Surfing Waves

Hi everyone, I'm new to these forums, and before I ask my question, let me give you a little background info:

I just bought an Oneill Heat 4/3 wetsuit last Saturday, then I went surfing just yesterday off Santa Monica, CA (I'm still a bit of a kook). However, no more than 10 minutes in the water, a seam on my left thigh unravels and a gaping hole forms causing water to flow into my left leg! It could have been the wipeout, but these waves were not that big, waist high at most. So I try to exchange it for a new one at the surf shop I bought it from, but they refused and said I have to go through the dreaded warranty claim process of shipping the suit to Oneill, which unfortunately will take a month.

So anyway, I do not feel like waiting a month for my suit to arrive so I was thinking of using my summer wetsuit, an oneill 3/2 reactor, but wearing a rashguard underneath it. Would this be warm enough for the waters off Socal at this time of the year?

Oh, and has anyone else had this experience with defective oneill wetsuits? Thanks for your help.

It depends when you are surfing. If it is dawn patrol then it will be chilly. afternoon time you will be ok.

The rashguard isn't going to help, I actually think mine makes me colder. That is if it is lycra. If it's neoprene then bring on the rubber.

You can get a hooded vest.

I actually think mine makes me colder.

I find that as well. In summer i wont wear one, I find im warmer without it.

That surf shop must suck big time. My suit was wrecked in 7 months i took it back to the shop just to try my luck and i walked out with a brand new one - no questions asked

Oneil will replace it though these things are guaranteed.

Phone the O'Neill outlet in Santa Cruz. If they don't just replace it for you over the counter then they will give you a phone number to call to get it replaced.

yeah, some time a while ago me and my mom were eating lunch in the car on a summer day, I was freezing, and she was quite comfy, and she is always cold. She's the type that wears a sweater inside when its 90 outside.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your responses. I think a hooded vest or some other thermo skin would probably be better than a rashguardt. Another idea I have is to buy another wetsuit altogether. Would a Rip Curl Fireskin 4/3 be warm enough here? And do they make good quality wetsuits without its seams unravelling the first time you're in the water?

Yeah that surf shop, Val Surf for those of you who live in Socal, sucks, but at the very least, they agreed to ship the wetsuit to Oneill for free. Still, I'm gonna be looking for another surf shop that will actually accept exchanges, even after I went surfing in it, maybe Becker or something.

Anyway, thanks for the responses.

Just try on lots of wetsuits and get the one that fits the best. O'Neill is a great brand, I think maybe you just got the "odd defective" wetsuit. I wouldn't rule them out just because of this one time and your surfshops assinine attitude. Just wait to see what O'Neill does for ya. then if they give you cash back, go to a different shop and start trying on. If they replace it, problem solved.
I just think that shop sounds like it sucks. Tell all your friends that and then make sure the shop knows that you tell your friends that. But wait until they get your wettie replaced!!

Yeah, I wouldn't count O'Neill out because of this.

They will take care of you...fix/replace it.

Okay, I have been doing some shopping around, and I've come up with two wetsuits to choose from. I agree with you guys that that particular wetsuit I had from Oneill was just a bad apple in a bunch of good apples, but an Oneill psycho is just a bit expensive for me, so I'm going with other brands.

The two wetsuits I like are Quicksilver Cell 6 4/3 and Aleeda Advantage 4/3.

I like the Quiksilver since its very comfortable and not as chafing on my body as other wetsuits and it does feel flexible to me. However, I was wondering if you guys have any opinions or feedback on the Aleeda because there is no surf shop near me that carries them (opinions on the quicksilver cell welcome too).

If any of you wear this wetsuit, please tell me how stretchy and comfortable it is to wear and how it performs when you are surfing. Thanks.

i personnaly picked up a quicksilver 4/3 syncro wetsuit (for 80 usd!!!!) and its been working great!
no problems whatsoever!
it has a small mark from the board that rammed into my knee cutting it pretty deep and the wetsuit hole has not grown and is invisible!
Ive been really satisfied with my current wetsuit, its really confy, no rash problems or anything!
warm. mmmm

I have the quicksilver cell 4/3. Love it. Fits me really good. Love the "terry-cloth" inside. Very comfortable. Very warm. Not cheap though. Think it was only $45 less than the O'Neill Psycho 2.
I give it a thumbs up.

Hello ~

O'Neill Corporate office is located in Irvine California. I used to work there and they have a great customer service department.

Try them too!

Good Luck.

P.S. I have a 4/3 Xcel wetsuit I am asking $375 OBO (Name a price and I will see if I can do it)

Thanks for the offer shom, but I already received my new 4/3 quicksilver cell 6 hft wetsuit in the mail today. It's brand new and the latest model, and I got it for just $270. I paid no tax or shipping costs. Now all I gotta do is actually surf in it to make sure it maintains its integrity!

Anyways, thanks for the info on quicksilver guys, I'll keep you posted on what happens to my oneill wetsuit. Cya!

a 3/2 in santa monica is warm enough. i use to trunk it when the water was 56F degrees so yeah a 3/2 down there is fine. I would wait the month if I were you and just use the 3/2. Hope this helps!

Okay guys, I got my oneill heat wetsuit back, and they completely replaced the thigh panels that had ripped, so now my wetsuit looks as if I just bought it yesterday! So I'm glad, but of course I have my new quicksilver cell, so I do not really need it and probably going to sell it.

However, I am going to write a letter to oneill to complain (in a diplomatic tone of course, hehehe) about val surf's customer service , so does any one know that address of oneill's customer service? What is the customer service dept. from Irvine that I hear about, and if this is the dept. to write to, then anybody know the address? Thanks again.