What is the best wetsuit?
Short answer: there is no best. It is all very dependent on the surfer and what they value.
A wetsuit can make or break your sessions. Nothing is worse than shivering out in the lineup wishing you had more warmth. Or just feeling constricted by you wetsuit like you can’t move. Whether we like it or not, what you wear in the water makes a difference. But where do you start?
These days, there are a million considerations when it comes to choosing a wetsuit. You have to choose from entry systems, materials, colors, thickness, internal heating, construction, and cut. Even then, there are plenty of options virtually identical to one another. So, here is a short list of wetsuits to try and ease the process. These are all really solid options; it is simply a matter of what you care most about for yourself.
Each of these is categorized into what surfers typically value and then the wetsuit that is most often recommended within that conversation was chosen. If this is your first wetsuit, buy a full suit, 3/2mm thickness, with a chest zip entry. Those are three things, I think, that will always improve your experience year-round.
Cost: Vissla 7 Seas Comp
Comfort: Feral 3mm2
Warmth: Ripcurl E7 Flashbomb Heatseeker
All-around: O’neill Hyper Freak
Sustainability: Patagonia R2 Yulex
Really though, go into a surf shop and try on as many suits as you can. It may feel goofy, but you’ll end up with something you really enjoy and that makes you want to surf more.
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