Author Topic: Winter wetsuit  (Read 1594 times)

fabs

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Winter wetsuit
« on: September 22, 2014, 02:39:11 AM »
Hi there

I need a wetsuit for the winter and I am terribly confused about all the options available.

I will be surfing/supping English waters (not in the coldest months though) so I guess I should go for a 5/4 or something like that.

Can anyone recommend some good and WARM models?

Area 10

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Re: Winter wetsuit
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2014, 03:25:05 AM »
Why wouldn't you surf all year round? I do, and I live in the UK. The best conditions are often in the winter months.

Fit is probably more important than brand. So go to a store that has a wide selection you can try on. Each brand fits slightly different body shapes.

fabs

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Re: Winter wetsuit
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2014, 03:34:38 AM »
I'd like to buy online... they normally have better deals than normal shops. So, for instance, what's the last wetsuit you bought?

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Re: Winter wetsuit
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2014, 09:27:34 AM »
I'd like to buy online... they normally have better deals than normal shops. So, for instance, what's the last wetsuit you bought?
Well, I'm not very typical. I have an entire wardrobe dedicated to wetsuits. I don't know how many I have at the moment but I'd guess around 12, probably more, plus a host of thermal vests, neoprene tops and shorts, cagoules and other tops, and two trunks full of gloves, hats, boots etc.

I don't agree that online you necessarily get better deals than in shops. You've just got to be smart about when you buy. So now would be a good time to buy a summer suit. Next spring would be the right time to buy a winter suit.

I currently have suits by O'Neill, Xcel, Rip Curl, Billabong.  A couple of custom suits too. Probably also some others I've forgotten. The Xcel suits fit me well but don't seem to last me much more than one season. The Rip Curl one dries fast and is comfortable, and was cheap, but lets in water like crazy. The Billabong one doesn't let in even one iota of water and is very warm but is very restrictive and is absolutely terrible to try to get off. O'Neill suits seem to be very popular with my friends but perhaps because of that I have trouble getting one in my size - they seem to be sold before they've even arrived. I like the O'Neill technobutter neoprene so if I was buying one right now that's what I'd get. But having said that, the O'Neill sizes tend to be a little too tight in the chest and too long in the legs for me. It is likely however that a different person may have a different experience of these suits than me because so much of what you experience is about the FIT.

Buying without trying, unless you know for sure that you are a particular brand's size, is not likely to lead to a happy outcome. All the main brands have their advantages and disadvantages. Not the least of which is price. If you want to be warm then get the thickest suit you can - the expensive innovations on the very top-end suits add a little to warmth but you can't beat sheer width of neoprene for value-for-money reliable warmth. Use polypro thermal vests under your neoprene - they weigh next to nothing and are amazingly effective, allowing you to go with thinner neoprene than you otherwise would. 5/3mm suits are quite good for cold winter SUPing, if you can find one (most suits are 5/4mm) - 4mm in the arms gets a bit tiring to work against for paddling and you rarely will need neoprene that thick on the arms unless maybe you surf in the North Sea. For UK spring and autumn you can usually get away with 4/3mm, or even a 3/2 plus lots of polypro, depending on what SUP activity you do. Velcro bands round the wrists and ankles are extremely effective at keeping water out and are worth every penny. You can buy some from kitesurfing outlets - they use them to stop elephant legs. If I am downwinding and it is not the depths of winter I generally wear a neoprene longjohn (the US calls then farmer johns) and a semi-dry breathable top. As with dry land clothes, you can layer wetsuits and thermal tops to make a combination that suits you. So for instance sometimes when I've been downwinding in howling cold NE winds and snow in the depths of winter, I have worn a neoprene short john under a winter wetsuit for extra warmth that still leaves your arms relatively free (two full wetsuits under each other tends to mean you can't move). So if you want to save money and get wetsuits that will be able to be used all year round, then you might think about buying combinations that will work together and allow you to mix and match them according to season.

If you really want to save money, you could always be the retailers' nightmare: the person who comes and tries the suits in the shop to establish fit, and then goes away and buys the suit online from an internet outlet who doesn't have shop floor space to pay for... Then you will have the dubious satisfaction that you have done your bit to ensure the demise of high street stores, so that in time no-one will ever be able to try any wetsuit on before buying them.

Hope this helps.

 


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