30% Stretch Wetsuit vs. 100% Stretch Wetsuit

[Zooport]

Have you ever SUP'd in a wetsuit made of 100% super-stretch neoprene?  I've never used one.  Any insights?  Is it worth the extra price? 

I'm deciding between two different, 3/2 mil wetsuits for winter SUP surfing.  One is super-stretch only around the arms and shoulders.  The other is about $40 more and is completely super-stretch.  Both are prone surfing wetsuits. 

[spookini]

She swears by them...says they feel "incredibles".

[Zooport]

You are really stretching it with that joke. 

[JimK]

ZOO,

I don't know which wetsuits you are considering but I love my SUPreme Blade 3/2( w/ZONER discount $189 plu shipping)and Blade 4/3 (Zoner deal less that $200) These are warm flexible and durable not to mention extremely less costly
Check'm out www.supremepaddle.com

PM me for more details
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

[surfcowboy]

I've found that the more stretch, the warmer, as it generally denotes higher end rubber.

The higher end, the more air, the more stretch, at least from what I've seen and also from what the wetsuit makers show in their lines.

If you can go 100% for $40 more, that's less than a dollar a session, maybe less.

Designing/cutting a suit to flex is way harder than just using better materials. Also, more stretch usually means less stress on the fabric, meaning longer lasting.

Every time I buy a suit I go higher end and have yet to regret it. My first suit would almost have stood up on its own. My new Xcel feels like a noodle and that makes for more comfort.

[gorgebob]

Wetsuits are all about the fit. Stretchier suit will fit better. Each company has a different fit
built into their suits. Try a couple on and see leg length, neck seals, pit space and ease of getting them on and off. Perfect world we would just jump into a vat of neoprene before each session and some how pick it off like dead skin after. Yuk.

[PonoBill]

My first take in looking at super stretch wetsuits was that they would bag and hang off your shoulders. then I saw Dan Gavere get out of his Supreme suit like he was taking off an overcoat. About ten minutes prior to that I noticed how well it fit him--he looked like captain marvel.

Of course he IS Dan Gavere, I doubt the suit would be slimming on me, but the question of sag and fit was answered immediately--it was like a second skin on Dan. the question of whether that would be worth more was answered when I did the entire antler dance trying to get my suit off. I also yanked my boardies down around my knees in the process and I'm certain if I passed the hat at that moment I could have collected the difference if I could promise that would never happen again.

[Weasels wake]

Boardies under a wetsuit !?!

[Zooport]

I just found a Bilabong 100% super stretch wetsuit for $119.  Being the cheapskate that I am, I bought it.  That should work just fine.  Gonna take it over to Frog House and have TK's wife cut and stitch the arms into a short sleeve for me.  That should be perfect for all but the coldest days here in SoCal.  Got my O'niel PsychoFreak for the coldest days.

[madmax]

Boardies under a wetsuit !?!

Snort.  I'm a Speedo guy under the rubber.  But I hide donning and doffing 'cause I'm shy. 

[Zooport]

Boardies under a wetsuit !?!

Of course boardies.  Commando is a pain...in more ways than one. 

[Weasels wake]

Compression shorts, just like bike racing shorts w/o the padding in the crotch.  $18 @ Big 5.
Commando is old school.

[eastbound]

high end rubber these days is worth the $$--neoprene terchnology has had big leaps in the past 5 years--i have an oneill 4/3 made of technobutter I and it makes my older suits (which i thought decent, back in the day) feel stiff, heavy, wet--awful.

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

ZOO,

I don't know which wetsuits you are considering but I love my SUPreme Blade 3/2( w/ZONER discount $189 plu shipping)and Blade 4/3 (Zoner deal less that $200) These are warm flexible and durable not to mention extremely less costly
Check'm out www.supremepaddle.com

PM me for more details
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

I have 2 and I love them

[SlatchJim]

Boardies under a wetsuit !?!

Snort.  I'm a Speedo guy under the rubber.  But I hide donning and doffing 'cause I'm shy. 

My days of strutting around in a speedo are long gone too. (much to the relief of people with eyesight)

Zoo: I've been a fan of Billabong for a long time, and my best prone suits were from them.  With SUP I wear long johns on the cool days (Dec-March).  The 90 dollar O'neill's are just fine for almost any day south the Ranch.  I'll probably invest in a SUPreme suit after Christmas.