**Official wetsuit review thread**

Would a 3/2 work in waters around VA beach lets say mid April and then mid October?

 

whats a decent xcel 3/2 i could use in OCMD in the fall/spring?
how much should i save? (im 16 and limited...)

 

yep. thats what I use

 

for sure. 3/2 till christmas time probably than 4/3 or more

 

i'm a huge fan of rip curl wetsuits, i think they're some of the best out there. that said, i think you should go w/ the hyperflex. it's a great suit, it'll keep you warm as all hell, & the hood is built in. w/ the insulator, it's removable. similar concept to the o'neill mutant. i just don't see the need for a 5/4 w/ a removable hood. i can't think of one session in my 5/4 where i've thought to myself, "damn, i really wish i could take this hood off." in my mind, if the conditions call for a 5/4, they also call for a hood.
so go w/ the hyperflex. it's a great suit.

 

Alright thanks man.

 

I just got an Xcel Infinity X-Zip 3/2. Awesome suit. Retails for $310. Super stretchy, warm and comfortable. Haven't tried it in really cold water yet but so far so good.

 

I just bought a Quiksilver Cell 6, the hollow fiber technolgy suit with the liquid tape sealed seams from the reviews i have read they are nice suits, soon as i use it I will post a review here.

 

same thing happened to a QS cell back zip 4/3 I had... didn't even last a year before it was trash

 

I am hoping the cell 6 HFT which is the better of the 08 quik cell suits holds up its a 3/2 so its for 2 months in the fall and two months in spring. For what i paid if it last two falls and springs I will be happy. SUper flexible and super warm is what i need

 

ok, thanks. i was looking at that one and the one thats a step below it

 

Quiksilver Cell 6 HFT 3/2

Got the suit and gave it a test run.
I am 5-8 150 to 155 lbs. I got the Medium Short, fit is spot on in accordance with Quiks size chart, i could have also worn a mdeim i think, suit fits perfect though. I dont have much room to grow and being 35 and a desk jockey at some point my metabolsim will solw down and I will need a bigger suit in a few years

There are two different models of the Cell 6, one is the HFT and one is the GBS model. I got the HFT. THe HFT material is (hollow fieber technology) which is a water wicking jersey material on the inside of the suit. This material runs from mid chest all the way down to the ankles. The zipper is a 3/4 back zip that has a water barrier behind the zipper to help with any zipper leakeage. THis matrerial goes over your head onad onto your neck to keep the water out and help with flushing. The seams are glued and blandstiched and on the inside of the suit they have (LFS) which is bsiaclly a rubber seal that covers all the stitching. THe suit is very sealed.
Suit had lots of stretch and dry its pretty light. ONce wet it added some weight but not bad. I paddled out with water in the mid to upsper 60s and i never got cold, in fact i had to flush cause i was getting hot. I paddled out and purposely donig head first dives, jumping off backwards, duck dives whatever I never got any water in the suit, a little here and there, but never a signigficant amount. i got hot after a while and got some water in the suit on purpose. the seals on the wrist and ankles held the water in well.

All in all its a good suit, espcailly for $122. YOu can find these suits around on EBay and a few other places brand new with tags.After tons of research and checking suits out for under $150 you wont find a better suti, and the only 2010 suit that is sealed like this , but has less (tech) is the Billabong foil which is sealed fairly well but does not have the jersey wicking material like the QUiksilver.

IF you can still find one of these suits in your size its well worth what you will pay for it. I only need a 3/2 for a few months each year so sacrificng the latest and greatest suit for a great suit thats a few years old in "tech" is worth the money saved.

ONly complaint is that you ahve to get the water barrier thing on your neck well before you paddle out, it was hard to adjust it after I opened the neck to allow water in.

 

has anyone tried the billabong 4/3 revolution? i bought one and i like it so far. but the thing that is confusing me is will it keep me warm even though the chest and back dont have the smooth rubber on top. i live in north carolina so we see water temps high 40's.

 

ive had 2 and they were the foils i liked them and they held up really well. then last year i got a west and that was a good wetsuit as well and this year i went and got the billabong revolution to give it a try. but from the sound its suppose to be really warm and really flexible. but after this winter ill give a review on it.

 

New Most Excellent post: wetsuits/winter surfing

I know this post can probably be filed under "preaching to the choir," but we put together a pretty succinct handbook evaluating what rubber is out there and what works best for the individual surfer. Couple of sweet shots of an ice-cold Sandbridge session from last year as well. The previous post is some picture from the March of Dimes contest in VB from earlier this month. Enjoy!
http://mostexcellent.co

 

Cleaning out my garage and organizing all my surf stuff, I realized my Rip Curl Core Fireskin 3/2 is probably my oldest piece of regularly used equipment. It's from 2006 and used regualry through the fall and spring, repaired through Rip Curl once and patched up by me recently but still stretchy enough. I might just go back to Rip Curls since they fit me best. I've tried some smaller companies - Boz and Hotline - but since I can't try them locally it's hard to figure out what fits best and the Hotlines I've had seem inconsistent on the sizing. In short, try on a bunch of suits and whatever fits best is better than any new tech that's out there.

 

Its going to be my first winter in VB, and I was wondering what my winter gear should be, at the minimum.

I currently wear an Xcel infinity xzip, 3/2, which got me through winters at north florida. thinking about upgrading to a 4/3 xcel hooded drylock. i searched around for this suit and the average price is in the high $300s. I have no clue as far as booties/gloves go.

 

hi, ive been thinking about getting the 5/4 hyperflex amp come xmas time. it seems to be getting alot of good reviews on this thread and the price is reasonable. this is my problem. i am 5'10, and roughly 175lbs, my waist is 32 or 33. The size chart says Large is for 5'11, 170-190lbs, but waist is 35-37. will that be a problem?