Galway Bay Rain Gear - 2023 Forum Review

[GolferXY]

Good morning, Spies!

It rained this morning.  But unlike most days, I was looking forward to it.  Of course!  My new rain gear is here and crying to be worn.  But with this gear, that would be the only dampness I encountered today.

The rain held off for the entire round, but I did get some rain-duty in at the end.  As I walked off the 18th, the skies opened up and I had my chance.  I headed to the driving range and teed it up with the liquid sun falling on my shoulders.

Ok, let’s back up a bit.  I ordered the gear online, using the Galway Bay fitting tool.  I input my height and weight and the tool suggested an XXL jacket and 42 pant. 

 

I got the gear Saturday.  It came in a smaller box than I anticipated, with coat, pants, and gloves neatly and individually wrapped.  The material is soft and feels like cotton with a bit of a coating for waterproofing. 

Looks nice, stitches are clean, the jacket pockets are easily accessed and big enough for a hand and some golf balls.  It was easy to enter the pocket with a gloved hand and pull out those balls.  The pockets are zippered to keep the rain out and the contents in.  The zippers are plastic and with large teeth, less likely to be fouled.  The waterproofing tape is a slightly different color, more gray-blue than black, but hardly noticeable and goes well with the jacket.  The jacket fit perfectly.  The collar was pliable enough not to rub but stiff enough to maintain its collar-up position.

The pants were of the same material and exactly the same color as the jacket.  They have two fairly small front pockets which I prefer so I didn’t have to dig too deep to get my ball, tee, green repair tool, and ball marker.  The two back pockets were deep enough to fit a scoring book, and my rangefinder dropped in and fit easily.  It was easy to retrieve too, even with a gloved hand.  All good so far.

 5 belt loops, with the middle-back loop more robust as this one will receive the most stress.  The pants fit perfectly for length, which was a concern for me since the website fitting tool suggested a 30” length when I usually wear 32”s in my regular pants.  The girth was a bit on the large size.  In fact it was probably 2 inches wider than I expected – the fitting tool stated they would probably fit tight.  However, once I put on my belt they fit awesome!  Very comfortable, lots of room, and movement was not restricted at all…while dry.  More on that later.

I think they look good.  My golf buddy’s wife said she thought they were attractive and was interested in the women’s line.  She doesn’t golf but likes to walk the course with us for exercise and wants some good rain gear, too. 

I played 18 in the warm, clammy conditions and was pretty comfortable.  Temps ranged from 60-65 degrees fahrenheit with cloudy skies and damp grass.  The clothes were comfortable for the entire round, though towards the end they started to get a bit warm from body heat.  The pants started to be a bit sticky on my knees but not enough to sweat or be uncomfortable.

Now, back to the range.  Are they waterproof?

 

There was a soft but constant rain while I hit some balls.  There was no restriction in the shoulders or waist, and the sound of the material was muted and not at all distracting.  The pants did bind up just a bit at the knees, but performed significantly better than any other pants I’ve worn, rain or regular.  I was out there for about half an hour and when I left I was still dry.  I wore the gear home in the car, and was still dry when I got home.  In fact, I wore the pants the rest of the evening as they had dried off completely in the 30 minutes it took to drive home.

I laundered the clothes and they practically dried themselves.  I’m looking at another go this week with heavier rain forecast when I can put the gloves to good use.

 

[rkj427]

@jdparker and @GolferXY

Great introductions and videos showing the waterproof capabilities of the Galway products. 

As I mentioned, I have a set and have used them with great results, but it is really cool that both of you were able to show or demonstrate to other's here how well they fit and work at keeping you dry in wet conditions.  

[GolferXY]

1 hour ago, rkj427 said:

@jdparker and @GolferXY

Great introductions and videos showing the waterproof capabilities of the Galway products. 

As I mentioned, I have a set and have used them with great results, but it is really cool that both of you were able to show or demonstrate to other's here how well they fit and work at keeping you dry in wet conditions.  

Thanks rkj.  How long have you had the Galway Bay gear?  I have the Hawthorn II  jacket and Seagrove II pants.  It's be interesting to compare the fit and style of the various offerings.

[rkj427]

1 hour ago, GolferXY said:

Thanks rkj.  How long have you had the Galway Bay gear?  I have the Hawthorn II  jacket and Seagrove II pants.  It's be interesting to compare the fit and style of the various offerings.

I have the long sleeved, lined jacket, and the chino pants.

Have had them 2 golf seasons, and the first season they saw plenty of action, as I played out of state, and it rained 4 out of the 5 days we played.

I played last November here in Michigan with them on, on a day where it rained lightly, then turned to snowflakes and never had an issue.

Also, I ordered them in the same size I wear in jackets or shirts, XL, and pant the same size as jeans or dress pants I wear, and they fit perfectly and are comfortable.

[Josh Parker]

9 hours ago, rkj427 said:

I have the long sleeved, lined jacket, and the chino pants.

Have had them 2 golf seasons, and the first season they saw plenty of action, as I played out of state, and it rained 4 out of the 5 days we played.

I played last November here in Michigan with them on, on a day where it rained lightly, then turned to snowflakes and never had an issue.

Also, I ordered them in the same size I wear in jackets or shirts, XL, and pant the same size as jeans or dress pants I wear, and they fit perfectly and are comfortable.

What type of maintenance have you done with them after each use?  

[rkj427]

2 hours ago, jdparker said:

What type of maintenance have you done with them after each use?  

Just normal wash per their directions. I have not had to add any other "coating" or other additional "waterproofing type" enhancement product and they still repel water similar to when brand new.

Actually, as I continue to play later into October and November here, I will wear them more often than I have this past summer, and can update if there are any changes, but I honestly do not think they will degrade in the weatherproofing they have.

I am more than happy with this product, especially when you compare the pricing to other big name brands, and the quality and durability they have shown so far.

[Josh Parker]

7 minutes ago, rkj427 said:

Just normal wash per their directions. I have not had to add any other "coating" or other additional "waterproofing type" enhancement product and they still repel water similar to when brand new.

Actually, as I continue to play later into October and November here, I will wear them more often than I have this past summer, and can update if there are any changes, but I honestly do not think they will degrade in the weatherproofing they have.

I am more than happy with this product, especially when you compare the pricing to other big name brands, and the quality and durability they have shown so far.

That's great to know. It's one of the test I want to really explore.  

[Alan Scalzi]

 

Just let the gloves dry and the are back to soft and new feel!

[EugeGall]

My package is still with UK Customs. I don’t think it’s shipping from Colombia, but customs have sniffer dogs all over it, well that’s my story. I think the fact it says the word “gear” has them ecited. Just as well the sender is not called Escobar, LOL  

[Josh Parker]

Plan on testing the gloves out tomorrow. Going to soak them in a bucket of water and go hit a bucket at the driving range to see how easy/hard it is to hold a club and actually swing normally. 

[Josh Parker]

Update on the glove test.  I went to the range this morning and soaked the gloves and started hitting some balls starting with PW.  The first thing I noticed was that while they do provide some grip, they don't provide as much as I had hoped. I really felt like I had to let off on the swing to keep good contact.  

I then tried just using one glove which I found didn't help one bit as you start over compensating with you gloveless hand. 

The gloves dried quickly and feel the same as they did when I pulled them out of the packaging the first time.  

I will be doing some more testing with them and capture some video this next time.  This will also start testing the durability of the gloves and how much they can handle with moisture and use.  

[GolferXY]

 

Is this evidence of global climate change???  I think it may be.  October in Seattle, Washington. 

So far, I've worn the Galway Bay rain gear for three rounds in the sun.  On one occasion it rained post-round and I noted that testing in a previous post.  

What I can say is that the Galway Bay gear is super comfortable in dry warm weather, and has very good rain proofing.  I left the jacket on the side mirror of my car during the only real rain we've had and there was just a little bleed through around the back of the neck.  However, this wasn't a very good test and I disregard it as a true test of the product since there wasn't a warm body inside of it and the jacket was obviously hanging at a different angle from how it would normally fit me.  Still, i was impressed by how little bleed through there was.  The pockets stayed reasonably dry during this 2 hour rain test considering that the water was running straight down the pocket line, but did have significantly more water bleed through than the jacket interior.

Next up will be a bucket test of the gloves. Hopefully I'll have some video.  My first impression is that they are bulkier than my RR gloves [which are like a second skin] and made of a fabric that at first glance doesn't look waterproof but looks more like the cool weather gloves you would use to keep you hands warm rather than dry.  The bucket test should either confirm or disprove my initial assumptions.

I'm still looking for that rainy day when I'm not working so I can put the gear to a realistic test.  We'll talk then!

XY

[WaffleHouseTour]

UnBoxing and First Impressions

Returned home from my travels to find a roughly shoe box size package waiting for me.  I thought that’s awfully small.  Well, let me tell you this rain suite is light weight and very, very packable.   I went with the “Ultimate Grey” Hawthorn II Rain Jacket size medium, and the Seagrove II Chino Rain Pant in Black, size 32x32.  That is the size I typically wear – Medium shirts, pull overs, size 40 Regular in a suit jacket and 32x32 pants – unless I find the rare unicorn of a 32x31.  I’m 5’10” and 165lbs.

       

The texture reminds me of my ProQuip, kind of a smooth soft shell.  Almost a satiny feel. Doesn’t feel like anything is there.  The jacket is very thin, no lining or anything like 

Observations – these aren’t pluses or minuses just observations.  

Jacket : There are draw strings  built into the hem of the bottom of the jacket, but nothing up around the rib or under arm area.  I point that out only because other jackets I’ve had have some way to tighten the fit there – we’ll see later if that’s something missing or not. 

There are some Velcro tabs along the zipper line – that’s common – but nothing at the neck.  There are also Velcro along the wrist cuffs to size appropriately. 

  

Its becoming standard to put a zippered pocket on the chest.  I see these on quarter zips too.  I don’t know that I’ve ever put anything in one…  You aren’t going to put a heavy iphone in there… do people really keep a score card there?

Pants: I really like the look.  They look like regular tapered pants – with a nice little notch at the ankle hem. Other than the larger belt loop in the middle back with the logo on it, you might think these are regular golf pants you got somewhere.  GB’s web site says “These unlined pants have the same sleek look and feel as traditional golf pants…” I’d say that is accurate.  I would almost call them slim fit – not overly so – but that are definitely not baggy.   I’d say they look similar to my Dunning golf pants.  When I did the order I tried their “find your fit” option and it recommended a 36x30.  Well, I’m happy with my choice at 32x32.  

Yes, these have a slighty “whisper” sound to them when walking.  We’ll see how that goes. 

The interior of the pant around the waist has band with the name in kind of a rubbery texture – like it is there to help hold things in place and avoid twisting.   

    

I would say the “rise” is average.  Some sleek or tapered pants have zero room in the crotch.  I don’t like Peter Millar shorts (love the shirts) because the rise is too high. As compared to some jeans where there is all kinds of extra room and things are baggy.  Id say are a nice medium, good fit. 

Everything is “storm sealed” including the washing instructions. 

The back pockets have little magnets sewn into them to help keep them closed.  Other rain pants I’ve had have a flap over the pocket to prevent water from getting in, or have zippered back pockets – so this will be interesting to see how it compares.   

The front pockets, as has been mentioned, are not deep.  Some people like that.  What I noticed is they are unsealed. Other pants I have either have some sort of flap, or more likely zipper to keep whatever you put there dry.  So we’ll see how this performs.  GB may have decide the hem of the jacket hangs low enough no water should get it.  It does hang low enough almost covering the pocket – so we’ll find out. 

Because the legs are tapered I think they have a nice look.  Other rainpants kind of pool around your shoes.  My SunIce onces are adjustable so they can be wide or narrow.  My one worry here is that if its too tapered does that shoot the water into the shoe rather than sheeting it off around the shoe.  If its too tapered does it get the sock on the back of my ankle wet, there by making my foot wet.  I don’t know yet – we’ll have to see.  

This whole concept of “always on” rainpants is new to me.  I’ve mentioned before, all mine are pull on over shorts or whatever.  You could wear them all the time, but I usually either start with them off and pull them on, or start with them on during the cool months and pull them off as the day warms up.  There won’t be any of that with these.  Those tapered legs are not going to pull over any shoes.  

[WaffleHouseTour]

Flexibility Test

Since I was gone for a couple weeks while my rainsuit sat in a box, I feel obligated to do some catch up.  So here is my attempt to measure flexibility – does the rain suit restrict you.   I thought the best way to do that would be in a controlled environment, testing multiple “outfits”.   I did this all in my backyard using my Mevo+.  

I started with a Stack session this morning to get warmed up.  Took a break, hit five or six balls to make sure I knew where the actual club face was, and then got started. 

I did four sets of ten shots each.  For each set I was swinging my 7 iron.  I hit my 7 iron much more consistently with the driver, and as you’ll see in the videos I take the club back just as far as I would with the driver.  I don’t think the club would make any difference in flexibility, but I know from my own experience that my driver speed and mechanics vary much more.  If you look at the data, ignore the club id in the corner - I always used the 7 iron. 

My two metrics I am choosing to focus on are club head speed and lateral dispersion.  I think club head speed makes sense – can you get through the ball as fast as you could without the rainsuit.  I also focus on lateral dispersion as it may reflect if you can turn and return in the same fashion.  My tendency is to the left as you’ll see shortly.  But if I'm consistently left - that's ok - at least as far as the suit goes. 

Remember – we are not grading my swing here… Just looking for flexibility. 

 

First up, wearing a pair of Joggers and a favorite Peter Millar Quarter Zip Jacket.  

Average Club Head Speed was 85.9 mph, with a deviation of 0.6; Lateral average of 10.1 yards left, with a deviation of 5.9

 

Next up, my current ProQuip Rain Jacket and Sun Ice pants. 

Average Club Head Speed was 84.8, Deviation of 1.3; Lateral average of 6.1 left, with a deviation of 7.9.

 

Third, stripped off the jack and pants to wear just a Golf Shirt and Shorts.

Average Club head speed of 84.1, Deviation of 1.5; Lateral average of 8.0 left, with a deviation of 7.6.

 

Finally, change into the Galway Bay Rain Suit, same golf shirt under, no golf shorts, just the GB pants. 

Average club head speed of 85.3, Deviation of 0.6; Lateral 4.8L; Deviation of 10.5 

I hit a few way left – but I don’t think that is the suits fault.  

 

An observation – the GB suit on me is puffy in the chest/midsection area when I get into my golf posture.  It just kind of sticks out – bunches a bit.  I’ve got two photos here one in the GB and on in my old – notice the difference in my chest area near my lead elbow.  It kind of puffs out.  My old rain suit I have a couple Velcro straps under my arm pits that can be used to tighten the jacket and I do that.  However – clearly it did NOT hinder my swing.   Again it is super light weight. 

              

My next question is does this puffy-ness interfer with putting or chipping – something where you are holding your hands much closer to your body.  I’ll be looking at that this weekend.  

Thoughts or suggestions from the Spies?

@Getoffmylawn @Paco Chan @Bradka13

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by WaffleHouseTour

[fourwaymiss]

Holy cow @WaffleHouseTour this is fire! Love the level of the detail - thanks so much for putting so much effort into this!

I have a couple of questions/thoughts on this initial round of results:

1. When I do my 8-10 swings on Stack, I've noticed that my middle 4-5 swings are the most indicative of my swing speed at that weight. (First few are getting used to the weight; last few are just getting tired.) How different would your results look if you only took the middle 5 of your swings in each set?
2. I'm curious that your 3rd set - shirt and shorts - was slower than your 1st set by 1.8mph. (In my mind, this is fully unrestricted, so should be the fastest.) Do you have a sense of what was different?

It's awesome to see the GB set have such a favourable set of results! And once again, thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed test and sharing of the results!

[GolfSpy AFG]

@WaffleHouseTour this is great stuff.  That “chest poof” is exactly one of the things I’d be concerned with in buying rain gear; I’ll be really interested in your upcoming chipping and putting feedback.

I guess my only comment on any impacts to clubhead speed is that driver would probably show the greatest disparity…it’s the one club you’re trying to hit as far as possible rather than a specific distance, so you’re very likely to have a longer range of motion, greater intent, etc.  What you’ve done here is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll be interested if you perceive any lost distance from the tee box when you get on course.

[WaffleHouseTour]

10 hours ago, Paco Chan said:

Holy cow @WaffleHouseTour this is fire! Love the level of the detail - thanks so much for putting so much effort into this!

I have a couple of questions/thoughts on this initial round of results:

1. When I do my 8-10 swings on Stack, I've noticed that my middle 4-5 swings are the most indicative of my swing speed at that weight. (First few are getting used to the weight; last few are just getting tired.) How different would your results look if you only took the middle 5 of your swings in each set?
2. I'm curious that your 3rd set - shirt and shorts - was slower than your 1st set by 1.8mph. (In my mind, this is fully unrestricted, so should be the fastest.) Do you have a sense of what was different?

It's awesome to see the GB set have such a favourable set of results! And once again, thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed test and sharing of the results!

Good questions.

I often have the same experience w my Stack. So I took the numbers just for the GB Rainsuit and dropped the first two  and last two - kept the middle six. Went from 85.3 w dev of 0.6 to 85.3 w dev of 0.7. Lateral went from  4.8L to 2.3L no change in deviation. So - no significant difference. 
 

As to the most unincumbered swings being slower?  I’m no Iron Byron…. I wondered about that too. Mechanical mistakes and swing flaws?  I’d say getting tired but I jumped back up. 

[Bradka13]

Great results for the GB raingear!  Thank you @WaffleHouseTour for the detailed testing!  I am interested in the further testing to see if the "puffiness" affects shorter shots but I am guessing it won't make much difference.  When I am wearing something looser fitting, I find that you can just tuck the extra under your arm before the shot and it seems to be fine.

[Alan Scalzi]

Been testing the Galway Bay gear every day in practice and today was going to wear it out on the course,  high 59° and 15% chance of rain! Then got a call a hour before we were to tee off and the others all work together had to cancel,  not sure more bummed about playing or wearing! Do feel comfortable wearing the gear in practice !

[Bradka13]

1 hour ago, Alan Scalzi said:

Been testing the Galway Bay gear every day in practice and today was going to wear it out on the course,  high 59° and 15% chance of rain! Then got a call a hour before we were to tee off and the others all work together had to cancel,  not sure more bummed about playing or wearing! Do feel comfortable wearing the gear in practice !

Don't they let you play alone at your course? 

[GolferXY]

Nice write up, no waffling there! I haven't noticed the poofiness through four rounds and a couple of range sessions but I'm not as slim as you.

Haven't noted a loss of range of motion with the jacket but the pants bind a tich at the knees when wet.

[Josh Parker]

I wore the pants today during my round and even though we didn't have any weather, it was nice enough to try the pants out.  

Breathability was good and it was in the 70s.  I own a lot of "golf" pants and these were as comfortable as anything I own and I could easily wear them any day of the week. They definitely have a slight noise but it was less than any of my other rain gear. 

 

[WaffleHouseTour]

This is what you wanted, right?      

52* and 100% rain.  Well, turns out it didn’t rain 100% of the time, just off and on.  But I had the course to myself today, and the guy in the proshop just shaking his head as I walked out to the first tee. 

It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – we are here to critique the rain suit – not my swing… just the rain suit.   I’ll also add today was my worst round of the year.  The 52*, plus the 30 mph winds, plus the rain – a miserable day. Tight muscles, and I kept letting it go right.  But I stayed dry!

 

Water Proofing : I stayed completely dry.  My hands, of course, were wet because that’s how rain gloves work.  But at the end of the 18 holes I was completely dry underneath the jacket and pants.  I took these pictures because it will matter down below under “Bag Carry Factor”.

  

No water got in at my neck – made sure my bucket hat stayed outside the collar.  I  expressed concern at the unboxing that the tapered legs may end up letting water get into my shoe – nope, feet stayed dry.

All the water just sheeted right off.    

 

As it was cold out, I varied between 3 and 4 layers – golf shirt, golf vest and GB jacket for the front nine.  I was feeling cool even though I was walking so at the turn I stopped in the clubhouse to slip on a quarter zip I brought over the vest and under the rain jacket.   That definitely warmed me up.  By the 16th green I was feeling warm, and questioning the breathability as I felt like I was starting to sweat – so on the 17th tee box I opened the rain jacket and pulled off the quarter zip and I felt good again.  Felt just fine on the last two holes. Just one too many layers. 

Looking back at my intro - the items I wanted to evaluate were:

Breathability

I think the Galway Bay rain jacket is breathable.  It won’t keep you warm, as its just a shell to keep you dry, so its up to you to layer up properly.  I experienced being both cool and warm – all based on how much I was wearing.  My legs in the Galway Bay rain pants felt find all morning long.  

Can it do double duty ? 

Today was my first day wearing it in the rain, but this past weekend I also wore it at the Prairie Club where we had our first frost delay of the season.  I think it breaks the wind nicely.  I think it keeps you dry.  But this is not a jacket to keep you warm.  When its cold you’ll have to layer up.  But the upside to that is it should be good in the summer.  I wish I’d had this back in July or August to put that to the test.  But given my change of layers above, I think that jacket is pretty minimal in terms of insulation – that is not a bad thing.  But no double duty. 

Bag Carry Factor :

I’m a walker – part of the push cart mafia – but for you all I slung the bag over my shoulder on the back.  After a few holes it started to feel like water was leaking through on the tops of my shoulders as I’ve felt with previous rain suits.  I was surprised.  I ducked into the bathroom after 14, and stripped off the jacket – dry inside, and my quarter zip was dry, as was my vest and shirt. I think its just the feeling I get carrying the double strap bag.  You’ll naturally perspire a bit, and with the weight of the straps you are going to feel it where the straps press into you.  If its 76* and sunny it probably evaporates before you realize its there.  But I’m wearing four layers.  But there was no moisture coming through the jacket – so its not to blame.  Put the bag on the push cart for the next hole and the feeling goes away. 

 

Fit and flexibility :

I’ve posted about the flexibility before – and a few of you have commented on the “chest poof”.  That is a real thing.  And it’s a problem on those shots where your arms/hands are close to your boddy – ie chips and putts.  You can see in these videos I was trying to find ways to keep the jacket from interfering with the putter.  

Now here is where I have to confess to Operator Error.  I got the wrong size.  I’m a medium in everything I have in my closet.  Shirts, quarter zips, sweaters, you name it.  I’m a 15 ½ neck and 31 sleeve in a dress shirt and a size 40 regular in a suit jacket.  So I didn’t even think twice when I ordered a medium.  I have since gone back to the Galway Bay web site and they have a “What’s My Size”  fitting helper.  While it came back recommending a Medium, it also notes it notes it will be “slightly loose” in the chest; where as if I select a Small it says “ideal fit” in the chest. 

 If I had purchased this jacket myself, I would be sending it back to exchange for a small.  Its just too “pooofy”.  Doesn’t bother me with a full swing – but it does with the short shots and putter.  

Gloves: While my hands were wet, they didn’t slip.  Grip feels good.    They dye turned my hands black… but this was the first time wearing them.  We’ll see if that happens again.  I typically wear a Small glove, and I got a Small in these, and the fit was appropriately tight.  Biggest surprise – I had no problems using my iphone while wearing these gloves in the rain. 

Ease of cleaning:

Before my gear arrived I emailed GB asking about cleaning.  The response I got back said “Great question! For our rain gear, we recommend washing it in warm water and using a mild detergent. Avoid using too much detergent, as this can reduce the waterproofness of the fabric. You can also use a DWR (durable water repellent) solution to refresh the waterproofness of your rain gear. DWR solutions are available at most outdoor retailers.”  

Questions?
Let me know what I'm forgetting. 

I've got a few more videos to attach, but Youtube says I've hit my limit for the day. I'll add them shortly. 

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by WaffleHouseTour
Additional videos

[Josh Parker]

18 minutes ago, WaffleHouseTour said:

This is what you wanted, right?      

52* and 100% rain.  Well, turns out it didn’t rain 100% of the time, just off and on.  But I had the course to myself today, and the guy in the proshop just shaking his head as I walked out to the first tee. 

It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – we are here to critique the rain suit – not my swing… just the rain suit.   I’ll also add today was my worst round of the year.  The 52*, plus the 30 mph winds, plus the rain – a miserable day. Tight muscles, and I kept letting it go right.  But I stayed dry!

 

Water Proofing : I stayed completely dry.  My hands, of course, were wet because that’s how rain gloves work.  But at the end of the 18 holes I was completely dry underneath the jacket and pants.  I took these pictures because it will matter down below under “Bag Carry Factor”.

  

No water got in at my neck – made sure my bucket hat stayed outside the collar.  I  expressed concern at the unboxing that the tapered legs may end up letting water get into my shoe – nope, feet stayed dry.

All the water just sheeted right off.    

 

As it was cold out, I varied between 3 and 4 layers – golf shirt, golf vest and GB jacket for the front nine.  I was feeling cool even though I was walking so at the turn I stopped in the clubhouse to slip on a quarter zip I brought over the vest and under the rain jacket.   That definitely warmed me up.  By the 16th green I was feeling warm, and questioning the breathability as I felt like I was starting to sweat – so on the 17th tee box I opened the rain jacket and pulled off the quarter zip and I felt good again.  Felt just fine on the last two holes. Just one too many layers. 

Looking back at my intro - the items I wanted to evaluate were:

Breathability

I think the Galway Bay rain jacket is breathable.  It won’t keep you warm, as its just a shell to keep you dry, so its up to you to layer up properly.  I experienced being both cool and warm – all based on how much I was wearing.  My legs in the Galway Bay rain pants felt find all morning long.  

Can it do double duty ? 

Today was my first day wearing it in the rain, but this past weekend I also wore it at the Prairie Club where we had our first frost delay of the season.  I think it breaks the wind nicely.  I think it keeps you dry.  But this is not a jacket to keep you warm.  When its cold you’ll have to layer up.  But the upside to that is it should be good in the summer.  I wish I’d had this back in July or August to put that to the test.  But given my change of layers above, I think that jacket is pretty minimal in terms of insulation – that is not a bad thing.  But no double duty. 

Bag Carry Factor :

I’m a walker – part of the push cart mafia – but for you all I slung the bag over my shoulder on the back.  After a few holes it started to feel like water was leaking through on the tops of my shoulders as I’ve felt with previous rain suits.  I was surprised.  I ducked into the bathroom after 14, and stripped off the jacket – dry inside, and my quarter zip was dry, as was my vest and shirt. I think its just the feeling I get carrying the double strap bag.  You’ll naturally perspire a bit, and with the weight of the straps you are going to feel it where the straps press into you.  If its 76* and sunny it probably evaporates before you realize its there.  But I’m wearing four layers.  But there was no moisture coming through the jacket – so its not to blame.  Put the bag on the push cart for the next hole and the feeling goes away. 

 

Fit and flexibility :

I’ve posted about the flexibility before – and a few of you have commented on the “chest poof”.  That is a real thing.  And it’s a problem on those shots where your arms/hands are close to your boddy – ie chips and putts.  You can see in these videos I was trying to find ways to keep the jacket from interfering with the putter.  

Now here is where I have to confess to Operator Error.  I got the wrong size.  I’m a medium in everything I have in my closet.  Shirts, quarter zips, sweaters, you name it.  I’m a 15 ½ neck and 31 sleeve in a dress shirt and a size 40 regular in a suit jacket.  So I didn’t even think twice when I ordered a medium.  I have since gone back to the Galway Bay web site and they have a “What’s My Size”  fitting helper.  While it came back recommending a Medium, it also notes it notes it will be “slightly loose” in the chest; where as if I select a Small it says “ideal fit” in the chest. 

 If I had purchased this jacket myself, I would be sending it back to exchange for a small.  Its just too “pooofy”.  Doesn’t bother me with a full swing – but it does with the short shots and putter.  

Gloves: While my hands were wet, they didn’t slip.  Grip feels good.    They dye turned my hands black… but this was the first time wearing them.  We’ll see if that happens again.  I typically wear a Small glove, and I got a Small in these, and the fit was appropriately tight.  Biggest surprise – I had no problems using my iphone while wearing these gloves in the rain. 

Ease of cleaning:

Before my gear arrived I emailed GB asking about cleaning.  The response I got back said “Great question! For our rain gear, we recommend washing it in warm water and using a mild detergent. Avoid using too much detergent, as this can reduce the waterproofness of the fabric. You can also use a DWR (durable water repellent) solution to refresh the waterproofness of your rain gear. DWR solutions are available at most outdoor retailers.”  

Questions?
Let me know what I'm forgetting. 

I've got a few more videos to attach, but Youtube says I've hit my limit for the day. I'll add them shortly. 

 

Great info and glad you got the chance to test in actual rain. 

I'm still waiting on the rain and for now having to produce my own for testing! 

[Alan Scalzi]

2 hours ago, jdparker said:

Great info and glad you got the chance to test in actual rain. 

I'm still waiting on the rain and for now having to produce my own for testing! 

No rain here either,  but worn the jacket for half the round today as it was in the 60°s and windy!  Keep me warm !

[WaffleHouseTour]

Here are the last two videos I couldn't upload yesterday.   You can really see the "poof" factor on the putting.

 

[GolferXY]

Still waiting for rain, but got a couple of short vids. Fit is excellent and no poofiness for me.

 

Showing my good side here....

 I've played five rounds and a couple of range sessions, and can't find fault with the fit or comfort.

Laundered 5 times and waterproofing still holding up. Sunday should give it a workout since we're expecting rain.

I'm hitting the range today, and will give an update on whether the gear reduces swing speed. From my experience on the course I expect to see a bit of a difference, especially in my irons, although the cooler weather may be having an impact on distance.

 

[Alan Scalzi]

Going out today to play around. 55° and cloudy 3% chance of rain! Went out on Thursday windy but in the upper 70° wore the jacket for 5 holes, was very comfortable.  Today will be pants and jacket day!

[EugeGall]

Update: Played today no rain, but it was on the cold side - 7C or 45F for those across the pond so right at the bottom of the rating. I have to say for a set that is so light to wear it really worked to keep the cold air out. Add to that I wore the pants last week at 71F I can verify they work across the board. I’ll admit I was sceptical they could keep you warm and cool, but hats off to Galway Bay, these work. The pants especially could be goto bottoms for all conditions. For rainwear there is very little sound when moving, very comfortable. I’m giving big thumbs up so far. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

I ordered a rain jacket and looks like it will rain next week so I finally get to use it! Can't wait and as someone who plays in the rain a fair bit this will be a frequent requirement and hopefully a slight improvement over my older one.