Gill Key West OS5 Review:
The Gill Key West OS5 foul weather jacket is sailing gear for the serious offshore or coastal sailor. This foul weather gear review looks at the features that make the Key West one of Gill's most popular sailing jackets.
The Gill OS5 Key West offers a water proof and breathable outer shell featuring Gill’s 3 Dot - 2 layer fabric which is microporous and a 100% waterproof jacket with taped seams. Gill’s 3 Dot is highly breathable and durable. It is recommended by Gill as foul weather gear best used for coastal and offshore sailing where it can be relied upon for several days of continuous use in rough conditions.
The Gill Key West is fully lined for breathability and is constructed to drain effectively and be waterproof. This sailing jacket will keep you dry with an adjustable hood that rolls up into the collar, the full Velcro double storm flap on the front of the jacket and the tall collar that keeps your face safe from the wind and dry.
The Gill Key West foul weather jacket also features adjustable Velcro cuffs that can be easily used with sailing gloves. The Gill OS5 cuffs offer PU inner seals for water tight fit.
The zippers of the Gill Key West are water resistant YKK. They are beefy zippers that are easy to access even with gloves on in rough and wet conditions.
Our sailing apparel review also looked at the pockets of the Gill OS5 sailing jacket. We like pockets that are big enough to store marine electronics and navigation tools like hand held GPS or VHF radios and hand bearing compasses.
The Key West jacket offers easily accessible fleece-lined cargo pockets that can accommodate these tools, it also offers a internal security pocket that’s great for keeping a cell phone safe and dry.
Finally, in reviewing the Gill Key West foul weather jacket, we looked for safety features. This jacket includes a life jacket attachment facility and high visibility reflectors on the chest, shoulders and cuffs for excellent 360 degree visibility.
The Gill Key West OS5 foul weather jacket comes in both men’s and women’s models. In our review, we found it to be a very warm, waterproof and durable jacket. It’s easy to see why this is one of Gill’s most popular sailing jackets. It’s extremely functional if you are offshore or doing extended coast cruising. One tip that we suggest when buying any sailing outer wear is to buy it a bit on the large side so you can add layers underneath for warmth.