So it’s Just about time to buy a new wetsuit , and I’m wondering if there are any better options out there than what I am currently using. I mainly SUP foil and weight is a big issue when it comes to my board, foil and wetsuit. I typically don’t hear a lot of discussions around the weight of wetsuits as much as how much a mast, board, or a wing weighs. Funny, but it’s typically the same people who are critical about the weight of their gear and their board, and then I see them wearing a bulky wetsuit in the water.
This all came to my attention when I was comparing the float of a couple of different boards. They were similar volume, but while comparing, I noticed they were floating be very different. The factor that I wasn’t considering was when I rode one board it was cold, and when I rode the other board, it was nice and sunny out.
The cold day, I wore a wetsuit and the sunny day I did not. So, I decided to weigh my wetsuit. It was a rip curl, flash bomb plus full suit 3+2. I placed the wetsuit in my bathtub and submerged it, then lifted it and weighed the suit and to my astonishment it was 12 pounds. Holy crap, that’s the weight of a whole board, I thought. This started me on a search for a lighter wetsuit with closed cells that did not retain water. I found the Nine Plus retro 3+2 with Yamamoto neoprene. Wet, it weighs only 5.5 pounds. So now that it’s been A few seasons, it’s time to get a new suit and I’m wondering if anybody out there is using anything they can recommend besides the Nine Plus.
Just for giggles and info, try to post the wet weight too.
Anything with a fuzzy liner is going to be heavier. I was thinking about that this weekend too due to all the wind. You SUP guys really benefit from smooth skin. Nineplus is about the only suit doing that off the rack. None of the new suits have it except for MAYBE a tiny chest patch.
Buell says you don’t need the fuzzy liner except for the coldest mornings. I like the fuzzy liner personally. But I’m sitting in the water all the time. I need to replace my off the rack 7til8 suit this year. But I just bought another craigslist foil so I might have to tough it out and be cold for awhile.
Just go full Japanese custom and review one for me. Cyber is the name that always seems to come up in the custom wetsuit threads. Or AXXE if you want to go top dollar. I saw a BeWet years ago that was awesome.
I’ve been really happy with the nine plus. I seldom wear a full suit since I’m on a SUP, but since I’ve been proning more, I’ve been looking around. I’m interested in hearing about other options so thanks for the feedback.
Love my Quik suit Bad Brad, nice and light, not sure if they make pink though!!
Good topic - thx for bringing this up.
Most of the times my wetsuit is dry on the inside, where the fuzzy liners are, but certainly wet on the outside. I use a 3/2 all through summer and 4/3 all through winter.
Liners are the heavier part of the suit. Also, the less glue and stitching, the lighter the suit. That means the bigger the neoprene panels of the suit, the lighter it would be (also stretchier, since blue and stitching don’t stretch). Most of the high end wetsuits have very few panels.
Zippers are also heavier. So a back zip suit would be a bit heavier than the front zip, which would be heavier than some of the newer non-zip suits.
Some more things to consider. The stretchier the neoprene, the more gas molecules in the construction, hence lighter. But the liners add weight. The liners do keep you warmer when you need it though.
Finally, while most manufacturers rate their wetsuits as 3/2, 4/3, 5/3 etc, when you use calibers and measure the thickness of various parts on the suit, you will find a huge range of different thicknesses. I have checked 3/2 and 4/3 wetsuits and I have found panels, with 5mm and 6mm thickness on various parts of the suit.
These are the suits I use and love. They are lightweight, incredibly stretchy, and keep me warm. Prolimit is a Dutch company, they have been making high performance suits since the 80s, and are built in Sheico - the biggest wetsuit factory in the world.
I have an Xcel 3/2 and 4/3 that I love but they are lined and heavy AF when wet. I agree that the lining is heavy at least on Xcel (they use a jersey.)
All the Yamamoto stuff is dope.
Vissla made my 2mm long john and it’s super light. I’ve actually wanted to check their 3/2 and 2/2. Impact vests also are waaaay warm.
I’m a wimp in the cold but I’ve been playing with going to a 2/2 with taped seams for a lot of the year now that the foam is better. Hurley makes a great one. If it gets cold I’d add a 2/1 front zip jacket (which I wear all summer here in SoCal) over the top.
The plan would be:
Dec/Jan/Feb 2/2 w/jacket or 3/2
Mar/Apr/May/June 2/2
July/Aug/Sept Trunks w/jacket
Oct/Nov 2/2
Until Dec/Jan/Feb is FL or HI…
Camaro suits - unbelievably warm and super lightweight. They are less durable than some suits because they are a so thin. There is a huge following in the waterski world and it would be perfect for efoiling.
Personally, I use a a long sleeve heater top even during summer (our lake never gets above 75F) and switch to a drysuit for the cold months.