Patagonias are warm and durable but lack flexibility. When looking for a good winter suit i want something warm, but flexible. I have been a fan of Ripcurls for some time now and currently have a flash bomb. To me its the perfect balance between warmth & flexibility, the only down site maybe the durability. But definitely look for a flexible suit.
He forgot to mention he's a penguin...Originally Posted by wave1rider65
I'd never claim to be on a level of knowledge on this topic as Gnar & Mitchell & some others. Pretty interesting reading. Props to those guys for sharing.
I would say, though, just thinking out loud, how long do you plan on being in the water? I ask that 'cause all suits wear out eventually; but my goal is to have a good surf session first & foremost. So, my aim is to stay toasty for 2 hours. I admit it, I hate hate hate being cold. Call me a puss, I don't care, gimme mah 5 to 7 mil booties, 'cause when my feet are warm I can hang. If I get 2 hours in winter, I'm a happy buoyyyy.
Anyways, to that end, the Xcel wetsuits that I have are great. Keeps the water out, the warmth in & lets me stay calm & focused on surfing, instead of thinking about the intruding cold & my chattering chiclets. Never had a hot spot from a seam. Quality product & much appreciated.
The prices on WhiskeyMilitia are pretty sick, esp when compared with the retail website pricing for the same gear.
Seems to me that a fella could pay top dollar for the luxe items, but if a fella does an assessment of how long is to be spent in the water each session, then that would determine how much to spend.
Kinda like buying a Range Rover for the trek down the sands at Assateague when the Toyota FJ will do it better, for a lot less of your hard-earned cash.
One man's humble opinion.
47 yrs old, arthritic joints and I hate being cold but I'll go no matter what the temp if it's surfable. Just a testament to the warmth of the suit. 5mm on the hands as well as 5 to 7 on my feet. Why wear a 4/3 if you dont have to. Being from Jurrrrrrzey of course you have to wear more rubber. Normally not the case here except for OBX. I'm sure you could do our winters in boardshorts.
Last edited by wave1rider65; Aug 18, 2012 at 12:31 PM.
Those Bewet suits look pretty cool.... too bad I don't know enough Japanese to read their catalog.
Thanks for the info, everyone - greatly appreciated. I talked with a Nine Plus rep yesterday and was not totally blown away. I am also not trying to run with a Rip Curl, for the third time in four years. I spoke with a rep from Nine Plus yesterday - not totally impressed. Matuse & Xcel are now under the microscope for winter. Again, thank you all for the great information.
54 year old w/ bad knees and zero insulation of my own . . . I found the RipCurl F Bomb in 5/4 warmer and way more comfortable than the psycho freak 6/5/4 surfing in38 degree Atlantic ocean surf. But the hood of the ripcurl sux. That is where it flushes, lots. Just bought an Isurus iEvade, in 5/4. Will see how that does.
rip curls are the only suits that actually fit me well...i'm looking to pick up a new 3/2 (prob. the flash bomb) from them for the fall soon. i wore their e-bomb 5.5/4.5 & never ever even came close to getting cold. granted, it was a warm winter, but i surfed every day there were waves, even if it was super windy. it's also the most comfortable & flexible winter suit i've ever worn.
i know the OP isn't looking at rip curls, but i'd highly recommend it. a buddy went w/ the flash bomb & he's really happy also.
Noone has mentioned Quiksilver at all... I can get a decent price on a 5/4 Cypher. Anyone have any experience with them?
In response to what someone else said about Xcel's weight, I got a 5/4 Drylock free from a website, and it is soooo thick and bulky compared to my Hyperflex Amp 5/4/3. I thought I was mistakenly comparing it to my 3/2 when I first picked up the Hyperflex.
I have the hookups with selling accounts for both Bodyglove and Jetpilot suits. If anyones interested in a group buy, brand new suits are dealer priced. Send me a pm
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