Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD
If you ever watch those commercial fishing “reality” shows like Deadliest Catch, Wicked Tuna and others you’ll often see the captains and crews suited up in bright orange or yellow, hi-vis waterproof bibs and jackets when the wind, waves and squalls are pounding them with driving rain from above and saltwater spray from the sea while they are working the decks. Makes for good television.
What you don’t often see is the orange letters on the black straps that hold their bibs in place or the small logo on the chest of these that show the rainwear is made by Grundens.
These men aren’t wearing these clothes because of product placement agreements with the producers. Hop on different boat with no TV cameras and you’ll see those crews similarly attired. Grundens is the top choice of weatherwise boating crews because these working men demand the best. They live it. They trust it.
After I got my set of Grundens Transmit X rain wear (jacket and bibs) and experiencing it on my boat in wind, rain and spray, I quickly learned to trust it. It’s not made of the heavy PVC that the deckhands are wearing, rather it’s constructed from rugged, waterproof, breathable (15K/10K) materials suitable for Great Lakes Anglers enjoying days of fishing in less than perfect weather conditions.
I use the Grundens Transmit X as my medium-weight rainwear suitable for those mid-40s to mid-60s days when rain or spray is going to be an issue. When the temperatures are on the colder side, I’ll have layers under for warmth. The Transmit X wind and waterproof outer skin keeps me snug inside and the inner lining makes sliding into the gear or removing it slick and easy.
A problem often encountered with other rainwear is water infiltration at the wrists. Whether setting lines, driving the boat or reeling in a fish, my hands and arms are always moving and the ends of the sleeves are often pointing up where the rain can run down inside a rain jacket. Grundens solved this with snug-fitting neoprene wrist cuffs. They say they are “dunkable.” I’ve not had to plunge my hand into the water, but on the rainy days, not a drop has ever ran up my sleeves.
As the temps rise, I remove inner layers. Often, I remove my Transmit X Jacket but the bibs stay on dock to dock. When fishing, a lot of the moisture (in several forms) that splashes on me is from the waist down. A bit of this gore on my shins or thigh from handling a fresh, floppy fish and I just squirt it clean with the washdown hose.
Check them out or purchase at www.grundens.com. The Transmit X series is also available at many other online and retail outlets.
Though the Transmit X bibs aren’t bright orange like the tough Grundens Herkules bibs commercial watermen have been wearing since the 1950s, they do have the black straps and suspenders with the orange Grundens trademark woven into the material.
