Stanley

I'm looking to buy a wetsuit for windsurfing and catamaran sailing, but I had trouble finding any solid reviews. What should I look for when buying the suit? Are there different materials or is there any manufacturer I should stay away from?

roclafamilia

Wind Resistant
Glued/Sealed Seems


Just go to your Local Surf/Sail/Kite board Shop...They can show you the best and worst, most are usually honest too...should cost 200-300 dollars for a decent full body...


Also if you want to get a nice and convenient one that already has a life jacket built in get a barefoot suit...Most don't have sleeves but you can find some that does. None are full body though.

efeezy

How cold of water are you going to be in? If it's in 67ish degree water, you probably won't need anything more than a 2mm thickness. If the water's colder than that, you'll probably want to get a 3/2mm or thicker.

I used to love Oneill suits...but their quality has gone down hill in recent years. Xcel makes some really good quality suits and I've had a couple Rip Curl's that were very good too. Glued seams is generally a sign of good quality. Make sure you have some room under the arms if you're going to be paddling. All the brands will fit differently, so just because a Large Tall fits in one brand doesn't mean it will for all. Try them all on.

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AngryMac

i use Slippery for jet skiing but ive had the same one since 2003. from the looks of it some of their products quality is less than what they used to be. Last year i switched over to JetPilot. quality stuff imo

envision

First thing is to decide how thick it needs to be. Depends on water temperature like efeezy said. In the SF bay area, I use a 4/3 suit mostly. That means 4mm neoprene around your chest for better insulation and 3mm around your arms for better movability.

Wetsuits are all made of neoprene, I'm not aware of another material. Sealed seams are important like roclafamilia said. I saw a shorty (short arms/legs) once at Costco for $39 and it was 2mm, sewn seams, i.e. crap. Still bought one as a backup for really hot days because it was so cheap, but I rarely use it.

Wind resistance means the chest area has a thin plastic-y or rubber-ish layer on top of the neoprene. Most suits should have that. But you may also look for similar reinforcement around the knee/elbow area where it prevents early wear in those stretch zones.

I have an ONeill and, after about two years, the knee is beginning to rip just above the reinforcement. Too early IMO. Also, the seams on the neck near the zipper are coming apart. And the velcro latch on top of the zipper often catches onto the neoprene when it's open, so the neoprene around the neck looks worn and thinned. Not good, look for a better solution.

I'll second to go to a local surf/kite shop. Those guys usually care about their stuff and have a reputation to lose. They won't scam you with fake reviews and "Order Now!" come-ons like, ahem, certain other businesses. My next suit is gonna be a Mystic or Rip Curl.

gutterseo

This seems like free content for a wet suit site.

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Bofu2U

Was just thinking the same thing.

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envision

You guys...

But, yea, I think I need to adopt that mind set more.

roclafamilia

i have a mystic 4/3...went in the water in march/april this year (jersey shore)...and it was almost TOO warm...O'neill is really popular for surfers...

Stanley

What do you guys use your wetsuits for?

Water temp is around 70º right now, but it'll warm up towards the end of summer.
I'm not going diving so I'm not actually planning to be submerged in the water. I'm mostly under the sun but I get hit by the waves. Maybe 2mm would be enough?

AdExhibitJason

I thought the same thing,

Maybe it is a ploy from stanley to make a site. LOL

WritingSolution

70 degrees?

This will do you until September and costs less than $100.

2mm Men's Quiksilver SYNCRO L/S Shorty Springsuit

envision

I kitesurf. I LOVE it. I'm out as often as I can, pretty much whenever there's enough wind. 70º water - that's really warm I think, right? Still not that comfortable with the Fahrenheit scale, but I doubt you need a wetsuit at all, esp when you're not really getting into the water.

roclafamilia

70 Degrees does not need a wetsuit...especially while wind surfing / sailing...yeah you keep getting splashed but you will get over heated...

i put my wetsuit away for the summer...not even wearing a shorty...


i mostly kiteboard / hobie sailing / wakeboard / waterski...

Stanley

I ended up going with this, Syncro New 2/2 Wetsuit - QUIKSILVER

Even if it's 70º, it gets chilly when you're soaking wet doing 20 knots and there's no sun.

WritingSolution

Yeah, I was a semi-pro surfer and after about 3 hours in the water, your feet and hands will turn purple even if the water's 75. I'd do 6 hours in the water almost every day so opted for webbed gloves and booties eventually.

roclafamilia

There is a difference between sitting in the water all day and sitting on a boat for a few hours...when you are in the water it is constantly draining your heat away if you do not have a wetsuit...when you are on a boat it keeps you warm if the water is really cold, but if the water is not that cold you stay really warm...TOO warm...splashed will not drain your body heat...the only way reasonable is when like he said...no sun...i prefer using a neoprene life jacket/vest to keep my warmth when not constantly in the water...i tend to get a vest that is a size too small...i like them tight for when i'm skiing and wakeboarding...it's also nice for sailing for keeping me warm...

that 2/2 quiksilver is great...i'm a huge fan of quiksilver suits...also i love their board shorts over most other companies...

I should also say that I do not get cold very easy...possibly why i do not use suits that much...



ps...where do you sail?