Thank you for your well wishes. I fashion myself a bit of a bish in cold water, but I'm always down for saving money and skimping a bit on rubbers.
Late july - mid September you don't need a suit. But then you need one, and then you really need one. CT is one of the most underrated surf spots in the world. Norwalk and Bridgeport have sandbars that rival any I the world. Like other CT surfers, you just have to wait for Long Island to implode, and then the CT Sound will be part of the proper ocean. Until then, get ready to travel to your north or your south. Neither will be friendly, but you have less likelihood of getting beat up heading north. Also, the water is cleaner up there. Pizza to the north sucks, though. CT pizza is the best in the world.
As far as wetsuites go... 5/4 will get you through the winter if you surf RI. If you're on the western side of the state and planning on surfing NY, I suspect it's about the same. If you're northern CT and planning in surfing NH, 5.5 got me through the winter last year. I do like a good 6 mil though. The trick is keeping your feet and hands warm. 7 mil
I hear they have cold water crawfish up there - Lobstah! Here is a useful SI tip:If you attache one on your d!ck by it's claw whilst surfing Mason Island, that's the code that you're part of the crew. And ask the first wahine you meet up there if she'd like to get her clam baked. It works like a charm. You can thank me later.
First time I got tagged by one on the boat...and they fkn hurt, especially that crusher claw...the Captain said if I tickled it's belly it would let go. I was 18 at the time, and it didn't.