Review: SeaForth Rain Gear

Keeping Everything Else Dry
For years there have been raincoats and rain pants, but limited options when it came to keeping your gear and everything else dry.  So the question is, “What is more important to keep dry during a round of golf, my body or my gear?”  I don’t think this is a one or the other sort of question, but keeping both dry is important.  Many golfers have expensive rain gear that covers their bodies, which in reality might not be critical, since we get wet every day (hopefully) and our bodies do just fine.  That is not to say raincoats aren’t necessary; I am much more comfortable playing with a raincoat, compared to a soaking wet polo.  But what about my bag, my clubs, my GPS/rangefinder, or a sleeve of golf balls which are not designed to get wet.  In steps Seaforth; they offer rain gear for everything else.  
I got the whole kit, which included a Slicker (rain jacket for your golf bag), a bag rain hood, a shoe bag, an accessories bag, a beanie, a bucket hat, and mittens. I’ll walk through each product and how they were put to good use.

For me the Slicker was the greatest product made by Seaforth.  It is a big oversized raincoat for your golfbag.  It comes in two different colors, bright yellow or black.  I opted for the subtle black to match my white, black and red bag.  It comes packaged in a fairly small box.  After unpacking it the first thoughts were; can I figure this out without instructions?  It is a pretty big piece of waterproof material with Velcro all over the place and a bunch of snaps.  But after about 10 seconds, it was pretty clear how this thing went on the bag.  The next question was how quickly could I get it on the bag, because rain doesn’t always give you much warning, sometimes it just starts pouring rain.  I think it takes me about 20 to 30 seconds to get it on my bag just how I want it.  I would say in about 10 seconds you have your bag protected, but takes a little longer to get all the snaps buttoned, the Velcro attached and everything in just the right place.  I was impressed by the design that allows it cover any bag from a dual strap stand bag to a monster of a staff bag.  The bottom and top are both done with elastic, which really seals the Slicker to the bag.  The top is a big rain hood that has plenty of space to get clubs in and out.  It was pretty cool how the snaps are designed to work with any bags already installed snaps. It is not like the typical rain hood that zippers down the middle and lets water it, but rather it is a big flap that you can lift up as need to get clubs in and out.    It actually was big enough that while I had my bag on my Clicgear cart, I could pull it even over my console, which kept my scorecard mostly dry too.  While here in MN we’ve had one of the driest springs I can remember, but I finally got the chance to use it the other day in some really heavy rain.  We didn’t have any rain for 9 holes, but it started coming down on hole 10.  I got the Slicker on fast and never needed to adjust it the whole rest of the round.  When we got done, I took the slicker off and everything was dry.  My bag didn’t see a drip.  This was pretty cool because Mike’s (Mr. Divots) bag soaked up all the rain and weighed a ton.  It was pretty obvious the difference the slicker made.  I hung it out when I got home and it was dry in the morning.  If you play in the rain, if you have a bag of any value, and if you want it all to stay dry, get a Slicker.  Don’t worry it won’t break the bank either at a retail price about the same as a dozen golf balls.

The rain hood is a similar to the top of the Slicker.  While it doesn’t protect your bag, it does work really well protecting the clubs.  Again this hood style is appropriately named a hood.  It is just like a hoodie for golf bags.  It is much easier and much more convenient than the standard zipper style that comes with most bags.  It too is plenty big for any length driver.  

The shoe bag and accessories bag both have really soft fleece lining and exterior rain repelling fabric.  Again these can be really useful as stand alone products.  Cell-phones don’t work after they’ve been soaked in water (just ask my wife), and shoes are incredibly uncomfortable when wet.

The beanie or Canuktuk (as they call it) is a product I have been searching for over a year.  Playing in the Midwest can have its ups and downs.  Early spring rounds and late fall rounds can be cold.  A beanie is vital to surviving.  But sometimes it rains too and most beanies soak up the water like a sponge.   Between the wet and cold it actually make things worse than not having one.  But the Seaforth Canuktuk is waterproof.  Finally I can play in the early spring rain or late fall rain without freezing my ears off.

In connection with the cold and rain, the waterproof mittens are vital to survival and enjoyment of those rough weather rounds.  These are oversized so that you don’t have to take off your golf glove each time you want to put them on.  They can be slipped on and off very easily, but do a great job of keeping your hands warm and dry.

The bucket hat was big brimmed and kept rain away from my head and face.  It has a very comfortable fit with the adjustable elastic.  While this might not be the most stylish hat on the market, it is probably the most effective at protecting from the rain.

Over all, it is hard to find a negative about any of the Seaforth products.  The only complaint might be the lack of colors.  While these products are designed around function, some golfers still like to be stylish, and might desire certain colors.  This would certainly be an area for future product options.

Seaforth has one of the greatest slogans on the market right now.  “When it pours, Seaforth reigns”  I love this play on words and it is true too.  Seaforth rain gear keeps everything else dry so you can play golf in just about any conditions.

For more information: www.seaforthraingear.com