Through the winter?

I'd change those 3mil gloves and boots to 5mil. Maybe 7mil for the boots.

 

yeah, you really need to up the gloves/boots to at least 5 to 7mm.

The suit you might not last, I'm not sure, NJ winter should be 5/4 or 6/5, but you may be tough enough idk

 

I agree with the poster above - get thicker boots and gloves. As for the suit - you may make it through with that. It depends on the weather. One winter a few years ago I surfed all winter in a 4/3 O'Neil Psycho 1. But that was a crazy warm winter. If you really want to be out there when it's single digits or teens, the 4 ml may fall short.

 

Did it all the time back in the early eighties with leaky old style suits. I am sure you could do it with todays suits but it will still be cold as hell.

 

I made it last winter in Delaware! 4/3 suit, 5 boots and 5 gloves and a hood 2 or 3 mil. sure it was refreshing but a good session worth a shrinked winnie!!!

 

you'll be fine with a 4/3 and thermo with attached hood. but get your boots up to at least a 5 and your gloves 5.

 

Concur. If your 4/3 is top-quality, you should be okay. Make sure the hood, gloves and booties are nice and thick though. Honestly I think the winter game is 50% mental and comes down to conditioning of the body. If you can train yourself to duck-dive mid-40's water and still think straight, you'll be okay. The best suit in the world still won't cover your face, so the way you deal with the inevitable ice-cream headache is really important.

 

You will be freezing.

 

When i was younger I would do the 4/3 all winter with 5 mil gloves and 7 mil boots and a 2mil squid lid. I dont think I could do it anymore. I am already in a 5/4/3 and 5mil boots and 3 mil mit ( wind was howling in CM today) I rather be warm and if I get too hot you can always shed something off.

 

I survived last winter in a 4/3 but I needed the 5 mil gloves and 7 mil boots. It just depends--how do you tolerate cold? I was out in LBI this morning in a 3/2, cap, 5 mil boots and 5 mil gloves. My buddy was out in a 4/3, hood, 5 mil gloves and 7 mil boots. Know your own limitations--there is no thickness of suit that fits everyone for winter surfing.

 

I surf with a 4/3 throughout the winter in NJ. Mostly South Jersey though, highest I go is around LBI.

I find it adequate for the majority of the winter. However if it is below 20 out, and the winds are above 10-15mph it makes it tough to last more than 1 1/2-2 hours but it is doable. My feet/hands and my thighs get a bit chilly but nothing horrible.

If you want to be comfortable all winter go with something heavier, but if you already have a 4/3 just get thicker gloves/boots and you will be fine.

 

It sounds like your strapped for cash. I can understand, however there is no way of getting around it. The water in the winter peaks at its lowest around 35* no matter where you are in NJ. If your hood isnt attached to your suit then your going to freeze. I had a 4/3 with the attached hood and i was cold. I finally got a 6/5/4 and I can stay out for hours. Spend the bucks and geta good suit or your winter will be very discouraging.

 

spend the money on quality equipment. remember you pay for what you get and i would recommend 5 mil booties atleast. i wear a 5/4/3 when the waters in the lower 40's upper 30's with 5 mil boots and gloves as long as im moving around im fine for hours.

 

info

Good post, solid general info on suits.....would appreciate some feedback from those in the know...cause this suit that I bot is about to be napalmed.....so, a question or two ?

I bot a 4/3 Rip Curl Fireskin wetsuit @ 17th St shop (VB). Have worn it approx 12x so far this year: every time out I get this nasty, damn painful rubbing on right side of my neck. I am functioning under the idiot's illusion that it will just stop someday. It's the kind of irritation that makes me want to rip the thing off my body & burn it on the spot; effin A, it's so annoying & painful. Takes the stoke & fries it.

I've examined it & the seam is slightly ragged on the right side collar area & seems to be the cause of the rubbing to my neck on that side, but it's only that side. Left side: no issues. The collar buffer, or whatever that narrow red-over-the-head thing is called, doesn't help to modify the rubbing / scratching. And with gloves on, it's impossible to adjust the thing to any comfort level & still have fun out there.

Otherwise the suit is fine, fits well & keeps me toasty for hours, no armpit rashes or anything like that.

I'm 6'3, 210, and fit, but wow, it's an adventure getting into the XXL RC suit. Maybe my shoulders too big? When I go to put this thing on, I view it now like it's my opponent in a cage match, wtf.....

(BTW, I bot 7mil booties on the advice of guys here: great call, I feel like I'm wearing magic in the cold...awesome. Kudos & props to guys here...)

Reading these posts, it sounds like there's several guys who have experienced the same irritation thing with RC suits. Also there are other guys who rave about the quality of Matus gear.

At this point, price is beside the point; I know that may sound semi-toolish; however, spending 300 bones to be in misery, like I did, makes me a wetsuit idiot - - at this point, moving forward, I'll spend what it take to be able to devote my winter energy to the waves, not the irritation of the suit....

Any insights from y'all would be appreciated !


thanks,

Yankee

 

hey yankee...

I definitely have gotten that. Now that I think about it, I dont think I get it as much now that I have a Body Glove instead of a Rip Curl.

Here's a trick... slather some vaseline or neosporin all over your neck before you go out. That's helped me.

 

You can totally do it... last couple years i've been in a 4-3 mutant and i 5 mil booties and gloves all winter long... As long as your paddling around and catching waves and whatnot... it can be done

 

You sure you want to be trudging through the snow in a 4/3? I remember surfing in early April w a 4/3 and sep hood during a cold dp and I couldnt surf the second session bc I was still shivering from the morning. Good luck w doing that in feb

conversely, i've only been cold once in my 5/4/3, and that was after almost 4 hours in january.

unless you've got a lot of meat on you, i would highly, highly recommend a 5mm+

 

I'll def try that, Brek. Much appreciated !

 

Do NOT try that. petroleum jelly breaks down neoprene so you will be damaging your suit. most people get the neck rub thing. a really good suit will have smooth edges and that helps or if its really bad, use a high neck rashie.