**Official wetsuit review thread**

Thanks for the help motion, I'm sure this will help out many people. I'm looking for a 4/3 for a fall and spring as we speak =)

 

i have those exact suits..

 

Same here... xcel all the way

The 3/2 chest zip bugs me around my neck. But that's the only complaint.

 

quiksilver cell:5 3/2 chest zip
bad wetsuit, the blue stuff on the inside delaminates from the neoprene, and rips easy, and its pretty heavy. but super flexible and warm

 

i'm really pretty much a rip curl guy, so...

3/2 is an e-bomb chest zip. super warm & stretchy. i find the rip curl chest zips to be kinda difficult to get in & out of at first, but gets easier over time. that said, i will never, ever wear a back zip suit again. they just feel so restrictive after 4+ years in chest zip suit. this is a fairly new suit, just going into it's 2nd fall. it should last me another 3-4 years if nothing goes wrong w/ it.

4/3 is an f-bomb chest zip. i'll wear this suit w/ a cap down to about 40° or so, air temp depending. if it had an attached hood, i could prob. wear it mostly all winter. it's that warm. this one's going into it's 3rd fall, but i'm confident that it will easily last another 2-3 years.

5/4/3 is also an f-bomb chest zip. this has the attached hood & i have never been cold in this suit. on smaller days, my chest & the interior chest panel of the suit will still be dry. easily one of the warmest suits i've ever worn. it's just unfortunate that i hate wearing a suit this thick. this one's also going into it's 3rd season of use, but like i said, it doesn't get real heavy use if i can avoid it. the last one i had gave me 4 solid years of heavy use.

2/2 short sleeve full is an e-bomb chest zip. they only make the chest zip in the "pro" model, which basically means that they sacrifice some warmth for added flexibility. i don't find it to be much of a big deal, since i'm only wearing it when the air's warm but the water's got a chill to it, like in late spring/early summer. my only complain is that it seems like it doesn't seal well at the ankles & biceps. i don't know if this is an issue exclusive to the "pro" model series of suits or if it's just my suit.

1mil e-bomb wetsuit top. this is a no-zip job. still easy to get in & out of, & a convenient cinch & boardshort tie loop at the waist to help keep the thing in place. keeps me warm, is stretchy, & stays in place. all i can really ask for in a wetsuit top, i guess.

2mil long sleeve spring is/was a classic back zip. the zipper recently broke on it, so i'm prob. going to replace it w/ a chest zip when spring rolls around again. no point in doing that now, as we'll be climbing into our fullsuits soon enough.

anyone have any info on the patagonia R3? they're coming out w/ a hooded chest zip version & am kicking around the idea of picking one up for the winter.

 

It's crazy expensive... This one doesn't have a hood though.

http://www.tactics.com/patagonia/r3-3mm-front-zip-wetsuit?src=gglb

 

it is crazy expensive...i've actually pretty much ruled it out. the hooded version is $575!

i was told that the hhoded R3 would get me thru an average nj winter & that guys who wore the R4 last winter (which was colder than normal) were borderline too warm on all but the coldest days. but the cost is rather prohibitive for me.

 

I will stand by and observe you all know what I wear LOL

 

rip-curl 4/3 f-bomb back zip $194.99 worth it? reg. $400
seems like chest zip is the way to go

 

i would say absolutely! that's a great deal on a great suit.

 

i have a 42 1/2in chest and a 29in waist so what ever suit i get will be loose in the waist. is that a really bad thing and if the limbs are too long, is it ok to just cut the extra length?

 

i wouldn't cut the length...it'll be useful when you've got thicker gloves & booties on. less possibility of the limbs slipping off or getting pushed off during a wipe out & letting water in.

 

great,thanks...how about the waist issue? is it ok if the waist is about 4-5in too big?

 

I'm not completely sure how good patagonias are, but I;d rather spend 200ish on a brand new xcel, rip curl etc than 500+ for a pat

 

i dunno...that seems it'd be an issue. the extra space would fill w/ water & flush out pretty easily, making it harder to keep warm.
if you can, i'd say go try it on & see how it fits & what you think of it. personally, i'd be more concerned w/ the waist than the extra length in the arms & legs.

 

always have been an X-cell guy. but decided to try something new had extra cash and needed a new 3/2 so I went with the Matuse Hoplite..well worth the $450. Fits me better than any suit I have ever owned and feels like butter!! Gonna get a Tumo for the winter! Its a warm suit but more than anything It just fits me perfectly and is super light.

 

Just picked that up off whiskey yesterday.

got a 3/2 ripcurl dawn patrol- its got a good fit besides the neck which is a little bit loose.. and its not all that warm.

5/4 o'neill mutant- highly recommend this suit. fairly priced, very warm, great quality, easy to get in and out of, no armpit rashes, and the hood can be removed for when it gets a bit warmer or on those knee-waist high clean sunny days when you dont need to duckdive. going on my 4th winter with it. the thing has seen a lot of use cuz i would go right from my 3/2 to the 5/4 cuz i didnt have a 4/3. getting a little thin in a couple areas, so this will probably be my last winter with it.

 

Anyone have an O'Neill Epic II 3/2? Looking to get a new 3/2 and this looks like a good option for the money. Any thoughts?

Thanks!