Cold water wetsuits

Ok guys same old drill, i need suggestions for a cold water wetsuit that comes for a reasonable price.
AAAAAND go

Zion. Aussie brand. I have a 3/2 chest zip and I have to be careful cos I can get too hot in it in NSW.

Where are you surfing Jordan, in a few weeks we’ll be in boardies

thanks cords il have a look into that

im down in south east victoria spaz but i get around a bit i was in Lorne over the weekend, yea boardies are looking more and more like the way to go but the weather is so random are here and im guessing you know the feeling we all get when the surf is pumping on a freezing day

Yeah I know it!
It’s one of the main reasons I run to the mountains in winter.

I surf around Wollongong. Most of us stay in a steamer until just after Christmas, then boardies for a few weeks (half-suit on top if the sun’s not out).
But generally it’s steamer all year round for me.

Just 3 weeks and the water will be warm for a month - yew!

Gotta agree with Cords on this one. Zion all the way.

Love my zion suit, its unreal. keeps me super toasty, got away with a short leg long arm on a trip to south aus. Made of some new materials that feel like silk.

It will really depend on your budget!!!!!

For example, a silicone/rubber sealed 3/2 Hollow Fibre/Titanium Coated Long Arm Steamer will be as warm (if not warmer) than a Flatlock Stitched 4/3!!!!! But the 4/3 will be cheaper!!!!!

Fit/Cut is the most important thing when buying a wetsuit, so go and try try try as many on as you can!!!!! It’s a hot, shitty task, but well worth it in the end!!!!! (A cheaper neoprene will “expand” around 10% once in the water, whereas a dearer rubber not so to the same extent as the cheaper will)

And take into consideration that a cheaper (Flatlock Stitch) will most likely use a less elastic neoprene than a dearer sealed one!!!!! A snug fit with the least or no air pockets is what you’re after, and the better the rubber, the more flexible and hence better the fit will be!!!!!

And although the dearer neoprene is a better fit and warmer, take into consideration that it won’t last as long as its cheaper option!!!!! Wetsuits are like tyres, in that the better the performance the faster it will wear!!!!!

Hope this helps?????

yea spaz thats about all we get isnt it, i miss living in the all year round toasty warm hervey bay up in QLD

to marcab and cords, im looking into the Zion suits however the shops around me dont stock them, im going to go a little further afield for a look but if i cant find them im not over excited about the idea of getting a wetsuit off the internet

jesus, it seems like mizu has an answer or explanation for everything
thanks for all that i now know some of the main points to look for, i like the feel of the thicker, heavier wetsuits and as im more of a bodyboarding kid than a surfer i think il be looking into the 4/3 or maybe even a 5/4 which may be a little extreme, but hey, warm is warm right?

Hahahahaha, I used to sell wetsuits for a living!!!!!

Like I said, a sealed seam (rubber/silicone) 4/3 can be warmer than a flatlock stitched 5/4!!!!!

A lot depends on features of the wettie, and the neoprene that its made out of!!!!!

For example, I’ve got a custom 3/2 wettie that was made in Japan, that’s made out hollow fibre, silicone welded seams, with a waterproof zipper, that’s warmer than a top end 5/4 in any brand that ya can buy off the shelf!!!!!

But at ~ $900, it’s not for everyone!!!!!

Ohhhh, and the thinner the neo is, the more flexibility you’ll have, along with the added Benefit of less fatigue!!!!!

A high end 4/3 will be more than enough for East Vic!!!!!

Ohhh haha i see

These are all just strange words to me mate, but im sure they will come in useful at somepoint during my search

Yea that might be a bit more than im willing to fork out on a wetsuit!

Haha yea that might be something for me to think about, the old fitness really went downhill after footy season

The parallel between snowboard boots and wetsuits is warranted cause if either is cold or uncomfortable it really doesn’t matter how good your board is you’re not going to want to go.  Spend the money on the wetsuit, there’s nothing better higher end suit where it’s so well sealed that you can walk out up to your neck and still be pretty much dry.  I have found most makers can make a decent high end suit but through a combo of my lack of care and the high elasticity of the rubber that they fall apart after two seasons.  On the flip side I have an unsealed 2mm West short arm steamer that I use a lot in Sydney that I literally can’t kill no matter how much I mistreat it.

how did u end up going jordan, any luck finding a suit?

Tonik has their 40-70% off sale this Aus Day weekend.  I picked up a nice XCEL steamer there a couple of weeks ago a 50% off.

alright guys i know it took a long time but i finally ended up with a billabong SG5 3/2 steamer, cheers for all the advice