Board Shorts and Rash Guards, then new Wet Uniform for Yacht
Crews.
As your guests are heading back to the swim platform on the wave
runner, you can see in their eyes that they are not thinking
about a single thing that you told them about docking before
they left. They have just been skipping across the surface of
the water at 60 Knots, and driving personal watercraft is not
something they do everyday, as a matter of fact, they have
probably only done it once before. As they get close to the
platform they slow, the wave runner rolls a bit, so you grab for
the hand grip to stabilize it. We all know what happens next. As
you grab for the wave runner, the guest pulls you in to the
water. Luckily this time you didn't have your radio on your
belt, but you are soaked just the same.
On most yachts it is inappropriate for the crew to work among
the guests bare chested. It is part of that invisible line of
professionalism between crew and guests. Now you have to go and
change your soaked khaki shorts and polo shirt for a fresh
uniform. The addition of a wet uniform to a crew member's
ensemble is the best solution to this problem. There is already
an "off charter" uniform for work projects, a "day uniform" for
guests onboard and a "night uniform" or "dress" for evenings
with guests. The advent of the wet uniform keeps the deck
department looking sharp even when they are soaked, because
nobody looks professional in wet khakis and polos.
Some yacht crews started wearing rash guard shirts during wash
downs, to keep from getting completely scorched in the midday
sun. Then a few yachts started buying them for the crew, for
their water sports activities. The main problem was size
availability and style continuity. Rarely could a Chief
Stewardess go into a surf shop and purchase 10 of each size in a
particular style and color. These shops stock one or two of each
usually. Then the problem becomes the logos. Most rash guards on
the market are covered with advertising for their manufacturers.
Lastly there is the continuity problem; companies like
Quicksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Oneill etc...almost never have
the same design available from year to year. How is a Yacht then
to reorder uniform pieces for a new crew member or to re supply
worn items? The answer to all of those problems is Wet Effect,
Inc.
Wet Effect was started by former yacht crew to solve these
issues and take the wet uniform to the next level. Wet Effect
has its own line of fast drying and comfortable Board Shorts and
Rash Guards. All of these products are manufactured to the
highest quality and without logos. This lets the yacht crew put
their logo or boat name anywhere on the uniform. Logos can be
applied by the yacht's uniform supplier, or it can be handled by
the staff at Wet Effect.