Patagonia Stretch Terre Planing Hooded Jacket

This is the kind of piece that makes you want to keep paddling even as others turn back to shore (minding weather and safety conditions, of course).  Patagonia’s board shorts fabric drapes the paddler with silky, UPF50+ protection even before launching.  Testers couldn’t deny Terre’s credibility as a legitimate piece despite the shaka-provoking mellow looks.  Central are three design features Active Junky rated highly; 1) An adaptable drawcord hood that snaps to stow, 2) thumb-looped sleeves with generous stretch and non-binding shoulder and 3) zippered front and pockets for adjustability with noncorrosive security.  Further inspection revealed Terre’s kite harness friendliness even though testers never unfurled a sail. At 9.2oz with DWR coating, this jacket wins for on-board features and all-around wearability in most moderate to warmer conditions.