the Site Guide - your quide to shopping online. Websites reviewed to help you buy quality products over the internet

Sailing and Watersports

Andark offers everything from skis to a full range of watersports clothing, power kites, inflatable dinghies, wetsuits and diving equipment, torches, knives and underwater camera accessories. So if you know someone who sails, water skis, wakeboards, dives and any other general messing about on the water sports, this is the place to come. They also offer PADI diver training at all levels

Compass 24

Here's a modern, well designed site with an enormous and easy to view range of sailing clothing and equipment from anchoring and mooring equipment to boat fittings and boarding ladders. They also have some very good special offers. They call themselves Europe's largest marine mail-order store and when you visit their website you'll find out why.

Crew Clothing

This is a really attractive and modern website with a constantly expanding range, offering all the Crew gear, from the full collection of sailing inspired and casual clothing to lots of other choices including flip-flops, deck shoes and cowboy boots, belts and socks and well priced luggage. The Limited Edition collection for women is also well worth a look.

Henri Lloyd

This is a beautifully designed website from a famous sailing brand now offering an increasing range including stylish sailing clothing for guys and girls, footwear, luggage and specific branded marinewear. Online you can't buy their technical sailing gear but the collection's chic and stylish clothing is not overpriced. For the sailor this is a great place to browse.

Nautical Living

This is not so much a sailing store but a great place to find gifts for anyone who likes the nautical lifestyle. There are sailing themed cupboards, coffee tables and lamps, mirrors, duvet covers, fabrics, picture frames, towels, pegs, light pulls and lots more and everything is beautifully photographed. They also offer an interior design service which is particularly well priced for kids.

Purple Marine

This is a seriously good marine store offering a full range of clothing for everyone and everything, for the boat owner from bilge pumps and hatches to chart holders, boat covers and buoyancy aids. If you’re a sailor yourself, or you know someone who is you’ll find an enormous choice here, with an excellently laid out website. If you can’t get to one of their stores, you can choose to have your order shipped worldwide, fully insured and they offer Express Delivery as well.

Quba Sails

Quba Sails was formed with the idea of producing unique and striking sailing jackets made from new and recycled sail cloth. This has now developed into a range of ready to wear and customised jackets and bags made out of ‘retired’ sails. You can also find some limited edition jackets made from the sails of world famous, prizewinning yachts and a full range of high quality clothing, all of which can be customised. Worldwide delivery and express delivery UK.

Rock the Boat

This website is essential for anyone who rows. For the gear (apart from the boat and blades, of course) the absolutely essential waterproof splash tops, hoodys and jackets, the lycra (yes I know) leggings and shorts plus neckwarmers, hats and pogies (for the hands). Then there are the wonderful, funny t-shirts and tops that only those who have oarsmen in their families will understand with with slogans such as Ergo, Ergoing, Ergone and Going Forwards Backwards. All great gifts for the rower you know.

Sailing Clothing Store

Musto, Henri Lloyd, and Gill are the three main brands on offer here for the sailor, including the clothing, accessories, footwear and luggage ranges. You'll also find deck shoes and chandlery, Leatherman knives, Silva compasses and charts and marine books, plus the clever Sea Shore 6 speed Marine Folding Bike which stows away on board or in the boot of your car. EU delivery.

Simply Scuba

Selling itself as the Uk's online dive store, Simply Scuba offers not only excellent equipment and accessories but information about diving courses at all levels, equipment servicing and advice on where you can dive all over the world. This is one of a growing group of websites including Simply Beach, where you can expect the product range, advice and service to be very good.