The Best Wetsuit Available for an NJ Surfer

Are you using the hooded 4/3? Reason i ask is this is my second winter in a 5/4 Xcel Inifititi drylock and i kind of wish i had gone with the hooded 4/3 cause the 5/4 is borderline too warm most of the time on the delmarva even now with the 40 degree water its more than warm enough.

 

Yes I am using a 4/3 but its not hooded. I didn't really want to get a 4/3 hooded so I just stuck it out with the Xcel 2mm hood. But yeah I think a 4/3 hooded drylock would be good the only thing is I don't like using a hood in the spring so thats the only reason i didnt buy a hooded one. The last time I went out was last week at lavallette and long branch and it worked fine. Even my mile walk home to MU was good.

 

i use the qs cl6. its only a 4/3 but i use it all the time. costs like 350 in stores but can find it online for about half. great wetsuit no problems so far (2 years) and keeps me plenty warm in the water even now.

 

I am a Hyperflex user all the way. Have owned Oniells, Rip Curls and Billabong and all have fallen apart and started leaking much sooner than all my Hyperflexes have even with more use. Everyone likes to bash these suits but I have never been warmer and more comfortable in my life. My 5/4/3 flow is incredibly comfortable and toasty.

 

I agree 100%

 

I think I'm the Matt Johnson of Maryland , maybe I should rename myself Waxer . I have been praising these suits down here for years and very few people believe me. I also surf more than most so it's not like I am a weekend only guy. In the last 7 days I have logged close to 13 hours in that suit and am outlasting my friends every session and have been doing that every swell and my suit still looks like new.

 

You will known as Jack Barrlow for now on LOL

 

Oh no not Jack Barlow! He was such a tight a$$. Well at least Jack lived, Waxer was killed in Vietnam which sucks. Why do you get to be the one with the hot wife (The point Grinder), my girl ran off and got married while I was in the service . Ok I'll stop now.

 

I like my Hyperflex 4/3 flow a lot but I just think that the chest zip could be a little more watertight, it just seems to easy for water to get in with both sides open, but I think the Amp takes care of those issues. Eventually, Ill buy an amp, but the Flow is serving me well for Wrightsville beach. I also wished they had a back-zip version of their suits, because chest zips can get annoying sometimes to put on

 

I am very happy with my Flow . I havent had the flushing issue your having . they run a little bit on the small side so I got a Large instead of a meduim tall. I might up grade the the Amp next winter maybe 6/5/4 is the moment takes me

 

It's not that it flushes, it just that it doesn't seem too watertight in the neck/shoulder areas where the flap overlaps.

 

Hmmm thats strange , I am sure you got the right size so I am not even gonna ask that.

 

i wish i had a patagonia. i got a billabong and hyperflex and there fine but if i had the money i would get a Patagonia with the wool lining. My favorite boards are FCD and Merrick and i think Patagonia makes a quality product

 

Oh wait, I have the Amp 5/4/3 . The Amp used to be the one around $200 but then they improved the suit, raised the price and introduced the Flow. So the flow of today is last years Amp. But the Amp of today is a totally new suit. Huh? So I have the 2010 Amp which is a great suit, my last suit was an Amp but is now called the Flow and it was very good too, lol .

 

Yeah if I had that kinda cash I would get Patagonia or Essential wetsuit I hear tons of good about both brands and If hyperflex ever goes belly up they will start getting my money next

 

I have a cheap 4/3 and a cheap 3/2 that are both old but work in the spring/late fall, but for the dead winter/right now, would an xcel 5/4/3 w/ hood work ok? I just dont want to be too hot.

 

Yes, but so would the Hyperflex 5/4/3 for less money.

 

In about a month you should be able to get away with a 4/3

 

I have been wearing a hooded 4/3 Xcel Drylock this winter in NJ and have been reasonably warm. I'm probably pushing it a little bit since the water's been in the high 30s, but I haven't been freezing and I'll take the lighter weight and flexibility. Using 5-mil Drylock split-toe boots and 5-mil O'neill lobster-claws.

 

^ sick, good to know you can get away with a 4/3 round here.