had two. awesome in that they were supre warm but ****ty to get in and out of. Because of the entry, they didnt last long. Chest zip is better imo.
My last wetsuite was a front zip with built in hood. But I gave up winters due to my pooswah hurting too much.
Don't do it. It will ruin your whole vibe. Stop and think: (a) how quickly you want to get in the water once you see the waves? (quickly, right?) or (b) how exhausted you are once you've had a marathon session (in cold water? (cuz that's why you're wearing a full suit). Both (a) and (b) are times you're dealing with contorting yourself, considering how to dislocate/relocate your shoulder just to get in the surf and stoked or home and warm. I had one and hated it. Don't do it. My $0.02.
Use to have a backzip, switched to front zip. Not looking back, and less rash on neck from the Velcro or whatever. A zipper less.... Is it on Velcro or solid stitched? How would one even get in to the solid stitched?
Never had one and never will. I'm happy with my 3/2 Ripcurl DawnPatrol back zip that i've had for years, may get a new one next season, or may try a front zip, but nothing wrong with the one I have right now so I'm going to wear it till it falls apart. Ripcurl makes a quality suite IMO
I've had two - Rip Curl 5/3 maybe 15 ago Billabong 5/3 about 12 years ago At the time, they felt like the most amazing light stretchy warm suits ever. With both suits, the constant stretching of the neck entry really took its toll by the end of the second winter. The real issue was when they started to fail/stretch out/tear, it got bad/leaky real quick. I didn't find it much harder to get in and out of, and it didn't take much longer than back zip or chest zip.
Zipper less. Have one from rip curl and hate it. I can get into it but getting out is next to impossible. I have a bad back and threw my back trying to get out of it...they suck, at least for me. All my suits are chest zip...no problem with these and will never go back to back zip. Freakn love the chest zip. All I ever owned are rip curls.
i honestly don't feel much of a difference in zipperless and the short chest zip suits in regards to getting in and out them or leakage at the neck hole. You still have to peel out of them. I think its more important to get the suit that fits best. the brands are cut so different.
by "zipperless", do you mean anything other than back zip...or no zipper anywhere? When they first became popular, I had a rip curl zipperless (velcro closure) and can say it's extremely important to get the absolute right size...anything leaning on the smaller side of fit is going to be a nightmare to get off. All back-zips (flushy) since then, but things have evolved enough for me to give the new tech another try .
Zipper less = no zipper and no Velcro. Didn't leak but had to contort to get that freakin thing off. For me, It actually fits the same. Chest zips are very easy to get in and out...at least from my experience with rip curl. Some reasons I hate back zip...far less flushing...for me, the movement is better, such as paddling and I can't stand the wind throwing that strap all over the place...I find it annoying as hell...but that's me.
I find the strap annoying as well. Worse is getting it caught under your hand as you're going to pop up. Kinda hinders the upward movement of one's upper body. Happened to me more than once causing a blown take off. I now tuck the strap into he collar. Never used a chest zip but it has always seemed that it would be uncomfortable pressing against my chest-bone when laying on my bored to paddle. Maybe it's not such a big deal?
only if you're putting your head down on the board too. The zipper is pretty high up on the breast plate
WOrd. Thanks for all the input. All of my suites are chest zip, but was curious about the zipperless. Back zip sucks, and chest zip sucks less... but still sucks for me. I have to buy suites strictly based on chest size because my chest is wide, which means the rest is always loose. Oneill fits the best... so I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing I guess.. caught an ad for a zipperless...and started daydreaming of what it might be like to be comfortable in a suite for once. probably buy a carapace next and see how that goes..
