What to wear on a Lofoten boat tour

Three facts about a Lofoten boat trip shape everything below, and none of them is about the forecast.

You are sitting still. This is the one people underestimate most. Two hours walking around Svolvær and two hours sitting on an open deck are not comparable, and the layers that were generous for the first are thin for the second. Every trip on this site is between two and four hours, and on most of them the only thing you are doing with your body is holding a camera.

The boat makes its own wind. A RIB moves, and a moving open boat has wind across it whatever the air was doing when you left the quay. That is why the RIB operators give you a suit rather than trusting your coat: $125 lists a safety briefing, a flotation suit, a life vest, gloves and protective goggles; $125 lists warm wetsuits, gloves, a hat, a balaclava, a helmet or wind goggles and a life jacket; $125 lists floatation suits and a professional guide. Read those three lists side by side and you can see the difference straight away — the second one covers your head and hands and the third one does not.

The bigger boats do not dress you. Here is the part that catches people out, because the assumption is that the more you pay, the more you are given. On this site the reverse is true, and for a good reason. $157, the most reviewed trip here at 4.8 from 3,480 reviews, is a purpose-built hybrid-electric boat, and its inclusions are a live guide, access to warm indoor areas and tap water. No suit, because the design of the trip is that you can step inside whenever you want to. $109 lists a live guide and the chance to see the eagles, with snacks and drinks available on board. Neither hands you a stitch of clothing, and neither needs to — provided you brought layers. If you did not, three and a half hours is a long time to stand at a rail in a city coat, and the sheltered boat is precisely the one where people are tempted to under-dress because it sounds comfortable.

The middle case is worth naming because it surprises everyone: $143, the Sea Eagle Safari to Trollfjord, is not a RIB but its own listing calls it an open-top boat. The inclusions are a lifejacket, goggles, a cap and gloves. So your head and your hands are covered, there is no suit over your body, and there is no cabin to retreat to. That is the trip where your own outer layer matters most of all.

On a RIB, bring less than you think. The suit goes on over your clothes at the quay, and it is the reason a two-hour open run in a cold wind is a pleasure rather than an ordeal. What you want underneath it is a warm mid layer and ordinary trousers — not a bulky coat you will struggle to get the suit over, and not waterproof trousers you do not need. Check the kit list on your particular booking, because the three RIB listings are not identical: $125 covers your head and hands, $125 gives gloves and goggles, and $125 lists the suit alone. On that last one, a hat is on you.

On a bigger boat, bring more than you think. Nobody is going to dress you, and the comfort in the description refers to the boat, not to your clothing. $157 does list warm indoor areas, which genuinely changes the trip — you can watch from the deck and go in when you have had enough. But the views are outside, the boat is on the water for three and a half hours, and people who spend the whole time indoors have paid for a window seat. A windproof shell over a fleece, a hat, and gloves means you use the deck.

On the fishing trips, dress for work. $114 is four hours, the longest stretch on the water in the catalogue, and it is the only listing on the site that provides rain gear along with the fishing equipment and a life vest. You are handling gear, the deck is wet, and the crew help you clean and pack the catch. Closed shoes with grip stop being a suggestion here. $115 at three hours lists a fishing kit, safety equipment and an experienced crew — no rain gear, so that one runs on your own layers.

The verdict. One outfit covers the entire catalogue: windproof shell, warm mid layer, hat, gloves, closed shoes. Take that to the quay and you are correctly dressed for all thirteen trips. On the RIB you will put a suit over it; on the cruise boat you will take the shell off indoors; on the open-top boat you will be glad of every piece. And because everything leaves from Svolvær harbour, in the middle of a small town, the cost of getting it wrong is a walk back to your room rather than a ruined trip — as long as you notice before boarding rather than after.

1. Dressing for the walk to the harbour. Svolvær in the shelter of the buildings and Raftsundet on a moving boat are two different places. Pack for the second.
2. Assuming the expensive trip provides more. It is the other way round here. The RIB trips hand you a suit, a vest and goggles; $157 hands you a warm room and expects you to have brought a coat.
3. Wearing a bulky coat to a RIB booking. The flotation suit goes over your clothes. A warm mid layer under it works far better than a thick jacket you have to wrestle into the suit.
4. Forgetting a hat and gloves. Only some listings provide them — $125 and $143 do, $125 does not. They weigh nothing and they are the difference between using the deck and hiding from it.
5. Carrying a loose phone on an open boat. Spray, one hand holding on, and open water underneath. A zipped pocket or a dry bag is the whole of the solution.