wetsuit what thickness?

pendulum101

hey guys just wondering what thickness to get a new wetsuit in, its for general all year round surfing, also can you get away with a lighter wetsuit if its more up market i.e. an o'neill psycho. hope to hear your thoughts on the matter also any wetsuit recommendations are greatly appreciated

ted1

psycho all the way. Paired up with good booties and gloves for the cold winter days especially with the northerly winds. being using mine for a while now and swear by it.

pendulum101

even in summer? what thickness ? where to buy? i know a lot of questions also to anyone else if there is a lower level wetsuit that anyone would recommend i wuld appreciate it haha oh and most importantly the psycho has good flexibility does it, if so would that mean if the fit is a little snug then would it stretch (allowing for putting on a few pounds)?

cornbb

Buy 5mm or you will only be comfortable during the warmest months of the year.

SurferDude41

pendulum101 wrote: »

hey guys just wondering what thickness to get a new wetsuit in, its for general all year round surfing, also can you get away with a lighter wetsuit if its more up market i.e. an o'neill psycho. hope to hear your thoughts on the matter also any wetsuit recommendations are greatly appreciated

Hi there,
The O'Neil Psycho is an excellent wetsuit, with liquid seam seals, this makes it warmer than a suit with taped seems.
For instance I wear my O'neil goodru 3/2mm with taped seams june, july and august.
So maybe with a thermal rash vest, you could could extend this from april to october???
In wintertime sea tempratures can fall below 6 degrees centigrade, so hypothermia can become a real danger.
O'neil make the Psycho in 4/3mm and 5/3mm
Now at the moment, the sea temprature is 15-16 degrees centigrade by august it could hit a high of 17 degrees C

I just wouldn't like to be wearing a winter suit, at the moment. It feels like being cooked in your own juices:eek:

I was surfing in Bundoran, in mid june. I went in wearing my 3/2mm suit. It was so bloody cold, had to paddle in. Change into my 5/3mm plus boots, and paddle back out again:eek:

Happy Surfing:)

Overature

yeah man, 5 or 6 would be the best

Mickeroo

I have a ripcurl 5mm e-bomb or something. cost me 220, think you'd find it online for less. Kept me warm last winter along with a hood,boots and gloves and i've been using this summer too, water was still baltic up until a few weeks ago,no point buying a shortie or 3mm imho.

rodento

Get yourself 2 mid range 5'3's

Nothing is better than having two suits in winter and the more expensive suits don't tend to last more than a season

In the summer, surf without a hood or booties and in the winter completely cover up, also if the suits fit right you shouldn't need an extra vest in winter, there nothing more than an expensive waste of money

One more thing, no point buying a suit if it doesn't fit, regardless of the brand

OldGuysRule

Each to their own, I use my 5/3 from late october to late may, then a 3/2 for the summer months. Towards the end of the summer, I can get a way with the 2/1 shorty on nice sunny sessions. The thinner the suit, the better the feeling.

I use booties only when I really have to, maybe a couple of months of Jan / Feb, hate hate hate them. Have not used gloves in three years (except last St Stephens day, had to take them off after half an hour and shove them doen the wetsuit).

Have surfed the last 15 /16 winters here and you just get used to the cycles. Enough sausages in the morning and enough paddling when in the water and you should be fine

ThOnda

The water as as warm as pi$$ now (outside the wetsuit) , I cannot believe that. It's deadly to be in the water now. Rental 3/2 keeps me very comfortable for three hours (with a short break in the middle). Going to try Billabong wetsuit in surf rental place tomorrow, to check how I fit in, if I am going to buy warmer one for this winter.

FlashD

Like everyone recommends, 5/3 O'Neil Psycho is the suit to go for.

Personally I use a 5/3 Ripcurl Ultimate Elasto, have it a few years now but the seams are a weak point, have repaired it many times.

Have a Billabong 4/3 that I use in the Summer...... if the sun shines. It was a cheap suit and the quality in the neopreme shows.

Summer is a good time to buy last years winter wetsuit stock, you should get a decent discount

loctite

Was a big big fan of the Psycho II 5/3 or 5/4 for the winter but have now prefer the O'Neill Mutant 5/4. Having the hood attached in the Mutant is a big plus imo. There is a hood attached option available in the Psycho II but it is only available in a 6mm which imo is way too thick for Irish waters even during winter.

I have seen mutants for sale in Kilkee for 235 euro. I can't remember if that was summer suits or winter suits though. I picked myself up a billabong 3mm summer suit for 89 euro too. The dogs b***** although I still prefer the mutant!

I'd go with what others are saying. Buy a good quality winter suit and something cheap for the summer if budget it is an issue. But you get what you pay for....