The Great Unbiased Wetsuit Review Thread

[silentbutdeadly]

The Patagonia thread got me thinking about doing an unbiased wetsuit thread. We have a lot of surfers on here that are in the water several times a week and I know there are many different brands being worn. If anyone has any suggestions for how it should be structured then feel free to chime in. If you think it's stupid, then just ignore!

I have three new suits for this winter:

Hurley Freedom 3/2 Back zip
3/2 Psycho II (brand new from warranty return)
Quiksilver Ignite 4/3.

I've only worn the hurley so far for about 8 sessions and here is my critique so far:

Comfy fast drying suit (dries faster than any suit I've owned). No leaks so far but I don't think it's quite as warm as my previous oneil's. Time will tell when the water cools down to winter temps. The YKK zipper lets zero water in and I rarely get water in through the neck on duck dives. Since the zipper has the water proof panel it is kind of stiff and you can feel it bind at times, especially when you first put it on. Not enough to really bother me, but just something I noticed. So far so good with this suit.

Post your wetsuit critiques here throughout the season... maybe this can be kind of like the 2007 surf journal? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />

 

[rice]

There should be a disclaimer acknowledging the fact that you are a guy who wears booties in San Diego.


<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/socrazy.gif" alt="" />
























<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/poke.gif" alt="" />

 

[20W-50 and blood]

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/hilarious.gif" alt="" />

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Dic! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cussing.gif" alt="" />

There were two guys with hoods on this morning and I'm not kidding.

 

[rice]

I'm just saying...

Your "cold" my not be anyone else's "cold".





<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />

 

[tenover]

I would post a review, but there's no point. You just get a bunch of dickheads who like to tear apart whatever you say, or tell you that your wrong, or this and that. I like my new suit. There, that's it. Have fun. I'm making an effort to not post on this forum anymore.

 

[rice]

tear apart

It's tearing apart already? How long have you had that suit? Patagonia, right?



You're wrong.

 

[Troyus]

tear apart

It's tearing apart already? How long have you had that suit? Patagonia, right?



You're wrong.

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />

 

[importheinekin]

regardless, I will post up some info.

I'm still wearing the 06/07 Psycho 2.

The Cons: heavy suit (biggest gripe), hard to get off, stitching on the ankle cuff and wrist cuff can unravel or blow out easily. (for example, if you tuck your leash under, the velcro will snag it, or for those who wear booties I imagine the same thing will happen)

It might feel a bit stiff when dry, but once you're in the water, even with the double fluid seam weld, it's a really stretchy and comfortable suit. More so than a Xcel Infinity I owned (stretchy, but the warms weren't big enough in diameter for me, so it felt constricting...if you have smaller arms I'm sure it'd be fantastic)

Pros: been durable...2nd season with it (well, the 2nd season just started but it didn't get all crispy or sh*tty in the summer). pretty damn toasty, my body is pretty damn dry...not much water gets in thru the neck, the glideskin on neck never gives me a rash.

Quik Cell HFT: really warm suit, comfortable fit, fell apart on me rather QUIKly. I have a S/S Full by them that's comfortable, but that too is coming apart at seams and such. I really like theyre Hyperstretch tho, it's pretty light. I just wish the suits themselves didn't fall apart.

 

[swegin]

I got a 4/3 O'neill off the internet a couple of years ago. Whiskey Militia. Built in hood. I live in San Diego. I'm burning up in the thing. So then I get the cheapest O'neill 3/2 off the internet. Paid about 80 bucks for it. No tape or any seal on the seams at all. Cold water just leaks right in. But it's thin and comfortable. So I go down the hill in December for what turns out to be the best day of the winter. I paddle out, telling myself I'm just going to charge into the first good wave I'm in position for. I'm undergunned. I stroke into this sucking up left and pretty much free fell to the bottom. I eat it and get sucked up and over, my shitty wetsuit unzipping completely and filling up with water. I'm down on the sandbar, drowning, my wetsuit ballooning and holding me down like a sea anchor. I struggle to the top, hyperventilating, and take the next 10' face on the head. Back down to the sandbar, rolling, my exposed skin freezing. Back up, gasping for air, wondering if I should cry out for help. I'm a grey-haired old-guy surfer victim, waiting to drown. I get the board under me in time to be blasted by another inside barreling left. I wash in far enough to get on my board and start paddling. I drag myself up on the beach, shivering.
That cheap ass wetsuit almost drowned me.

 

[sammycap]

Body Glove low end shorty: Bought it at Dick's for 40 bucks and its lasted 3 summers. Flexible best deal ever

Rip Curl e-bomb 3/2: Most flexible suit I ever had. Light. Only used 1yr but holding up well. Definately lose the batwing!! Key pouch in the thigh rules.

Quicksilver 4/3 hooded cell chest zip: Picked up 3yrs ago for 100bucks. Holding up with just a little fraying. Warm as hell down to the high 40's. Flexible enough.

Psycho 2 6/4 back zip hooded: Flexible as the 4/3 quicksilver. Toasty even in the 30's. True a little heavy but the warmest suit I ever had. No fraying or anything after 2yrs.

 

[rice]

I got a 4/3 O'neill...Built in hood. I live in San Diego. I'm burning up in the thing.





So then I get the cheapest O'neill 3/2 off the internet. Paid about 80 bucks for it. No tape or any seal on the seams at all. Cold water just leaks right in.

I don't get it. Are you bipolar? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />

 

[One-Off]

Rip Curl E Bomb front zip 3/2

I bought it because if seemed the softest and stretchiest and because the sales guy said, "No more water down the back."

Now I get water down the front! Especially on front side crash tubes (I'm regular foot). Not cool. They need to put a velcro closure on the flap or something. I'm thinking of doing it myself. How can you attach velcro to nylon without a sewing machine?

 

[need 4 speed]

I'm using the 3/2 Vapor.I think this might be the thrid winter(can't really remember)Good suit,warm and dry.Seems to be holding up well

 

[Heavyfooted]

Anyone wearing the new XCEL chest zip... I think it's called drylock???

 

[pickles]

I'm just saying...

Your "cold" my not be anyone else's "cold".

And how you feel in 58 degree water is not the way everyone feels in 58 degree water.

I grew up surfing HMB and santa cruz in a springsuit. Now having spent 10 years in SB and 2 in hawaii, I consider 58 to be verge-of-death freezing, and want some serious protection from the elements.

I like my Oniels. Gooru and Psycho II. They fit nice, are super flexible, and are very warm. So much better than the suits I grew up with its not even funny.

The xcel 4/3 I have has nice materials, but the neck is stretched out so it flushes. Pretty bulky too.

I can get deals on Body Glove suits ... has anybody tried one?

 

[Hdip]

I can get deals on Body Glove suits ... has anybody tried one?

I have last years body glove. One step below the top of the line which I think is the vapor (reviewed above). It's a warm suit lasted fine since last winter and is still in great shape. I don't like the neck closure on it though. If I surf for a marathon session it gives me a rash. Normal 2 hour sessions are fine though. I'm 6'1" 190 and the large tall fits really nicely but very snug.

It was cheap on whiskeymilitia. Bought it without even trying it on. Before I saw it I was about to have Boz send me a suit up to try one out. Might do that next time.

 

[studog]

upgraded both my 3/2 and 4/3 Xcel's last winter to the Infinity OS back zip from the $200 low end Xcel's. got both for $300 each with a little discount from the shop owner as we went to highschool together. the low ends aren't that good as the slick skin peals off the neck. The OS's ROCK! I'm too big &amp; fat to contort myself into a front zip, but the OS provides a pretty damn mothrfuckin' good seal. like it's been said before the Xcel's material is PLENTY stretchy and softer than anything else on the market so the 4/3 is surprisingly not too restrictive in paddling. During the Jan07 So-Cal cold spell I was perfectly fine in the 4/3, except for my feet which I tried to not wear booties as any water in them throws off my feel. My only complaint with Xcel is their key pocket. On the OS it's placed really low on the back so after a winter dawn patrol session you get REALLY cold pulling off the suit all the way to your ass to reach the key. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/socrazy.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />

 

[silentbutdeadly]

My excel was the most comfy suit I had. Too bad it fell apart.

 

[rice]

I've had front-zip 4/3 XCEL Infinity's for the past many years, and I like them alright. They fit me well, they're super flexy an warm and they last me almost 2 years (though my current suit is TRASHED).

Cons include the "under neck" (the neck hole you climb into, not the one that you stretch over your head) often rips or frays. Also, the tape starts to unravel pretty damn early, but I'm not sure if the tape really does anything much, anyway.

I looked at the new XCEL Drylocks and other than the fancy angled head/neck gusset and zipper, the main difference is that instead of just having the orange polypro material in the torso area of the suit (like in the regular Infinity's), the polypro material is pretty much on the interior of the entire suit. The kid at the shop swore this makes it way warmer, but who knows.

I'm going to check out the Patagonia front-zip's next month, and then will either by one of those or another XCEL Infinity, possibly the Drylock.

And, don't listen to anything that tenover says.