Front zip suite.... holy crap!

Do you guys turn the wetsuits outside in before you get into the leg portions???
I find front zips as easy as back zips...no difference.

 

I'm with DP... I put my spring suite on Friday and Saturday because I got a lil chilly! good surf on Friday and not too bad Saturday early.

 

I've never owned a wetsuit that was tough to get into at all. I'm of Sicilian background....Olive oil skin - the suite slips right on.

 

Do you have access to any grocery bags? Pretty easy even with the tightest of fitting wetsuits. Just stick your legs and hands through the holes. Chest zips are the sh!t, much easier to paddle in. Coat yourself in vaseline if need be.

 

Just wait until your standing in the road soaking wet, in your boxers, with the suit around your ankles and a 20 degree wind chill with frozen hands. Getting the ankle cuffs over your feet is always a good time.

 

It doesn't take long to figure how to get out of it...I have never had problem getting into them...I had a rip curl zip less, and freakin hated it...i could never get out of that thing and threw my back out a couple times. Practically gave it away.

I don't think I will ever go back to back zip, except for my tank short john.

 

Front zip, that's all I've ever had up here in the tundra. The harder it is to get in, the warmer it will keep you.

 

In 30 years of surfing, I think I've had more injuries from getting suites on and off in cold weather than from actually surfing. First tweaked my rotator cuff taking a suit off about 10 years ago and it's been a mess ever since. Had thumbs pull right out of the joint while pushing 7 ml boots off, pulled back muscles, etc. When we remodeled our house a few years ago we had a shower built just inside the back door with a bench where I can sit and take the thing off with the hot water pouring down on my head. It's friggin' glorious after a cold winter surf.

 

The thumb issue you describe is a viable concern. I buy my boots with that always in mind. That means try them on to see how easy/hard they are to get off.

 

I tweaked my upper back the same way right before a sesh that included a 1/4 mile paddle to an adjacent island and back. Did the whole session and couldn't move the next day. Getting old rulz

 

Rip Curl F-bomb front zip is my go-to winter suit. Yes its a pain to get on, and take off. But I use wetsuits for two reasons only: 1. To look like a deranged ninja-clown. 2. To keep me warm in the water. The F-bomb has been excellent for both.

Couple pointers: When taking off the suit, after throwing the hood flap off your head, work the suit down on one side to one of your elbows for leverage -it doesn't have to be fully down, the interior flap will work. Try and get part of the shoulder of the suit or the inner flap over your elbow by folding it down (even if your arm is still almost fully in the suit you'll realize that with the elbow as leverage its MUCH easier to extract your arm/shoulder fully. Once one arm is free repeat for the second arm. Take your time getting the bottom of the legs over your ankles and off the foot. SIT DOWN if possible for this part.

 

This is a great thread Z, so much advise on how to get in and out of a wetsuite, who woulda thunk it? You guys are so helpful

 

Yoga could help with taking the suite off...

Although I just deal with it. Set up a bench in my basement for after surf changing - so I don't fall over- then I can do some bench pressing imidiatly after

 

One Day DP, you will be up here surfing and understand the importance of getting in and out of a wetsuit in single digit temps. Its a whole new part of the surfing ritual to experience.

until then you can zip it.

 

HAHA I'm sure it's an adventure in and of itself, i'm just impressed at all the techniques and the injuries being sustained!

 

I'm just breaking balls guys

 

When I got my last winter suit (chest zip) it came in august and I tried it on in my garage. it went on ok and its the right fit but it was like 90 something out and I was sweating pretty good and I couldn't get out of the thing. I went nutzo. It went something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuIVn5cq5U

After a few uses it stretches a bit and gets much easier.

 

lol that's funny I got some Sicilian in me and I got olive oil skin,thats why I don't get sunburned lol.probably the only good thing I got from the Italian side.but I always consider myself American,im a mutt lol,lets see I'm Italian,german,irish,scottish,ukranian,dutch(that's why I'm a pothead lol),and I get my drinking skills from the irish side.its sad tho most of my relatives are either full blown alcoholics or junkies and that's why I don't associate with them.i got bad genes from my ancestors lol,thats why I stay away from the hard stuff

 

That also happens when you've been surfing in these temps. Your balls will crack like wood.