is that it will keep you dry.
Another great feature are the slit pockets. The pants are equipped with two slit pockets one on each side that allows you to easily to access your pant pockets, but at the same time keep the water out. I really like this feature as you don’t have to transfer everything from your pockets to the pockets of the suit. Simply throw it on over your clothes and you are ready to go. This feature really makes it easy to use when that thunderstorm comes without much warning.
Another convenient feature is that it comes in a carrying bag. This works great not only for storage purposes, but it also makes it easy to bring it with you wherever you happen to be fishing.
Take a closer look at the many great features in the following unboxing video:
Features:
- Made from polyester
- Waterproof – 3000 waterproof index
- Mesh Lining
- Reflective
- Pockets on Jacket and Pants
Are you looking for a good rain suit that you can throw into your backpack or keep in your boat just in case there is a sudden change in the weather? If so, you will love the many features that the SWISSWELL Mens Waterproof Rainsuit has to offer.
Made from a 100% polyester shell that is has a 3000 waterproof index designed to keep the water out and keep you warm and dry. It is also equipped with a soft mesh lining to keep you both dry on the inside and comfortable while out on the water. Lastly, it has pockets both on the jacket as well as the pockets, plenty of room to store your wallet/cell phone or whatever other tools that you like to carry with you.
One feature that I really like to look for in a good suit is something that is portable and doesn’t take up much space. After all, the less room that a jacket and pair of pants take up, the more room for what is most important lures and fishing gear. One of the best features of this option is that the pockets can be used to pack the suit itself. This is a great feature because it makes it super lightweight and easy to take with to just about anywhere. Just pack it, throw it into your bag and you are ready to go, it can be just that easy.
Features:
- 15,000mm waterproof shell
- Seam Sealed
- Curved Sleeves for comfort
- Pockets on Jacket and Pants
So far we have mentioned a few options that are affordable and easy to stow, but sometimes we need something more durable for those long days in the rain. For that reason, we are going to take a look at another great rain suit for fishing the Frabill F3 Gale.
To begin, let’s talk about the jacket. The Frabill F3 Gale Rainsuit Jacket is made with a three-layer fabric. On the outside is a 15,000 mm waterproof shell designed to keep the water out even in heavy rain conditions. Under the shell is a waterproof, breathable membrane and lastly, the lining is laminated to the other two layers. The fact that the shell, membrane and lining are laminated together helps to get rid of that baggy feeling and helps to keep it more breathable so that you can think less about the weather and more about what really counts, fishing.
Another great feature on the F3 is the 4 pockets, two located on the chest and two on the sides. They are each equipped with a waterproof zipper to keep your essentials dry.
Speaking of keeping dry, one-way water tends to sneak into our suit is through the sleeves. This is especially true when we do a lot of casting. If we don’t have a good jacket that can be sealed off and prevent the water from running down our arms, it is only a matter of time before we are cold and wet.
For that reason, Frabill has designed a suit with adjustable straps to tighten up at the sleeves.
Now let’s take a look at the bibs. The Frabill F3 Gale Rainsuit Bib is made with the same three layer 15,000 mm waterproof material as the jacket.
What I like most about the bibs, is that they were really designed for comfort. For example, unlike most bibs, these are low riding bibs which helps to keep them comfortable when doing a lot of moving around. Next, the unique cam bucket design on the shoulder straps is another great feature designed to keep this bibs nice and snug. This design makes them extremely easy to use, easy to adjust, durable and most important lightweight. Next, let’s talk about the knee pads. The articulated knees are equipped with 500 denier exterior nylon for external protection and internal knee pads for comfort. Once you try this knees pads, you will never want to purchase another pair of bibs without them. Lastly, they will fit nicely over your boots.
Now you might be thinking to yourself that the F3 is a little overkill for the fishing that you want to do? No need to worry, because Frabill has you covered for all your rainstorm fishing needs.
Let’s take a look at another great option theFrabill F2 Surge. Does the F2 have what it takes to be the best fishing rain suit? We think it just might. Let’s take a closer look.
So what are the differences between the F3 Gale and the Frabill F2 Surge? Yes, we could go through and list all the small differences (the pockets, the zippers) but let’s take a closer look at the main difference between the two: the waterproof rating.
The F3 gale is made with a three layer fabric and a waterproof rating of 15,000mm. The F2 is made with a two layer fabric and a waterproof rating of 10,000mm. So what does this rating mean? Simply put, it comes down to a what is called a Hydrostatic Head Test. This is a test that is conducted on fabric to see how waterproof a material really is. They then use a rating system so that we can make the best decision for our shopping needs. With that being said what are the biggest differences between 15,000mm and 10,000mm? A 10,000 is rated for moderate to heavy rain and a 15,000 + rating is designed for heavy rain.
So as you can see the rating system really helps us to narrow down our choices based on our fishing needs. For example, if you are planning on spending a lot of time in heavy rain, I would recommend the F3 Gale. It is going to have a higher waterproof rating and also be equipped those extra features such as the waterproof zippers, adjustable wrist bands, etc. for rough weather. On the overhand, if you want something that is a step up above a lighter option, I would recommend going with the F2 Surge. No, it is not rated for heavy rain, but it definitely will keep you dry for most fishing excursions.
Speaking of a lightweight, let’s take a look at another in the Frabill lineup, the Frabill F1 Rainsuit.
While the F3 is designed for heavy rain, the F2 is designed for moderate rain, I would say that the F1 Jacket coupled with the F1 Pants is designed for average rain.
Basically this is that simple waterproof, windproof, lightweight rain suit that every angler should have in the boat. While it might not have that 15,000mm three layer waterproof rated material, it will keep you dry for your daily fishing needs.
Learn more about the differences between the F3 vs F2 vs F1 rainsuit in the following video:
Final Thoughts…
In this article, I tried to give you an overview of what I think are some of the best options on the market today, but which one do I personally think is the best rain suit for fishing?
If you are looking for something simple that you can just throw over you clothes I would recommend the Frogg Toggs All Sport. It is super lightweight and easily to use.
If you think you will be using the rain suit quite regularly and would like to have something more durable I would recommend you check out the F1 Jacket.
Lastly, if you often find yourself in fishing in moderate rainstorm then you can’t go wrong with the Frabill F2 Surge. It has many cool features so that you can concentrate more on catching fish rather than thinking about how to get out of these wet clothes.
To conclude, all of the options we have considered in this article really are good fishing rain suits. In other words, they will do their job in keeping you dry. Now it is important to consider what features you would like to have in your suit and find the one that is the best match for your fishing needs.
What do you think is the best rain suit for fishing? Please share with us your thoughts in the comments below.
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