Help me Pick the right Wetsuit.

[carvebeast]

Im looking for a new wetsuit for this winter. aiming to get all the usual features; durability, warmth, comfort, and the ability to move comfortably. trying to get all this for around $250 or under. so here are the options ive been looking at. pick the one you'd go with and/or pros and cons of each suit. thanks for the help.

rip curl core fireskin $240ish
oneill heat $250ish
billabong revolution $235ish
any others?

[eclipse13]

Xcel suits are nice as well. My brother and I both have the Xcel XFlex 4/3s, which is the cheapest suit Xcel makes, and they are comfy and warm. I'm sure there are betters out there, but its nice to know that the cheapest one still works. Don't forget to save 30-40 for some booties.

[wbsurfer]

also dont forget gloves and a hood which is 20 -30 for gloves and 30-40 for hood depending on gloves and hood. cause as you know there are those cold windy days when you need gloves and hood as well with booties.

[eclipse13]

I don't do gloves or hood. I'd consider gloves if I felt that I needed them, but I've never felt that I needed them that badly. I was the same with booties until I wore a friends and then decided that I couldn't do without. lol

[wbsurfer]

yeah theres those days when you dont need gloves but i use them but i dont wear hoodies at all during the winter cause i just let my hair grow really long during the winter.

[carvebeast]

ill definitely picking up gloves booties and a hood eventually too. but seeing as how the water temps are dropping quick i want to focus on getting my suit first. any more thoughts on the suits ive picked out? its hard to find any decent reviews on the web.

[wbsurfer]

ill definitely picking up gloves booties and a hood eventually too. but seeing as how the water temps are dropping quick i want to focus on getting my suit first. any more thoughts on the suits ive picked out? its hard to find any decent reviews on the web.

go to wetsuitwarehouse.com they have all the good name brand wetsuits out there except xcel but they have good help if you need help fincing one.

[ivan]

17th street has some xcels with infinity (the pull over feature that keeps water out better than anything) at 25 percent off. they're usuallly really expensive, so get there while they're still there

[eclipse13]

That is where I picked up my Xcel on sale 2 years ago. I paid about 120 for it.

Also, check this guide out. I just got it in a email from surfing mag.
http://www.surfingthemag.com/wetsuits08/

[ivan]

for anyone wanting to get the best wetsuit, get an xcel with the infinity pull over. ive had the same one for 3 years, and im comfortable when im here surfing wb in the winter and when im back home surfing 40 degree water. all that you need is that suit and a solid pair of booties. xcels are insanely durable, they have a great warranty, and they're super stretchy. no matter the cost, you cant go wrong with an xcel, they're by far superior

[...LostInFlorida]

spend an extra 75-100 bucks and get an Xcel Infiniti series...

i just got a dry-lock yesterday. stoked on that.

[wbsurfer]

just wondering would a 1mm wtesuit top be fine for right now just to get me through till i need a wetsuit.

[conway]

just wondering would a 1mm wtesuit top be fine for right now just to get me through till i need a wetsuit.

no that's nowhere near enough, this morning i was out on my SUP in my 6/5, merino wool lined drysuit with built in hood and 7mm booties and gloves, and I still was freezing cold and had to be treated for hypothermia.
tomorrow im going to wear my summer suit, a 4/3, underneath to try and compensate.

[...LostInFlorida]

no that's nowhere near enough, this morning i was out on my SUP in my 6/5, merino wool lined drysuit with built in hood and 7mm booties and gloves, and I still was freezing cold and had to be treated for hypothermia.
tomorrow im going to wear my summer suit, a 4/3, underneath to try and compensate.

i know you're being sarcastic.... but if you were being serious, i'd say it was the stand-up paddleboard that made you such a sissy, not the dry-suit.

[terra-firma intolerant]

no that's nowhere near enough, this morning i was out on my SUP in my 6/5, merino wool lined drysuit with built in hood and 7mm booties and gloves, and I still was freezing cold and had to be treated for hypothermia.
tomorrow im going to wear my summer suit, a 4/3, underneath to try and compensate.

I think I saw you.

[Ave]

i need to find a wetsuit also, and i don't want to spend a lot of money on it. does anyone have ideas for a great wetsuit that works at a low price?

[wbsurfer]

i need to find a wetsuit also, and i don't want to spend a lot of money on it. does anyone have ideas for a great wetsuit that works at a low price?

the billabong foil 4/3 steamer its like 139$ and is really nice i order it from the wetsuit warehouse they have nice help and the wetsuit is really nice.

[Skooba]

I've had an xcel. They are actually great suits. A few years ago they weren't shi*, but it seems like they have it pretty dialed in now. Personally, you can't go wrong with a rip curl. Depending on how warm you wanna be as well as where you surf I would go with their e-bomb series. I have never had a more forgiving suit. If you live further north than nc I would suggest their 5/4/3 f-bomb zipperless. Always 5m booties. But I HATE being cold

[naked spearfisher]

an xcel 4.3 front zip is wat i used all winter. worked well and wasn't overpriced

[slopman]

Xcel's are prolly the best on the market, personally i cant wear them, they dont fit me right. It seems like they didnt take in consideration that tall thin guys surf....oh well, the O'neill mutant has worked wonders for me and is a great suit...

[bfloyd]

West wetsuits are the shizzy: http://www.westsurfing.com/

[carvebeast]

im still torn on what suit to buy. ive worn an oneill suit before and liked them but the heat is a traditional back zip. the billabong revolution has that hybrid zip system to prevent flushing and the rip curl fireskin has a pullover interior jersey feature that does the same. makes me want to eliminate the oneill. i know you cant go wrong with ripcurl and the fireskin will be toasty but the billabong is a bit of a mystery. dont know anyone who owns one but it really looks like a great suit. can anyone shed some light on their experience with billabong wetsuits or specifically the revolution. i appreciate all the responses!

[...LostInFlorida]

Xcel's are prolly the best on the market, personally i cant wear them, they dont fit me right. It seems like they didnt take in consideration that tall thin guys surf....oh well, the O'neill mutant has worked wonders for me and is a great suit...

they make medium-talls and what not, not just small, medium, large ect. i garuntee there is one that fits you.

[wbsurfer]

they make medium-talls and what not, not just small, medium, large ect. i garuntee there is one that fits you.

how much would an xcell 4/3 cost.

[...LostInFlorida]

how much would an xcell 4/3 cost.
...

mmmm, not too sure, we only wear 2/2mm, maybe a 3/2 on occasion...

i'f i had to guess, i'd say a brand new one would be around $320 ish...

what i'd do, run a google search on XCEL INFINITI, i'm sure you can find one online that is backstock from last year, i know at the shop i'm working at, we have infiti's from last year that we sold for around $300, they are now on sale for $210...

we don't stock 4/3, but you could get a 3/2 for a good deal...

[carvebeast]

^^^^bump. still lookin for info on billabong steamers.

[Wander]

xcel makes good stuff I agree. Also, another site to watch is sierra trading post http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ for good sales, especially if you are smaller sized you can get some steals...

I currently wear body glove "vapor" series. I have a 2/2 and a 4/3 and really like them. I bought it in your price range, but it was on sale...

[wbsurfer]

^^^^bump. still lookin for info on billabong steamers.

i have the 08 billabong foil got it from sweetwater and did all my research at www.billabongwetsuits.com there you can get all the info on the wetsuit. but if you live in Wb after you research the wetsuit go to sweetwater and see if they have it cause i got mine yesterday and they're doing a sale where you get like 20% off on fullsuit booties gloves and hoodie. but right now they dont have accesories but there just write it on the receipt that you bought it during the sale and when they get the accesories in you just go and get what you want and get the discount. but when trying on the suit walk around the shops a little and stuff. but at first it'll be tight but it will stretch out and get easier to put on afterwards.

[jahknee]

I've got 3/2 versions of the Ripcurl and the O'Neill suits you mentioned. I liked the Rip Curl, but the Batwing was a real pain to use. I finally just took it off. I also noticed that the shoulders seemed to get a little tighter/stiffer the 2nd year I had it. The O'Neill fit me a lot better and seems a little stretchier. I'd say they were equally warm. I now use the RipCurl as my backup in case I get lucky enough to pull two sessions.

My advice would be to get whichever suit fits best. O'Neill fits me WAY BETTER and I'll buy them from now on. But that's just me. Rip Curl or some other brand may fit you better. My advice would be to try on several suits before you decide. You can buy them on-line, but my experience has been that you're better off buying from your local shop.

[carvebeast]

welp i went for it. got a new excel infiniti on the way. stoked. but poor. looks like spaghetti for dinner for the rest of the month. hopin to see a promising forecast soon. thanks for all the suggestions.