What rubber for the shoulder season?

[bajoman]

Back to surfing in New York the last couple of years and loving it but the water temps are tricky- peaks in August with a fairly quick drop on either side, bottoming out in late February (check out the graph pic).

Water Temps.png (53.35 KiB) Viewed 925 times

I've got a 4/3 Ripcurl backzip for the fall and spring, and a hooded 5/4 Xcel for the winter (adding boots and gloves or mittens as necessary) that covers most of the year, but noticed this last season late spring and summer weeks where the weather is still hot (80+ F/ 26+ C) but the water is in the 65-70F (18-21C) range. In board shorts and a thick rashguard I'm shivering after a couple hours and in my 4/3 I'm suffering from heat exhaustion and pulling muscles. I'm pretty lean, with little insulation of my own, but also a pretty active surfer and build up my heat pretty quickly. I'd like to avoid the extra restriction of a full suit for as long as possible, so what's the least amount of rubber that's going to keep me comfortable in those shoulder seasons? A neoprene vest, short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, or springsuit (thicknesses?) or do I just have to go for a 3/2 fullsuit (my wife would love another one of those hanging in our apartment closet!) What do you (or would you) wear?

[Jimi]

hmm... hard to say if it's worth buying another wettie.. I surf in water 25C-20C in a 2mm short leg, long arm wetsuit (long arms are more to keep the sun off) or a 1.5mm thermal rashie and boardies, and then go to a 3/2 when the water is cooler. I find that it's not too restrictive, and heaps warmer than a thermal 1.5mm rashie.