that's more my take.. imo,nothing wrong with regular suites.water gets pretty cold in nj,like 35degrees,a 6/5/4 keeps u nice and toasty for hours.science.....
Yes...bought the rip curl vest 2/3 years ago...works great. Used it with my 4/3 for most of the last two winters....vest worked great but only issue was battery life. When running on high you get maybe 2 hours tops...I would keep it on high for only the coldest of days and usually kept it low...feet would get cold before my body. I liked it when pairing with 4/3...
was thinkin I could keep wearing a thinner suit(e) to keep some more mobility if I had the heated shirt. I've never owned more than a 3/2 suit for surfing in SC. The water does get chilly (mid 40s) for a couple months but the air usually doesn't stay cold for more than a day or 2. The older I get the more the cold farks with me. Been thinkin' about getting a 4/3 at the very least. Thanx for the info.
Whale urine will keep you warm for hours. That's what the Native American's used before Jack O'Neill came all over the surf seen.
I wanted to get my GF the heated vest from Roxy/Quik, but I found poor reviews. The RipCurl one seems significantly more expensive, maybe that's where it's at.... Still, for $300, if youre in SC, why not just get a nice 4/3? No moving parts, no battery; less to fail. The E-Bombs are supposed to be super flexible. 4/3 flexibility has never been an issue for.me. It's the old crusty 6/5/4 that makes.me feel like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. It's hard to pigdog when you're in permanent Stay-Puft Marshmallow mode. F*cking heated vest.... what I need are some heated booties and gloves! It's always the hands and feet that go first, no matter how warm your core is.
Concur with Slash in re stepping up to the higher quality brands of the 4/3. There is a difference in the wetsuite rubber. O'Neill PsychoFreak 4/3 is super easy on/off, solid cold protection for hours, well worth the chips IMHO. By contrast my Excel 4/3 is a muscle pulling exercise in writhing buffoonery getting on/off. Heated booties +1
Is the Xcel 4/3 you describe above a "dry lock".. I have a 4/3 Drylock and it is exactly as you describe it--very hostile and user-unfriendly. I have 2 Oneills, a 3/2 and a 6/4 PschII, both are nice, but need to be replaced as they are now "old". (6-7 yrs). The did serve me well. I do not believe in the heated suits; my friends say wires rust, etc. My response to them is..."no sheit. it is salt water, ya morons!"
Yep, the DryLock. The Whiskey Militia 'such a deal.' Heavy as fark, too, when it starts taking on water. Never again. Listen, chill'en & learn from my errors. O'Neill seems to understand how to make wetsuites for The American Big Guy, which me is, especially in the shoulders. Tried a Billabong in 'my size' on once & about destroyed it in the changing room.
With the DryLock it is possible to clip off the last inch of the sleeves and legs to allow for easier entering and exiting, and water drainage as well. I have not done so, but I know someone who has and tells me it is now "mo betta". I bought a Quicksilver Cypher 4/3, hooded...so far so good. It is flexible, stretchy, and light. Have used it a few times in water temps down to 48--worked well. I am now into my 5/4 Ripcurl Insulator, one of my favorite winter suits (easy on, easy off)
My current full suit is a 3/2 Henderson that is probably 15 years old. Got it for free from a friend who owned a surf shop many years ago. I mentioned I needed a new suite 2 yrs ago and he gave it to me. Noticed it's starting to come apart last week so I gotta get something soon. Been looking at the 4/3s. The O'Niels I have owned in the past always performed well. Heated booties sound farkin awesome. Thanxs for the replys.
Could be!! But no...it is hostile to me. Maybe it is because I do not wear it enough to stretch it out, after all, I have five 4/3s of different brands... I use the DryLock last, when needed in colder waters.
Tells lies like EMAZZ or Emass Where the furk is SJB Did you get swallowed in the reaches of Kensington last night dawg
4/3 is where it's at. I don't wear my 3/2 anymore. I use trunks and a top until I can't bear it then 4/3 all the way. I think a detachable hood would serve you better than a electrified top.
