Rubber, what is it good for?

Over the years I’ve read many wetsuit reviews, mostly the ones you find in surf mags, usually in spring or autumn. They mostly consist of no more than a few images of the latest suits and manufactures blurb. I won’t say that it isn’t informative but to be honest they tell you nothing about what the wetsuit feels like on or how it performs in the water.

Now, I’d love the opportunity to test a variety of wetsuits and write up a personal review, what would be really good it is if we could get a review board going, surfers of different size and shape testing and giving feedback for a complete review. I’ll live in hope that one day this might happen, but for now I have neither the time nor the money to conduct that kind of review. So for now I will just rant on about my personal views on wetsuits.

So to start; the wetsuit where did it come from? It’s widely accepted that Jack O’Neill invented the wetsuit in 1952. However from online sources I’m led to believe that the wetsuit was the brainchild of Hugh Bradner a physicist, he thought of the idea to keep underwater swimmers and divers warmer. It matters not to me who created the wetsuit, I’m just thankful someone did and I’m able to surf in the cold waters of my country of residence.

History of wetsuits (O'Neill)

I’ve tried a few wetsuits brands and models over the years, and with all the marketing hype it’s pretty hard to make a decision on which one to go for. At the end of the day it comes down to how does it fit, does it keep you warm and does it, or not, restrict you from your drop wallet hacks and airs (or in my case a cut back!). Now I’m as big a sucker as anyone and have fallen foul of the marketing, I usually buy one of the top brand wetsuits, I’m currently sporting a Rip Curl Flash Bomb. I like it, it’s flexible and warm and dries pretty quick, (if the temperate is above 15°C), and I got it at a discount, (the benefits of knowing the size that fits well and online retailers selling off last seasons models).

As with most things the newest innovations into wetsuits hit the top models first and filter down the models in the following years. My wetsuits 3 or 4 years ago were good; they just didn’t dry so quickly. That’s pretty much the only reason I bought the one I did. I used to be a massive fan of Xcel wetsuits, but with most things they were expensive because they were a quality product. Sadly they were bought out by Billabong and the quality started to suffer. I should really state here that I owned a Billabong wetsuit once, it was a top of the range suit, it fitted me well, but I was cold in it, So I’m probably a bit biased against Billabong wetsuits for no other reason than that. Xcel were great suits but for me they have too big a range of wetsuits now and they don’t last like they used to.

Of late I’ve noticed other brands of wetsuits in the water, there are a few British brands that seem to work just as well as the top brands, most have of the same tech, but called something slightly different. They’re usually a few pounds cheaper than the big name brands.

I’m pretty excited about some newer brands hitting the market; Vissla for one are selling a wetsuit, they only have one model in their range, it’s a wetsuit for surfing, it’s constructed as well as the top brands if not better, there are no jazzy marketing terms like Kaytron Knee Pads or Code Red Zipper or 130% Super Stretch Neoprene! I like the fact they just make a wetsuit with a nice lining and simple design.

There are of course other smaller local wetsuit makers and I’m sure your country has one or two of them, here in the UK brands like Snugg, Slynk and Neon, globally there are just too many to mention. They are worth checking out if you can find one. Finisterre in the UK is hitting the wetsuit market this autumn after some long well publicised R & D and I’m stoked to be getting one of their's this winter.

Now if you don’t fit into the standard sizes that most of the top brands manufacture then you’ll be left with few options. One option is to go with the size that fits the nearest your size and shape and hope for the best. If you surf rarely then this is a good option there are plenty of  choices out there, and this may be the most cost affective. If you surf a lot then the suit will usually end up being a little baggy in places or over time getting stretched in places and becoming thinned, either way it ends up a cold wetsuit.

I surfed with a tall slim fellow recently and he was wearing a custom made suit by Snugg, and we got chatting about wetsuits, he said the latter was the usual case for him but since being fitted by Snugg he had worn that suit 2 seasons running at it was still good. Well worth the extra cost of a custom suit. I’m sure there is a custom wetsuit maker near you

Here are my top tips when looking for a wetsuit.

So to if you’re looking to get a new wetsuit here’s some helpfully pointers.

1.     Is it a pro model suit? if you look like Mick Fanning then surely you’ll surf like him.

2.     Make sure it has bright colours that will make you stand out from the crowd, how else will your other half stuck on the beach spot you and take snaps of you killing it/falling off.

3.     Does it have the latest tech; super quick dry quick drying lining with 1000% super stretch, you definitely need these right? You are at the top of your game after all.

4.     Is it the most expensive model in the range, if it isn’t no one will take you seriously, when you rock up in you Porsche with you board strapped to the roof and put on a cheap wetsuit.

Surfing in Iceland, amazing how far wetsuits have come.