I'm looking to buy a new 3/2 chest zip suit and my problem has always been that I have an athletic build. I am 5'10"/210lbs, with very broad shoulders and back (like 44' chest measurement). I am narrow at the waist so when I buy an XL, the length is right but the shoulders are tight. I normally get an XXL (currently Rip Curl E-Bomb chest zip) and the shoulders are great but it is loose in the stomach and too long in the legs which makes them bunch up in the ankles and hold water. Any suggestions besides the obvious of getting a custom? Thank, R
Hey, I'm roughly the same size as you (or was before I recently lost weight). Still have the 44" chest, so I feel your pain. When I was your weight/a little heavier, I consistently wore an XL regardless of brand to find something that fit in the shoulders. Was talking to a former O'neil rep about how wetsuites are supposed to fit (as all my XL suites are now too big), and he said that snug/tight including across the shoulders is good. Remember, a suite is going to stretch about 5% (his words), so something brand new that is a little tight is going to loosen up. At 5'11", I found O'neil fit best overall, whereas xcel was a little long in the arm and legs, as was ripcurl.
got to try on an o'neill. their shapes are pretty v'd out. I'm 6'2"-210lbs, 30 inch waist line and my o'neill is legit, it's expensive but they have sh#t called mutant and hammer and stuff, not saying it's going to be perfect for your big a$$ but my guess is an o'neill is the closest you'd get. may have to go custom when it's all said and done or you could put on a few more lbs or take some off
In my experience, Billabong and O'Neill make roomier wetsuites. An XLShort in either should fit. Rip Curl and Xcel run small. The cool thing about XLS is you can get good deals on them-its an uncommon size. Whiskey Militia has both brands all the time. Hope this helps.
try body glove , Voodoo or legends , or the vapor x . they have a extra large short wetsuit . 5'9 to 6'0 195 to 210 lbs , take a look maybe these will help out
gonna go w/ the previous recommendations of o'neill. they make a great product that fits bigger & oddly shaped guys well. a buddy i surf w/ regularly is like 5'6" & has shoulders the same width as mine (i'm 6'0" & not narrow-shouldered by any means) & o'neill is all he can wear.
ya'll is built like some brick sh*t houzes. you make Occy look like a male figure skater in a wetsuite.
I have same wetsuite problem. 40" chest, 28" waist. Too broke to get a custom. If I get a S that fits waist, chest is so tight I can't breathe. I just wear M that fits chest, and have a loose waist. Whatever you end up going for, I recommend Whiskey Militia for KICK A** savings. Thanks to eMass for turning me on to them. Just scored 4/3 XCEL Infiniti for < half price! I'll probably wear it around house while waitin for waves just cause I saved so much! Ya gotta watch their site daily. The suite I got sold out in 2 hours.
I'm 5'11" about 215lbs, and wear a 44 jacket size and have 34" waist. I have been OK with Rip Curl and Hyperflex in XL. I find they start out tight, but eventually start to conform to your shape with use.
I'm 6'5" and (back when) 225 lbs of rompin' stompin' hell. I loved Oneil but the biggest of their suits was for a 180 lb guy. They'd only add a couple inches to the legs but that didn't do much for chest and shoulder. Quicksilver was the only ones who would customize for me.
