www.surfdome.com/blog/top-5-best-winter-wetsuits/

Xcel 5/4/3mm Infinity Drylock Chest Zip Wetsuit

would i be better off with a drysuit?

+ one for the excell 4/3 drylock chest zip. Very warm

I've got a Hyperflex AmpIII 6/5/4 and XCEL 5mm booties and gloves for winter.

Pretty sure I could get away with 5/4/3 suit and 3mm booties and gloves.... I go out year round, even when it's under 0?C and snowing - and I'm usually too warm, end up sweating. Bit of a shock when the face goes in the water, but the chill trickle down the back is quite refreshing.

Fleece lined is magic stuff!

Got a couple of Hyperflex suits, good bang for buck. The XCEL stuff is top notch too...

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned one crucial point about a warm suit

One that fits *you*

And you lot do not know cold. Last winter we were in 6mm suits with fitted hood, gloves & boots, this winter has been much warmer we're in 5mm with boots, hats sometimes, no gloves. Soon be warm enough for my 4mm spring suit

but the key is finding a suit that fits *you* not a suit that fits me. Then and only then do you start looking at sealed seams etc.
My GF swears by the Excel drylock suits. She was an O'Neil fan

I have found O'Neil fit me well

What mm would be good for summer and winter?

Kazan said...

Calvin6m said..

What mm would be good for summer and winter?

Talk to Steve from KSS Altona. The wetsuit I got from him (Quicksilver from memory) is bloody fantastic. Very stretchable, easy to put on and take off and kept me warm throughout the year back in Melbourne. He may still have some left.

I'm in WA though

Gorgo said..

Longer answer. Rip Curl FlashBomb. It dries touch dry in 20 minutes. Other wetties will stay wet for days and days in winter.

+100 on the Rip Curl FlashBomb. It dries touch dry in 20 minutes.

It dries in seconds... quite a few of them, but, you know, it actually dries!

+1 for the ripcurl flashbomb.


with the chest zip a lot less water seems to get in than any wetsuit with a back zip ( have 2 of those too) I live in SA, but on the southern coast kiting when its 5 degrees or something it gets chilly. Some of my mates were stirring me up as I bought a 5/3 from europe, and also own gloves booties and a hood if I needed it. difference is, I can stay out for hours and not get cold, whereas others dont feel their feet or hands anymore after an hr on a good 25 knot day. in my opinion...in the end of the day, how warm you are will equate to how much fun you are having. I was NOT cold ONCE last year in winter, it was nice and warm, and I kite all year round as much as I can .

I found that the flashbomb is very flexible under the arms, which is great for manoeuvrability (more important if you also surf). Some wetsuits loose their flex when they get thick, so if you like doing more than just kiting it is something to think about (paddling into waves with a very stiff wetsuit is way too much effort), but this is less important if you kite with it only.

btw, that flash dry lining is so awesome!! even if its soaking wet on the outside it still doesnt feel wet inside at all, just a touch damp, but so much nicer to put that wetsuit on again than either of my other ones which feel like stepping into an ice bath!