On May 8, 7:29=A0pm, Bob T <thom...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Dan, my wife is the local seamstress and I'm the sail repair guy here
> in Corpus Christi. =A0I gave some consideration to making my own, but I
> don't have access to some of the good stuff I would need like wick-
> away head band, UV resistant "cotton" =A0fabric which breathes and is
> cool, and floating brim material. Although, for the last item, I could
> use some eva foam boom grip material. Plus, the trial and error method
> could end up being more costly than just finding a well made hat which
> is fairly stable in the wind. It this case, it may be better to give
> some business to the pro's at making hats.
Bob: Sorry, I forgot about your line of work. But, I'm gonna bug you
about it some more. For the wicking material, polyester is the call.
You can even use a very thin microfleece to add a bit of padding. For
the brim, consider sewing in a layer of thin, conformable plastic such
as the opaque milk jug stuff. It will stiffen the brim a lot and
weighs almost nothing. As for UV-resistance, what about some scrap
white Dacron treated with 303? Or some light-colored Sunbrella? The
one thing that I don't like about the Gaastra/Team hats is the
neoprene top liner. Yes, it helps the hat float, and also pads the
board/sail/head when carrying gear, but it is HOT like a wetsuit at
times.
There is a long-time longboard racer in the Boston area who wears a
white endurance racing hat. It looks like a cross between a fitted
baseball cap and a French Foreign Legion toque. The brim is stiff,
the material alomst gossamer, and the full tail provides great sun
protection.
Here are a few links to similar hats:
http://www.rei.com/product/749825?vcat=3DREI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC
http://www.rei.com/product/766032?vcat=3DREI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC
http://www.rei.com/product/721671?vcat=3DREI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC
Here is a link to a similar hat made by Tilley that might do exactly
what you want:
http://www.rei.com/product/773493?vcat=3DREI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC
-Dan
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