I have a cheap 5/4 wetsuit that keeps me plenty warm but water logged. Will a quality 4/3 keep me as warm as an entry level 5/4? Will I be cold in a 4/3 Mutant or similar? I want to go light but don't want to regret spending the $$$ on a 4/3 and wishing I had that extra rubber.
I recommend a 4/3 supported by a good cap and booties. I am only 140 lbs, use a 4/3 Rip Curl E Bomb and love it. It has liquid taped seams on the outside and regular stitched seams on the inside. Some people complain about the weight of 5/4's and I've also heard some folks find liquid taped seams on the inside to be uncomfortable. I'd rather be warm enough than too warm, and I rely on the support of a quality booty and cap to keep additional body heat from escaping. Find a quality suit, make sure it's the best fit for your body type and stay away from any sub par brands or models. That's the best way to insure your money is well spent and your body stays warm without any discomfort.
My preference has always been the the O'Neill Heat 4/3 at $260, can't beat the quality and the price. It's newly designed for 2010/11 and plenty warm in our Nor Cal waters. Lot's of places to purchase it, but Wise has the biggest selection I've seen.
RipCurl Dawn Patrol. I've had more expensive suits, but I think the 4/3 Dawn Patrol is as good as anything else and for $140-60. I forgot my psycho II at the time on a trip to D0ran B3ach and was like f*ck it, drive to northern lights, I need a new wetsuit instead of the drive back home to Sebastopol (where I used to live) and back to the beach. That's how I found out, it's a great suit. Taped seams give me a rash, so I found. I'm sensitive,what can I say.
Suits I've worn:
1. Body Glove 3/2 (used) - too thin (duh). Tight sizing too... $30, craigslist.
2. Xcel X-Flex backzip 4/3 - awesome. nearly cried when it was stolen from my truck. $129, new @ Norcal. Let me know if you see a bum sleeping in it downtown.
3. Rip Curl stretchy ??, 4/3 (used). $50, craigslist. Easy to get off and on, very stretchy, but not very warm. This is my current suit and I'm certainly not planning to spend the winter in it. Good for hypothermia.
4. (Very Used) ONeill 4/3. Beater, throwaway. Great spare suit (beat up neck / arms really gives you that I'm in the Ocean feeling). Too beat up to reasonably judge O'Neill's as a whole. Free. And worth every penny.
5. Christmas - in a few weeks i'll be getting an almost brand new Xcel 5/4. Bagged this trophy off Orange County craigslist. Worn once. $75 folks (this is a $400 suit)! HS kid gets it as a gift from up north relatives. Wrong size. Tells me 'it's too warm, no one wants to buy it down here.' Hehehe... )
6. Christmas Part II - wife also gets me an Xcel as gift. Infiniti Drylock 5/4/3. Brand new! Then gets upset that I ruined xmas with above suit. Ah well. You never know, might even keep the Infiniti. It looks like a new rolls royce sitting here near the xmas tree.
Bottom line - so far I love Xcel. Great brand, great value. In researching, found very few complaints w/ them. Overall great buy. Just my .02 cents...
I gotta second wave gliders statement. I'm extremely happy with my O'Neill Heat 4/3. Got it 40 % off (165 $, last years' model) at Freeline surf shop at 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz. That was at a time when they were blowing out wetsuits everywhere, though. And I don't really have the experience in real winter water, I can only say that I've been alright at 3 hour sessions with decent booties these days. good luck!
O'Neill does have their annual blow out sale sometime in the Spring or late Summer in Santa Cruz if you want to wait that long. Best to try on a few before you decide.
I would suggest the excel infinity 5/4/3 with a hood, its a 100 dollars cheaper then the drylock and our good friends at aqua have them.
I just got one about a month and half ago and im feeling quite hardcore for surfing for awhile and not ever experiencing the comfort of being toasty and being able to soley concentrate on surfing and not being cold.
It felt like a lot of material at first but the comfort and warmth are well worth it.
I like that you can almost create a water tight seal with the hood due to its tightning system that uses a cord and not an elastic rubber band cord that loosens after awhile.
I use a 4/3 and add a layer in the winter, something like this.
http://www.windance.com/oneill-thermo-neo-hooded-pr-4503.html
I find this much better than just a cap as it prevents water from getting in and heat getting out of the neck area
I really like my rip curl 4/3 neck entry F bomb.
Very warm & toasty..
For me the big decider on cold v. warm is headgear (i'm balding) and the booties.
I did have to adjust to the heavier suit paddling the first 4 - 5 times I wore it but after that it has been great!
Something to consider: Unless you've got a really blown out neck/collar opening or tears in the suit I'd suspect that the water logging is due to poor sizing (too big).
I'm with obsfobsf. I have the same suit and have never before been so comfortable. It's much, much warmer than my old suits, so much so that I've thought before about posting about it but didn't want to be too spammy about it.
I waited too long once to buy a new suit and found that I actually started losing motivation. (I go practically every day).
I found that Xcel fits me the best and it's the best material so I've stuck with it. I use a 5/4 and it's hot and that's the way I like it. I try not to wear booties and the hood goes on and off while I"m out there depending.
5/4's do collect water and get heavy. I don't mind too much with my skinny body type but it may be too much for other's. Also a heads up, I've owned both the infinity and the dry lock and didn't feel any difference, therefore the infinity is the way to go. That stretchy material is key for warmth. It needs to be good material in order for you to be comfortable on average days up here. It's worth throwing down the extra franklin to be 3x as comfortable and having 2x the fun everytime you go! I got a 4/3 for the occasional trip down south too. It's a freaking investment living/surfing up here! But it all comes together when the Air temp is upper forties and the east winds are blowing hard.
2lbs tub of vaseline and a speedo is the way to go. thats how those idiots race to Alcatraz and back. same water. you should be fine and its only $20. saves a huge amount of cash.
I'd stick with the 4/3 (low-end Excels and O'Neils have been great to me) and use your leftover budget on donuts. You can get a few extra millimeters under the suit with the right diet. No, you'll need neither cap nor booties. #thumbnail
@dsx2000 then you do turkish wrestlin before and after your session. Also, that lightly glazed devils food donut right there left of center bottom looks mighty tasty. DIBS.
Suits have gotten loads better in the last few years so I think a 4/3 is sufficient around here when paired with a hood on cold days. I do something similar to @betteronice and use an Oneill thermo-neo Hood/vest combo underneath for the coldest days, it makes a big difference. http://www.cleanlinesurf.com/oneill-thermo-neo-hooded-vest.html (the link above was for full arms, but I prefer the thin vest = less likely to bunch up. I think Oneill and Xcel make the best suits so whichever gives the better fit between those two. I've had a few Psycho 1s, somewhat more flexy than a Psycho 2, Got a new psycho freak at the labor day sale and that baby is toasty.
O'Neal Psycho: warm, keeps water inflow to a minimum, flexible. Wish they had a built in hood with the 4/3.
