First off, I didn't mean forever in the most literal sense.... i simply meant they last a long time.. Secondly, from 2009-2010 was there 1st generation wetsuit, and when they came out, so naturally since they are from santa cruz, they began with a 4.3 and 3.2. for 2011 they came out with a 5.4.3. Also, I emailed them a few days ago, and I got a personal response the next. Maybe you tried to contact them while they were still figuring everything out, I don't know. But, I think they'll going to become very popular soon
I wear my 5/4 until like May. I hate being cold. If I'm too hot, thinner boots and gloves, and I drop the hood, but I would rather sweat than freeze.
i switch to my r3 above 45 and wear one of those dorky caps until it goes above 50. usually drop the boots and gloves at 55 and skin it at 65. i also have a 1mm top for windy mornings.
yeah as i always say: if you are too warm you can always flush yourself, but if you are too cold you are stuck like that until you (painfully) add more layers/thickness also, my god i wouldve loved to see people out today in a 3/2. i was chilly in my 5/3. that wind was brutal on the face too
Surfed saturday ina 4/3 with hooded poly flece shirt and was warm for 2 hours started gettin cold shortly after the two hour mark
I NEVER understood the rush to strip down to thinner suits and be the macho psycho to be first out of his wetsuit each year. It is far easier to cool off by flushing your suit than to try to warm up from near hypothermia. The water is is still in the mid to upper 40s and THAT is what you dress for, not tempting air temps nearing 60. Keep the 5/4 for now.
Not a matter of being macho and cool.. I hate the flexibility loss in the 5/4/3 and a hood.. it just plain sucks!!! Sucks i tell ya!!
Fleece Shirts Saw someone say that they wear a fleece shirt underneath their wetsuit. Does that work??? Also heading to VA beach this weekend it says the water temp is 47 is that correct.
Yesterday surfed with 4/3 boots and gloves, no hood. Not bad, Repetitive dives got cold, but for the most part with the sun, felt great.
They are both correct. In regards to the fleece question, anything you place between you and the water is an insulator, even (and especially) air. The one thing about using fleece is it will also allow the suit to flush if it's trapped around the neck o-ring and/or cuffs.
i don't know if you posted this before, but this is one of the best posts i've seen, and i would look at this to get a good idea. obviously give or take a couple degrees for different people this is a good one to follow. almost identical to what i would advise. last three times i been out i been in the 4/3. the water isn't even 45 yet though. 4/3 hood, and boots, and gloves. i usually go to my 3/2 in about mid 50 water. maybe a few below if the air temperature is warm or mild, or the sun is strong. i lose the gloves around mid 50s, and sometimes even 60, and the boots come off around 60 or 62. by 65 i'm usually just trunkin it unless it's one of those nasty days where the air temperature drops down below 65. i can see it won't be until late june or maybe mid june if i'm lucky before i can go just in shorts. just like two years ago when it took until the last week of june. i think i was trunkin last year first week of june. i was away for memorial day weekend, but i probably could have by then. i was in my 3/2 in mid april last year too. can see it won't be until mid june this year with the typical below average spring temperatures we've been having which seems to be EVERY year minus last year.
give it i tryy.. you'll most likely die but i say go for it. btw the answer is no lol. Its not even 4/3 weather yet. I was out yesterday and i don't even feel like the waters warmed up at all since February.
I've been going out all winter with a 4/3, a seperate hood, and 3 mill gloves and boots. Hasn't been bad.
