I've had the Feral 6/5/4 out in about 5 surfs now; coldest was probably 20 degree air/42 degree water. Also using brand new 7mm boots and gloves (vissla) at the moment.Any feedback on the Feral 6/5/4? Ordered one but it's stuck in USPS system and hasn't moved in weeks. Really enjoyed my cold/leaky xcel today.
First impression is that the wetsuit material is super silky. It feels comparable to wearing spandex type material that is just more willing to conform to my body than my old Xcel drylocks. The stretch is fine; it's still got some heft which is expected in a 6/5/4 but for me, warmth is 100% the priority over flexibility in the winter. I can surf with a suit that is a little stiff (or in this case, a bit extra elastic), but nothing makes my limited surfing ability worse any faster than getting cold. The comfort is honestly fine, probably the best overall comfort I've had between this, drylocks, and an older flashbomb.
I was a bit worried about the lack of smoothie anywhere on the suit but after being out in strong winds the other weekend, the wind was a non-factor - I probably surfed 2.5 hours and was only getting slightly chilled in my feet; body was holding up just fine during a strong Noreaster. The wrist and ankle cuffs stay put and do their job, no issues with the suit rolling up.
The only downsides I've noticed so far (and these are minor complaints) is that I get just the smallest amount of sloshing/water infiltration between the zipper and my collar bone, just when laying prone and paddling. The suit has been warm enough for this to not be uncomfortable, but its just something I've noticed. Having the chest synch cord really pulled tight has helped with this a bit. The other slight issue is that there is just a bit of material bunching behind the knees. This is one thing the xcel suits do really well with their molded angles behind the knees. Its a little annoying when walking around but once I'm in the water and focused on paddling/surfing, it hasn't been anything I've paid any attention to.
A pleasant surprise has been how fast the suit dries out. The wetsuit material just doesn't really absorb much water at all; my old drylock would honestly take a good 4-5 days to really dry out (95% dry, still always a little moist), and the Feral suit is 95% dry after roughly 12 hours.
All in all I'm very happy as things currently stand. The only thing left to see is durability, and given how elastic the suit properties are, as well as the lack of reliance on glued, welded seams (which were always the first thing to fail on my drylocks), it feels set up to last at least a solid two seasons, which is the minimum I'd like to get from my winter suits. Especially given the price, I feel like it was a good buy.