I'm about to buy a new wetsuit, was thinking about the Rip Curl E Bomb pro. I can find reviews of the wetsuit, but they are all from retailers selling the wetsuit. I want to hear from the people who have worn them, not some sales pitch. I'm looking for a 3.2mm wetsuit to take to Portugal and use here in the UK at summer time. Any comments would be welcome
i've had the e-bomb pro, & it was a great suit. i prefer the regular e-bomb, though. i think it's a bit warmer of a suit; you lose a bit of flexibility & stretch b/c the seams are taped inside & has a liquid coating outside, whereas the pro is only interior taped. both are glued & blind stitched, but that extra sealing on the regular e-bomb makes it a touch warmer...the e-bomb pro is really designed to be a competition suit (hence the "pro" moniker) that's super flexible & stretchy & solid enough to keep you warm for the duration of a heat (20-30min, give or take). if you're gonna be doing long or marathon style sessions, 3+ hours, then i'd get something other than the pro...flashbomb is a good option, as is the aforementioned e-bomb (not pro). just my 2 cents.
Thanks for the reply, was looking at the flash bomb, but as i'm using it for a summer suit i thought all the lining and stuff wasn't needed. Maybe if i were using it as a winter wetsuit. Also i thought that Rip Curl dont make regular ebombs in the chest zip, that's what i was told by a shop?
just found this review Seems to suggest it wont keep you warm? Makes me wonder if i should choose something else? Any suggestions there?
they absolutely do make the e-bomb 3/2 in a chest zip, at least in the states...it's available on their website. the guy at the shop, most likely, either didn't know or didn't want you to go elsewhere. http://shop.ripcurl.com/us/shop/categories/wetsuits/guys/
it sounds to me like he's talking about the pro model, not the regular e-bomb. e-bomb 3/2s have kept me plenty warm here in nj into november when the water dips down into the lower 50's, though i'll usually switch to a 4/3 if it's lower than 55.
I see now. i will have a look at buying the normal version then. Does the normal e bomb have the fleece lining?
I wonder if that would add any further warmth though? Maybe a flash bomb? This one is a good price rc flash bomb Have you owned one of these?
i think the extra sealing on the seams, esp. lower body, keeps a lot of cold water out & warmed up water in...it basically helps prevent water from cycling through the suit, keeping warm water against your body. i felt a big difference in warmth between the pro & regular suits when i tried them. i can't really personally comment too much on the flashbomb b/c the one i have is a 4/3 & i've only worn it once. to me, it felt somewhat stiff & restrictive compared to my older e-bomb 4/3, but loads warmer. hopefully in a few weeks i'll be able to put aside the 5/4 & give it a more thorough testing. i know a bunch of guys who have & love the flashbomb 5/4, though.
definitely not. but it does dry way faster than other suits i've had. i have flashbomb gloves & they're dry well before any other aspect of my get up is.
Who cares? Does anyone take off a wet wetsuit and then put it back on 15 minutes later? I dunno, having gone through a lot of wetsuits over the years, what separated the ones i liked from the ones i hated isn't how quickly they dried. Fit, durability, lightness, flexibility, ease of entry without having to stuggle and tug the neoprene, well sealed seams...matter to me more than whether it dries in two hours or four hours By the way, The rip curl 3/2 e-bomb chest zip is a great wetsuit.
+1 on the rip curl 3/2 e-bomb chest zip. I'm going into my 3rd (4th?) season with mine, and it's holding up well.
I have a 5/4 F Bomb, and a 3/2 E Bomb Pro. I get cold easily, and I have not noticed any difference between my previous 3/2's and my "pro" model. I do notice the extra flexibility. Maybe I'm not worn out as quickly as a result of being able to paddle like I'm wearing nothing, which in result keeps me warmer. Who knows. The F Bomb, for a 3/2, is complete overkill. The suit itself doesn't dry quicker, just the interior lining. Makes putting on the suit a little more pleasant (for a 2nd session), and your not soaking when when taking it off, which is nice if its cold. But if you are only getting a 3/2, I'm assuming it is warm enough to dry it in the sun in between sessions, and the air shouldn't be cold, so you don't need the lining. Get the pro, the performance values are unreal. Just take good care of it, and flip it inside out and hang it to dry in between sessions. It will be the same as an F Bomb, in terms of dryness. I do recommend the F bomb though for winter surfing.
I had a regular (not pro) e-bomb 4/3 chest zip for a few seasons. As far as warmth, it was okay but not exceedingly toasty as my winter suit in southern california (mid-50s water), except it doesn't handle wind very well, which is no surprise since it has no lining or smooth rubber outside. But very flexible and, when new, a very dry suit. Of course, I'm a middle-aged guy and I think younger guys handle the cold better. I'd imagine a 3/2 e-bomb would be a SUPER flexible, but not warm suit---that is, fine on sunny, low-wind days in near-60 degree water.
