Cold Water Surfing... Very

[prawerski]

So I've been surfing for two years off the coast of Maine, US and I finally feel like I'm a good enough surfer to justify making the commitment to winter surfing here. However anyone who knows New England also knows that it gets incredibly cold here during the winter (Maine especially). I know I need a full suit, boots, gloves & hood for sure. But my question is about thickness. I'm looking into buying a Matuse Tumo w/Hood and I'm trying to decide between buying a 5/4/3 or a 6/5/4. I'm also about 6'2" and 175lbs which puts me in a bad position as far as wetsuit sizing goes, do I compromise slightly in length or bulge? January gets very cold here, the air temp can fall well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the water can fall as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm looking for advice from fellow extreme cold weather surfers, I've done a lot of reading but nothing has really helped much. Thanks.

[surfordie77]

Check out Snugg wetsuits they do custom made suits. Delivery from UK might be expensive but they're a quality suit and a good fit is essential in cold water!

[Van609]

Definately get the 6-5-4, that's what I wear in the dead of winter in new jersey when the water drops into the mid 30s. With sizing check every brand bc they do differ slightly enough and offer intermediate sizes like medium short for example.

[Real Pol]

My wetsuit is slightly too short for me and rides up my arms leaving a small gap between my sleeve and my glove. It's not pleasant. But I also had a wetsuit that was too wide around my waist, which meant there was always some water sloshing around my back which never heated up. That wasn't pleasant either.
You'll need to go and try some on or, like me, you'll always have something not right!