**Official wetsuit review thread**

I have the 6/5/4 Amp. 3rd season and still nice and toasty. Much warmer then the Rip Curl 5/4/3 it replaced, a tad less flexible. I'll replace it with another Hyperflex when it fails, either AMP or FLOW. I think the FLOW today is what the AMP was 3 years ago, so I'll probably go with it.

I was out on the 19th for about 4 hours. Wasn't cold. I always had 5/4/3 suits prior to this one, but I'll be rocking the 6 mil from here on out. I love to do long sessions and the extra warmth is really nice. I don't mind the extra thickness.

I bought Hyperflex boots, not overly impressed. I rarely use them. Could just be a bad fit for my feet though, I ordered them and I think it's worth trying boots on first.

 

Oniell wetsuit are in my bag, oniell mutant 5/4, awesome suit, no rash, light and flexible and then I pulled out the string of my extended attached hood on accident in the water, told em, they sent me an extra hood with string for free...oniell is pretty legit. I mean I surf in cold ass obx water thats loves being like 32 degrees most times right now and if it wasnt for my chicken hands and feet I could stay in the water all day. The suit keeps you warm, if anyone recommends some awesome warm gloves, let me know. I got the oniell mutant 5m and Im losing fingers to frostbite every other sesh.

 

My account's been weird lately, but I finally got around to resetting my password...

No one here has much to say about Billabong suits, so I'd like to fill in that gap in the thread.

I have a Billabong Revolution 4/3 back zip ($200 at my surf shop), and right now, in Wilmington, NC, the water is currently 43-44 degrees F, and it's still keeping me warm for at least 2 hours, provided I don't get flushed and keep paddling for warmth. And about the flushing, the backzip isn't the most water-tight entry but it does it's job under normal circumstances like duckdiving, and if you add a hood in there too that helps as well. If the water wasn't so abnormally cold this year, it would definitely do for the whole winter.

Good suit, but in hind-sight, I would go a step up for the SG5, which is 100% sealed, has the external rubber patch on the chest and back and has better neoprene in general, whereas the Revolution is only sealed from the knees to the elbows.

 

I'm a huge fan of the Xcel Drylock gloves, Curtis. Love them! Hands are dry after most sessions.

 

Yeah I just got a set and I am loving them hands are dry and toasty . Gonna get the boots to replace my old ones

 

I have a Body glove 5/4/3 Vapor boots 7mm and 6/4 claws. I get everything from the website for 25% off if anyone is interested.

 

Oneill Mutant Review

Wetsuit Review - Bought an Oneill 4/3 Mutant, the 2010 model. I went with the Mutant due to the detachable hood and regular wetsuit neck. I surf VB and Outer Banks and this suit is perfect for the typical winters here (42-25* water temps) . Anyway I paddled out for the first time with head waves on Friday, lots of duck diving, got worked a few times and the wetsuit worked great never had any flushing using the hood at all. Water temp at 42*. I get cold easily and I surfed for two hours in 50* air temps. Only reason I didnt stay longer is because my big tow felt like it had frost bite.(see below foir bootie review) The Mutant in 4/3 may be more flexible thatn my Quiksilver Cell 3/2. Super flexible warm ruber and it seals really well. My hair was hardly wet witthe the hood on. Great wetsuit for $300.

Bootie Review- 5mm Split Toe Excel Drylock boots. THey are sealed really nice, after two hours had barely any water in them. But the 42* water was a bit cold for the big toe area. The other 4 toes stayed warm but the big toe being isolated got cold, real cold. The booties take forever to dry also. For water under 45* I would recommend a 7mm non split toe boot.

Glove Review- Tried to find excel drylocks in 5 mm and couldnt so I ended up withthe Quiksilver Cypher 5mm gloves. I am so glad I had to "settle" with these becuase my hands stayed the warmest on my body. I never felt cold once in those cypher gloves. They could have a better fit around the wrist than they do but my wetsuit seals it up good enough. I never really felt water in my gloves, once i took them off i could feel water in there but it never got to my skin due to Quiksilvers bio fleece lining, which lines the entire glove from base of palm to fingertip. The stuff works well, really well. I am now wanting to buy Quik booties to see if they work as welll as these gloves they are great gloves.

 

Updated Review

ONeill Mutant 4:3- Hood works great, about 6 to 8 sessions in and everything is working great. My suit will dry hanging up in my garagre with cold nights and no sun in about 2 days, pretty much dries overnight just water at base of legs and arms. I surfed in 48* air with NE winds at 15 mph and water at 46* and was warm the enitre 2 and a hlaf hours I surfed.
Quik Cypher gloves-these things take forerver to dry, hagning them in my garage, no sun baking on them they just wont dry. It the bio-fleece lning stuff just wont allow them to dry i guess so they start to stink pretty good. But tmy hands are always warm, never get cold and in fact I think any water or air over 50* i dont think i will be able to wear them they are that warm!
Xcel Dry Lock 5 mil split toe Booties These things wont dry, just like my glovs, im thinking its the lining in these like my gloves. Boots seal tight and even if i get a small little wetsuit flush i dont get water in my boots they are super sealed. The biggest issue is that my big toe becomes frozen after an hour and a half. Ut so far they are holding up fine.

Just wish i could ge tmy boots and gloves to dry so they woulndt smell like stale butt crack, 2 week old water in wetsuit fleece doesnt smell good, and i rinse in warm fresh water as soon as i get out!

 

i just got my 5/4/3 hyperflex flow, and im loving it, the only problem i have is I have some extra neoprene under my arm pits. im not sure if this will kill my warmth or if water will get in. i wear a medium and i couldnt really choose anything else b/c the small is too short for me and i need to fill out the height req, however im a lil under the minimum weight for the medium. the only suit where my weight falls in is a small but it's not long enough so i got a medium b/c i thought small would be way too small and tight.

are the extra bags of neoprene a problem?

 

Bags of Neoprene??? You mean tit bunches up under you arm pits. I just got a 2011 model 5/4/3 flow to replace my 2008 model. There was nothing wrong with my other suit. I just wanted a spare suit for those days of a double session. I went with a meduim this time aswell ranther than a large cause the arm and legs were a little too long for me and i had a little too much room in the chest area. I was glad I went with the medium. it fits snug but not too tight to where is pulling down on my shoulders.

It might pust be how they folded it in the factory and shipped it . After you use it a cpl time it will mold to you body better

 

I got the AMP Aerodome 654.....it's sick!

 

yeah tit bunches under my arm pits haha, and yeah hopefully it's the case that it's how they folded it. im looking forward for something this week

 

xcel 3/2 dri lock chest zip- love it no complaints super warm
oniell psycho 2 6/5/4 aslo super warm and real comfy but getting alittle tight and rubbing under the arm pits other then that i could be out in 15 degree air and 38 degree water and have no problem

 

hey guys im looking at a 4/3 hyperflex cyclone and was wonderring if anyone has used it replies?

 

No if u want sandpaper wetsuit. Spend a tiny bit more and get rip curl dawn patrol 4/3 if money's tight. Or suck it up and get one with taped seams and a chest zip b/c they are way better.

 

thanks for the advice but what exactly do you mean by sandpaper lol,

 

I had one . it was a back zip for the money it was okay. It flushed around the neck if you got worked but othere than that it was okay I got 6 years outa it until the one leg got a little dry rott in it

 

What are your opinions on a Xcel XFlex X-Zip 3/2MM Wetsuit for $150 and a ONeill Heat 3Q Zip 4/3MM Wetsuit - FSW for $180?

 

Billabong SGX

http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/mens-fullsuit-wetsuits/MWFULGX3

"softest, lightest, and most flexible wetsuit we've ever seen"
"never soaks water"
"45 minute dry time"


Sounds too good to be true. Anyone have one? Does the coating last? Review on YouTube seems to back it up.

 

ONeill MUtant 4/3 update-
SO i have surfed in the Mutant about 12 times now in a variety of conditions. Water 43* and air at 45* using the zip on hood to water at 54* and air at 80* withthe zip on neck. The wetsuit rocks for the price. at $300 its hard to find a better more functional suit. The zip on hood / regular neck system is brillant. THe hood is like wearing a suit with an attached hood which isaves some cash on having to buy a hood. The neck works great and overall the suit is very sealed and very warm. The flexibility is fantastic with the chest zip and rubber is great. Its dries pretty quick as well. I would think low 40's for ocean temp is the confortable range for this suit, anything below low 40s and you wont be out more than an hour unless the sun is out helping you stay warm. I sured in 43* water with cloudy skies windy and air 45* for about an hour and ahlf before starting to get chilly. Great suit and for the VB/Outerbanks area you can get a more versitile suit, fromm October thru May this suit has ya covered. You may need a vest or insulating rash guard for your core when the water is low 40s or below but other than that your good late fall to ealry spring.