Could someone please give some recommendations on wetsuits for kiteboarding in Melbourne spring to early fall?
a) Better to get two suits? One for summer, one for spring/fall? b) Size & fitting recommendations? (flexibility? wearing something underneath) c) Brand recommendations? Quality / Durability / Comfort / Price? (Is there really a lot of difference between a $200 suit and a $600 suit?) - Year / Make / Models / style ?
Some people feel the cold, others don't. I wear a 4/3 full wetsuit on all but the warmest of days as i'm a skinny bugger who needs to eat a few more pie's for padding. Until i get the padding i'll stick with my wetty & booties on the cold days.
I've been using an Oneill wetsuit for the last two years. I bought it for ~$400 which i thought was expensive at the time but has been a great investment. Less time freezing my ass off = more time kiting!
If your in Melbourne and need a wetsuit i'd recommend going for a daytrip down to the clearance centres and shops in Torquay. When i went down i tried on ~15 wetsuits before i found one i liked and at a decent price.
I recently ( 4 months ago ) purchased a " Strike Overknee " wetsuit made specifically for kiting by ION ( got it through RPS in Elwood ) it is a 4-3 with long arms but the legs stop just below the knee , so you dont end up with the Gumby Look ( where the legs of a steamer wetsuit fill up with water ) .
Originally I bought it to use throughout summer and " fall " as my Rip Curl F -Bomb is too hot but the ION was soo good I was able to wear it all winter as well.
Excellent quality comparable to wetsuits twice their price
il second that. had my ion for nearly eight months, best suit ive ever owned. sometimes get to hot in it but would rather that than freeze. check them out, wont be dissapointed
i was out in boardies yesterday and i was warm for the first 2 hours then started to get a bit chilly. but anyway i will be in boardies far more often now with no wetsuit for the next 4-5 months apart for the cold days.
