Best Fullsuit?

isurfcardiff

OTF status
May 8, 2014
294
109
43
I've been mostly an O'neill guy for a long time, but they have declined in quality and I'm tired of having to buy a new suit every year, it's a rip-off and very wasteful. Over the years, I've also tried Patagonia - too heavy and stiff; Xcel - fell apart in a few months; Matuse - not impressed overall; Quiksilver - OK overall. Anyway, I decided to try a RipCurl. I haven't owned one for over 30 years. I went with the new FlashBomb HeatSeeker 3/2. I've had it for about 3 weeks now, and absolutely love it. It's zipperless, which I was a little apprehensive about before I bought it. Overall, it's super warm (the liner is awesome), it dries quick (again, the liner), it's flexible (not quite O'Neill Psychotech flexible), and it fits me very well (6'0" 150lbs and MT fits great). No flushing whatsoever with zipperless! Been great on the cold mornings we've had lately!
 
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VonMeister

Duke status
Apr 26, 2013
20,251
6,976
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JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
Picked up a new 3/2 Heatseeker today. They definitely got the zipperless dialed. Easier to get in and out of than the front zip. 3/2 is very stretchy. So much so that you could undersize it if you aren't careful.

The new E Bomb is ridiculous. if I didn't have the 7till8 on order I would have grabbed a 4/3 as my back up. Hopefully the E6 neoprene makes it in to the Heatseeker next year.
 

johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
I looked on the Oneill website and I was only able to find the psychoTech as a back zip.

Have they moved back to back zips being the premium offering? I was surprised someone still offered them in a premium suit.

Personally I like them better as they are much less restrictive horizontally across the chess than a front zip but I haven't seen one in years.

I had that suit briefly, the way the neck and the back zip fit, it made it a pain to get on, and flushed horribly. I sold it after wearing it only a handful of times.
 

VonMeister

Duke status
Apr 26, 2013
20,251
6,976
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JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
First time this morning used my 3/2 Rip Curl Heatseeker with 3mm Xcel Drylock booties. Water temp 57ish.

When I first got in the water my first impression was this wasn't going to be as warm as a 4/3. I felt the water temp immediately when standing in waist deep water. Once I started paddling everything changed. The suit heated up quickly as advertised. I never once again thought about the water temp. During long lulls I would feel the wind chilling the suit but this would happen with any suit in blowing cold offshores. Legs never felt cold.

Neoprene is neoprene the the thicker it is the better it's going to insulate. What Rip Curl has done here is find a way to add a liner that does increase in heat with your body when you move through friction. It truly works. You can feel the suit heat up. In addition the suit does not saturate like many in the past so that helps as well. Very comfortable flexible suit. In no wind conditions I could see using this down into the low 50 water temps.
 
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Mr J

Michael Peterson status
Aug 18, 2003
2,250
1,454
113
Regional Vic, Australia
...

I bought a couple 4/3 drylocks chest zip on Amazon on a whim. Ive always wanted to try one. Getting them on was easy enough, but no way getting them off without an assist from the wife. The suit wasn't budging off the right shoulder...
If you can get into one easily enough then you should be able to get out. I have a 5mm drylock and its easy compared to my 4.5 patagonia and now that I have figured out what was getting me stuck with the patagonia that's no problem now.

What's your technique for getting out? This is mine:
1. Pull the chest zip opening over your right shoulder so that it sits just below the right deltoid muscle.
2. Reach over to the left side of the chest opening with your right hand and pull that over the left shoulder and peel the opening all the way down past your left elbow.
3. Once you have got the opening past your left elbow you can let go with your right hand and adjust your grip to work your left arm out. I peel it off the left arm so the sleeve ends up inside out.
4. When left arm is completely out of wettie it should be easy enough to use it to get the right arm out.
 

20W-50 and blood

Duke status
Feb 4, 2004
24,948
4,032
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SOCAL
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yesterday i broke out the (NOS) billabong absolute x...holy fugg i LOVE it...granted i'm coming off a stupid xcel...but man...just the flexibility alone...then the taped seams....the neck....love the whole fugging thing...but more than anything.....man...the warmth of her and the flaps/entry party doesn't feel liek there are ten billion layers
 
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Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,265
19,093
113
Jacksonville Beach
If you can get into one easily enough then you should be able to get out. I have a 5mm drylock and its easy compared to my 4.5 patagonia and now that I have figured out what was getting me stuck with the patagonia that's no problem now.

What's your technique for getting out? This is mine:
1. Pull the chest zip opening over your right shoulder so that it sits just below the right deltoid muscle.
2. Reach over to the left side of the chest opening with your right hand and pull that over the left shoulder and peel the opening all the way down past your left elbow.
3. Once you have got the opening past your left elbow you can let go with your right hand and adjust your grip to work your left arm out. I peel it off the left arm so the sleeve ends up inside out.
4. When left arm is completely out of wettie it should be easy enough to use it to get the right arm out.
Pulling the suit down on your legs/torso so it "wants" to come off helps imho. Seems to make it easier to start getting the right shoulder side down over the shoulder.

The first few times you're one of the salmon that, instead of getting spawned in some **** puddle just on the backside of the rivermouth, you were born in some Snake River tributary most of the way to South Dakota or some sh!t, just endlessly swimming and jumping upstream like some kind of autistic anadromous Michael Jordan, but you are trying to get out of a constrictor snake's mouth.
 

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
2,720
6,380
113
I have a Volte, the 4/3 CZ premium. Felt a little snug and stiff at first, but it's stretched out enough and flexibility is good now. The liner is VERY comfy and soft. Warmth has been perfect for Southern California winter, no smoothie skin needed. The only thing for me is the drawstring to cinch down the chest zip feels a little flimsy.
 
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johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
Had a back zip that flushed like crazy, was surprisingly hard to get. I think it would've been a great suit with a chest zip, always really like my pyscho one too, the new mutant looks pretty sweet.
 
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Jan 14, 2015
39
10
8
any1 try oneill psychotech?
1st session in the psychotech. Plenty warm and extremely flexible and soft. Much better than my old suit. Flushed a little bit in the hood on rough duck dives but otherwise was great. Air and water were both 42, offshore winds were cranking and I was fine
 
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ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
6,243
2,866
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They have psychotherapy chest zip coming out. Only turn off is stitch less seams
Why is that a bad thing? Stitchless would mean no holes from the needle (less leaks)and more flexibility. I glued a seam and pulled on it until it tore: didn't tear at the seam. The rubber tore first. This was w sheico 4 way stretch n1 rubber. Today's rubber is even softer and more prone to tearing at the seam holes.