Surfing Waves

The coldest water I surfed at is 6 Celsius / 43 F.
I wear 4/3 wetsuit, chest zip.
2mm hoody
5mm boots
2mm gloves

with 2 heat pads that only last less than 30 mins.

I can only last for around 45 mins in the water. That is when the sun is out and there is no wind. Honestly I'm a bit of a wimp and will need a thicker wetsuit. I was thinking maybe I should invest in a drysuit instead? I've looked at some wetsuit buying guide. Generally anything under 6C should wear a 6/5/4 wetsuit. I was thinking maybe a good 5/4/3 wetsuit would do the trick?

I need help with choosing the right wetsuit. There are just so many different technology and the different ways. I got a few on sale that I'm interested in. From what I know, the chest zip is usually better than the back zip. I'm also more interested in buying a coloured wetsuit rather than fully black as it is easier to spot me in the crowd if I ever get in trouble.

Actually there is only 3 that has my S size. I'm leaning towards the Mystic one as it is chest zip.

BaNZ wrote:6 Celsius / 43 F... I wear 4/3 wetsuit... I can only last for around 45 mins in the water.

Well, that's most of the problem right there... 4mm is not enough.

When I use to surf in the UK in winter (oh, I'm so happy those days are gone), I used to surf in a 5mm suit plus a 1mm thermal rashie underneath (the type with the fleece), as well as boots and gloves, and sometimes a hood.
With all that, I was absolutely fine in 6 or 7ºC water for hours - it was only the exposed bits that got cold, or if the dreaded flush-through happened.

As for which wetsuit - the usual answer, and even more important in winter - the one that fits.

But the price ranges from £100 to over £350. I'm worried of not spending enough money or spending too much!

I would suggest trying them on before you buy or try them all and send back the ones you don't like. Most places give free returns/shipping if you are ordering online. Every wetsuit manufacture has a different fit regardless what its sizing chart says - there just cut different. My suggestion would be to stay with the well known manufactures and try on the wetsuit and get a feel of how you move around it each of them. You definitely want comfort and freedom to move and you will find the manufacture that works best for your body. Go with the one that feels and fits the best and not worry about the pricing as much as the actual fit. Doesn't matter if you save a hundred to be miserable in the suit. I have learned to not shop the price on wetsuits ( still look for sales though) and focus on the suit that fits me best. For me - its the XCEL's.

BaNZ wrote:But the price ranges from £100 to over £350. I'm worried of not spending enough money or spending too much!

In general, I always found that the cheap ones were just that, and the expensive ones were just fashion.
If I was surfing in 6ºC water again (which is quite simply never going to happen), I certainly wouldn't be trying to get the cheapest one possible.
But also, there's no need to buy this year's fancy new whizzbang model - a wetsuit is a wetsuit, not a fashion statement, so I always used to buy last year's top-end model (whichever one fit best).

Surf Hound is 100% correct. Even if you currently use a brand that fits, if you go from a back zip to a front zip or from a cheap to an expensive suit, there will be differences in size and cut - let alone if you move between brands (although sticking with the same brand is reasonably safe). I've mentioned this before, but I had to try 8 brands before I found a suit that fitted me - its really annoying because I had the chance to get a top line suit 60% off last week (brand new, online) but I didn't want to take the risk of it not fitting me (especially as that brand didn't fit me when I tried it a few years ago).

The main benefit of the more expensive ones is that the neoprene is more flexible, which means that slight sizing/cut differences don't matter too much and its just nicer to be in, less tiring etc. But they aren't stronger or more durable - indeed, often the cheaper neoprene is a lot stronger. The more expensive ones have better seams etc so there is benefit in going for something a bit pricier. I agree with DBB - don't go for the top of the line (unless you get a great discount!), go for the 2nd or 3rd tier suit from that company. Often they use the same neoprene and the differences are fairly marginal (triple sewed seam instead of double or 'fast dry' across the front and back instead of just the front) - anyway, lots of shiny extras but they aren't worth the additional money. The other option is to get an older model eg a 2014 model (if you can find one). Wetsuit technology doesn't advance particularly quickly.

FWIW I will never go back to back zips. Chest zips are really annoying to get in and out of, and the neck starts to fall apart (and allow flushing) well before the rest of the suit, but they are much much more comfortable. If you wear a compression shirt or a 1mm underneath, they are easier to get on (as well as offering a bit more warmth).

Of course, if the water is below 16C here we start making iceberg jokes.

I ride a $40 Wavestorm, but I wear a $495 custom wetsuit. I spent most of my surfing budget on my wetsuit. I'm really happy with it. In fact I wanted to buy another one, but they upped the price another $100 ($595) since I bought my first one. You have to wait 3 weeks for it, but it will fit you perfectly. Yamamoto neoprene is also incredible material. I haven't been mentioning the company because I'm afraid they'll become too popular and I won't be able to afford another one later on. Here's the link to their website. Check them out.

https://www.carapacewetsuits.com/

I think HoStevie's pink-haired buddy might wear one. Here's another view of the suit (no hood).

wkkk pm me the best looking wetsuit that meets my requirement.

Needs to be bright and in small size.

and I quote on the reviews

"This. Suit. Is. Gangster. Come on, who wouldn't want to look like Evil Kinevil's distant relative dressing up as Captain America? Seriously, the design is mediocre, but it was also on sale, which makes me a happy guy. "

"If you do not mind being the only guy in the line up that looks like Captain America (I do not mind)then this is a great suit at a deeply discounted price."

"Colors are really bright and the design with make you stand out, but that's a good thing when your friends/photographer is trying to find you out in the lign up."

My personal photographer will definitely not miss me in the water.

BaNZ wrote:My personal photographer will definitely not miss me in the water.

If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly.