Wetsuit advice

surfingnewbie

Hey, im looking to buy a new wetsuit, i recently bought a portwest wetsuit and the first time i wore it the seams started to rip, It was very poor quality:mad:. Now i'm looking to buy something a bit more high end in terms of quality and i was just wondering what brand you guys would recommend. I've been looking at bodyglove,alder and ripcurl on kingofwatersports.com but am reluctant to buy because i had such a bad expeiriance with my portwest wetsuit. Are these good quality brands? any help is appreciated

jimmmy

The main thing with a wetsuit is to get a good fit. Often you have to try on a few before one fits perfectly, so most surfers find its better to buy one in a shop rather than mail order from overseas. There are lots of other brands out there too to look at eg C-skins, Gul, Sola etc in addition to Bodyglove, Alder etc.

lg123

i have an o'neill 3/2 (epic i think) and am still wearing it this late into the year, am pretty happy with it. last weekend i was up the country and rented an xcel from the surf shop, i couldnt believe how warm it was for a 3/2. i could be on the look out for a winter suit soon, i defo think it will be an xcel.

elainee

surfingnewbie wrote: »

Hey, im looking to buy a new wetsuit, i recently bought a portwest wetsuit and the first time i wore it the seams started to rip, It was very poor quality:mad:. Now i'm looking to buy something a bit more high end in terms of quality and i was just wondering what brand you guys would recommend. I've been looking at bodyglove,alder and ripcurl on kingofwatersports.com but am reluctant to buy because i had such a bad expeiriance with my portwest wetsuit. Are these good quality brands? any help is appreciated

I just started during the summer and got a great deal in tubes in cork 5 mil c skins suit have used it loads of times great quality. but would definetly recommend trying on a few suits before buying

Kell

surfingnewbie wrote: »

the first time i wore it the seams started to rip,

Um- I take it you are looking for your money back or a replacement at least?

As others have said, O'Neill, Gul, Ripcurl, Billabong etc are all good suits.

K-

jimmmy

elainee wrote: »

I just started during the summer and got a great deal in tubes in cork 5 mil c skins suit have used it loads of times great quality. but would definetly recommend trying on a few suits before buying

yes, try on a few suits, + I agree c-skins are excellent wetsuits

COOKSTER

Definitely recommend trying a few different suits.
Try looking in different shops cos they will tend to stock different brands (seems like they carry 1 or 2 different brands in the budget and upper ranges).

I have a rip curl 3/2 (the bomb I think?)which does me up to now, til april. It was an expensive suit but it doesn't let any water in. I also have a Quicksilver 5/3 (evolution gold??) and it was over €400 2 years ago. It is so much lighter and more flexible than my C-skins 5/3 which was probably half the price, however the Quicksilver just sealed much better, has an extra layer behind the zip, not just a flap, and a balaclava that attaches to the inside of the suit.

After 1 season with each of these suits I know that I will get another year out of each before they start behaving how a budget suit behaves after 10 uses. They have much better flexibility/elasticity and don't become porous as quickly.

You get what you pay for, if you are serious get the best you can afford. It is money well spent.

C

jimmmy

Most if not all manufacturers do different specification wetsuits, to suit different budgets etc. The C-skin Session I use is much more flexible than a Quicksilver a friend uses, and it has extra layer under the zip, fleece type lining, liquid taping etc, so its possibly like your evolution gold quicksilver by the sound of it. It is a different suit completely to a C-Skin Atom, for example. Having owned and used dozens of wetsuits over many years, I have found that generally businesses who design and sell wetsuits primarily in and for North Atlantic temperatures / conditions, and who are based in N. West Europe, generally offer better quality and service than firms located in warmer climates. Also Brands which are based in n.West Europe often distribute themselves to the shops in these islands, this cutting out one step / distributer mark-up in the supply chain.

mags345

Hey Jimmy, you sound as if you know what your on about , i got myslef the rip curl g bomb 5/3 i love it as its really flexible but i'll be on the look out for something for spring later on, any reccomendations?

badolepuddytat

I highly recommend boz wetsuits. If you're happy buying online, they have reliable size charts, use a high quality neoprene and are great value especially with the weak dollar. I mentioned in another thread that they sent me out a measurement sheet for a 5/4/3 ladies winter suit with integrated hood and custom made me one as they don't do them off the peg. I got it for about €220, including postage. It's great quality, zipless (which some people don't like but I prefer for the toasty factor) and you'll stay almost dry inside it most sessions.

c - 13

badolepuddytat wrote: »

I highly recommend boz wetsuits. If you're happy buying online, they have reliable size charts, use a high quality neoprene and are great value especially with the weak dollar. I mentioned in another thread that they sent me out a measurement sheet for a 5/4/3 ladies winter suit with integrated hood and custom made me one as they don't do them off the peg. I got it for about €220, including postage. It's great quality, zipless (which some people don't like but I prefer for the toasty factor) and you'll stay almost dry inside it most sessions.

Just remember theres a chance of being hit on customs and excise for large purchases coming from the States. Still a good price is the suit is as good as you say.

jimmmy

c - 13 wrote: »

Just remember theres a chance of being hit on customs and excise for large purchases coming from the States. Still a good price is the suit is as good as you say.

The chance of being hit on customs and excise is a fairly high one .... I know of a good few people who got large bills for irish vat and duty on goods posted from the states.

PeakOutput

you can ask if the manufacturer will half the value of theitem on the customs sheet or put it down as second hand

if its a smallish company they might do it if its a bigger company they wont

jimmmy

if the customs open it / find its not secondhand etc then you could be in more trouble. Also, if it got lost in the post + was only insured for half its real value, that is all you would get, if that.

PeakOutput

there are loads of ifs and buts. people do it all the time its up to you if you want to take the risk or not

badolepuddytat

I've never gotten caught for customs but factor in the possibility into deciding whether or not I can afford something, for the quality I believe it's worth it even if I had to pay. Some friends bought a few suits but got done by customs, I don't know what value was placed on the postage docket but they weren't too put out by the customs settlement.

If I was going to buy off the peg in a shop I'd go for Alder. I try to buy out of season or get a bargain online, hate paying full price but that's a personal thing. Some people are happier to pay a premium to get their gear in this seasons colour and/or have the security of a shop to go back to and complain if there's an issue.

jimmmy

Sure, its up to people themselves, but anyone I know who has taken the risk ( eg with a camera ) has regreted it, whither it was because of unexpected duty and tax , or warranty etc