Advice for Selecting a good winter wetsuit

Hi Lads,

Im considering the purchase of a WINTER wetsuit (...I know we are moving to summer..never mind that)

I tend to feel the cold a bit so i thought to seek any advice you could offer regarding what features to look for:

I have an old rip curl (4/3), with turtle neck and zip at the back (sealed), but its always been a MAJOR BATTLE to put on and take off and the sealant in the joints has gone soft and soggy and leaves black marks everywhere. Other than that its a good suit.

So i guess ill need it to have:

1. 3/4 or 4/5? (Im in SA)
2. Turtle neck
3. Sealed back zip (go for minimum zips?)
4. Joint sealant that doesn't smear (dont know how I can determine that during the buying stage)
5. Tight fitting as possible but enough stretch to be able to wear it.
6. Velcro tightening bands around the arms and legs.

Any suggestions?

I bought a 4/3 Flying Objects Flux Suit back in 2010 and it's still doing a fantastic job. Easy to put on, taped on the inside and very flexible in the arms. I wear it in Tassie during both winter and summer and I have never felt the cold (except my hands and face, but that's inevitable)

if its good in Tassie weather it must be good!....what about the polar neck is it a good idea??

We have some Rip Curl options in stock ....
http://www.dextersurf.com.au/wetsuits

1. Suggest 5/3 for Adelaide winter and 2/2 for summer.
2. What is a turtle neck?
3. All good quality wetsuits have sealed seams which are either GBS seams or stitchless seams. Generally minimum zips (i.e. Zip-Free) = maximum flexibility but harder to get on/off.
4. Most Rip Curl wetsuits have GBS seams with internal neoprene taping, or just GBS seams.
5. The Rip Curl size guide is accurate and consistent between wetsuit models and from year to year.
6. Unnecessary.

Don't just look at the wetsuit thickness but pay attention to whether the wetsuit is single or double lined (other critical thing are glued seams, but this has been discussed). Single lined wetsuits look black and "glossy" or are also called snakeskin. The water pearls off the surface and therefore prevents windchill. On the contrary, the water stays on double lined wetsuits longer and when the wind hits the wetsuit it will evaporate which sucks energy out of its surroundings, i.e. your body. Normal surf wetsuits are double lined as they are not damaged as easily.

Therefore, if you spend most of your time outside of the water (ie on your board) and you are looking for a warm winter wetsuit don't buy from a company that produces wetsuits for regular surfers (O'Neil, Quicksilver etc.), but buy them from companies that specialise in windsports. Flying Objects (have a look at "Lava" which is fully single lined and "Flux" which is partly single lined), NP and Ion are such companies.

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MrSpinout said..
Don't just look at the wetsuit thickness but pay attention to whether the wetsuit is single or double lined (other critical thing are glued seams, but this has been discussed). Single lined wetsuits look black and "glossy" or are also called snakeskin. The water pearls off the surface and therefore prevents windchill. On the contrary, the water stays on double lined wetsuits longer and when the wind hits the wetsuit it will evaporate which sucks energy out of its surroundings, i.e. your body. Normal surf wetsuits are double lined as they are not damaged as easily.

Therefore, if you spend most of your time outside of the water (ie on your board) and you are looking for a warm winter wetsuit don't buy from a company that produces wetsuits for regular surfers (O'Neil, Quicksilver etc.), but buy them from companies that specialise in windsports. Flying Objects (have a look at "Lava" which is fully single lined and "Flux" which is partly single lined), NP and Ion are such companies.

Clearly you haven't tried any recent double lined wetsuits ;)

If you're talking cold you should experience Dutch windsurfing from late october through to the end of march. If we're lucky we get 10+ celcius for a day or two but normally temperatures are between 4 to 8 celcius. That's for both air and water, often with the ice just out of the water. Nearly all the people I sail with use double lined O'Neill Psycho series or RipCurl Bomb suits. By far the most affordable warmest suits on the market. The materials these suits are made from have very little windchill but have far better stretch and durability than any single lined suit. The stretch makes it a lot easier to get in and out of the suits and gives you more room to move whilst giving a snugger fit. This results in a very comfortable suit which makes windsurfing easier thus you not losing unwanted energy because the suit is resrricting your movements.

Combine a double lined 5/3 or 5/4 with a cap and 6 mm boots and you can sail in windchill's well below freezing.

+1 RipCurl E-Bomb. I'm about to replace my second E-Bomb and both lasted a good 4 years each. My wetties are used for both surfing and windsurfing. I surf 3 times a week so over the past 4 years it's had a lot of use. It's only just recently started getting some cracks in the material, mainly around the ends of the arms due to me pulling it off and stretching it, and maybe some wear in the arse from sitting on my board. It has lost some of its original elasticity, but not as much as other wettis I've owned. My wetsuits pretty much live on the clothes line in the sun too, so they do tend to perish. Im sure the ebomb would last longer if I looked after it. Yes, they're a bit pricy, but in my 35 years of surfing and owning wetsuits, the E-Bomb is the best one I've found yet.

- North Wollongong: 17 deg ... www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Wollongong-North-Beach/seatemp
- Newcastle: 18 deg .... www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Avoca-Point/seatemp
- Port Philip Bay: 11 deg .... www.baywx.com.au/temps.html
- Davenport : 11 deg ....www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Devonport-Rivermouth
- Marrawah: 11 deg ... www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Lighthouse-Beach/seatemp

NSW doesn't get cold....

For reference I use:
- 4/3+2/1+booties in Rye VIC
- 3/2 + booties in Bullie Beach NSW

Back zip is easier to get out of but harder to do zip up sometimes.
Front zip easier to get in and do zip up but can be a pain to get first arm out. unless shoulder is double jointed
go to this link and then see if an Aussie retailer can do better.
www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/mens-c-22_67.html

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jn1 said..
One thing that ****s me with my O'Neils is water squirts up the foot and into the leg of wettie filling it up with water. After a few runs, one leg looks like one of the Michelin man's legs. Not only is their a problem with the weight, the cold water kills the point of having a wet suit. I was wondering is this an O'Neil thing, or typical of surf style wet suits ?

I've solved the problem by cutting slits into the legs so water can drain out. As MrCranky mentioned, I'm considering getting a 5mm diving suit for winter. I understand these suits have leg and arm seals to block water entry ? (plus the convenience of a front zip).

My surf wetsuit has the balloon calves problem as well (it's a Peak). The Quantum Ion has velcro ankle cuffs as well as drainage holes. It also has drainage holes in the lower back as well.

Leg cuffs usually hold the water in more. So drain holes or porus calf area is the go, although I prefer the drain holes.
Cuffs can be a pain if you forget to undo then have wettie nearly off.
One guy I know uses electrical tape so he can break it if caught out. Or is that inside out.

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Discus said..
Dextersurf, by turtle neck i meant "polar neck" ...so the neoprene covers up your neck...like a polar neck jumper.

The height of the necks is pretty similar between brands. The height of the neck of the Rip Curl back-zip wetsuits is slightly lower than their chest-zips & zip-free wetsuits, which does make a noticeable difference. The benefit of the back-zip wetsuits is that you can adjust the tightness of the neck fitment, however the seal is still not quite as good as the chest-zips & zip-frees.