Carve Summer Wetsuit Guide 2011 by Orca Publications

carve summer wetsuit guide 2011 “Summer time and the living is easy...” Or so the song goes. But let’s not forget snarled up traffic, kook filled line ups, chav’s in three quarter length trousers or a naughty amount of corn beefy British flesh on display. It’s only as hassle free as you make it, so Carve have put their collective heads together to make your life in and around our tepid shores as easy as humanly possible. It’s wetsuit guide time... the range is better than ever.

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Lyndon Wake, Croyde.

Foil 302

SGX 202

SGX

OK, no need to be smug – you’ve got a trip booked. And if you need a wettie in case the water temp drops below 16° or you’re nursing a bit of sunburn, then the Foil 202 is the short sleeve 2/2 of choice. It’s 50% Superflex G3, has strategic paddle zones, and super-light flatlock stitching. Not the kind of suit you want to accidently pick up for a February dawnie though. £118

Billabong’s entry level summersuit sees some of Billabong’s top tech high-end materials cascaded down to the more ‘regular’ suits. The Foil uses Superflex Neoprene where it matters, has ergonomic performance paddle zones, and is fully GBS. You’ll be busting out those sun-drenched 360s in no time. £120

Revolution

SG5

Prodigy

TIKI S90

The Revolution’s the kind of mid range suit that would have left you slack jawed if it had appeared as a top-end suit a few years ago. It’s got Billabong’s primo ZG300 neoprene where you need it most, and uses Airlite S Stretch elsewhere. Plus it’s got 80% externally welded seams to keep any kind of leakage at bay, and has a solid barrier system that’ll have you duck-diving those summer bombie sets with an ‘I’m untouchable’ glint in your eye... £160

Sometime it feels like surely things can’t get any warmer, thinner, or stretchier. But those neoprene aficionados just keep on giving. The SG5 is, we’re assured, 30% warmer than a standard nylon covered neoprene suit. It uses Solar Mesh which traps the sun’s heat and transfers it to the body, has a furnace lining on the chest and back panels, and a refined C2 chest zip. Three cheers for the boffins. £210

Tel: 01271 812442 Email: tiki@tikisurf.co.uk Web: www.tikisurf.co.uk

Web: www.billabongwetsuits.com Email: billabong@dohltd.com tel: +44 1656 747 790

Foil 202

Sometimes in life less is more (is that from an advert?!). Anyway, the SGX 202 is the ultimate in short armed smugness. It’s got the C2 chest zip, minimal seam design and uses the ‘how do they do that’ ZG400R neoprene to make sure that everything under the wetsuit is warm, superflexible and rash free. Why should only your winter suit have all the top tech hey?! £216

Billabong have long been committed to the technological cause and every year seem to have uncovered another nugget for their Solution Gold suits. This summer’s SGX uses ZG400R, a neoprene coated with H2R military-grade water repellent. This means that the suit never soaks up water so never gets heavier. So (if you’re of that persuasion) you might even have dry Speedos when you peel off your suit. And it means that it dries much quicker too – so a dry suit after a banana and water pit stop. Perfect. £250

Now, it’s easy to believe the hype from those smooth-talking bods at our favourite big name wetsuit companies, but Tiki have walked the walk with their Prodigy suit – it’s seen active duty at Prowlers, The Mullaghmore Tow Comp and the North Scottish slabs – 10's, Baggies and Evies – throughout last winter (one of the coldest for the last 100 years lest we forget). So you can expect the summersuit version to warm your cockles whatever weather this ‘summer’ chucks at us. £230

New for summer 2011, Tiki have added the S90 to their range – it’s a smooth neoprene version of their legendary TK90. The S90’s Smoothskin neoprene retains no water on the outside resulting in an unbelievably light, flexible and – because of the reduction in wind chill – warm summer suit. Plus it looks pretty stealth! Behind enemy lines in Hossegor then... £250

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Web: www.solasports.co.uk tel: 01503 240400

Web: www.aldersportswear.com Email: info@aldersportswear.com Tel: 01566 783 444

Core

Stealth

Evo

Alder continue to fly the flag for top-notch British wetsuit manufacturers. They’ve got some great looking suits to have you slashing in style this summer and top of the tree is the Evo. It’s 100% X Stretch neoprene, has Hydroband flexible seams and an Aerocore torso. Just the ticket. £170

Freeride

The Freeride is Alder’s mid range suit – and for 130 quid you can’t go far wrong. It’s 100% X Stretch, has their Aerocore torso and 10% hydroband seams around the crotch and back to keep your vital organs warm... Plus with a batflap and antiflush cuffs you’ll be taking that six-wave set on the head with a big old ‘bring it on’ grin on your face... £130

www.savviephotography.co.uk

A great suit for those joyous summer days when the sun’s beating down and the swell period’s double digit. The Stealth is Alder’s entry level suit and makes use of X Stretch on the shoulders and arms to keep you paddling hard all session long, has a single lined torso to prevent wind chill and keep your core temp up, o, and it only costs £75! What more do you need to know?

Sola have been around for a while and know exactly what’s required for a decent summersuit in the UK. Easily holding its own in the mid range wetsuit market, their Core wetsuit is 50% superstretch, has mesh panels to cut out wind chill and is fully GBS – what more do you need? 3/2mm £99

Sam Lam manly scowl.

Web: www.oxboworld.com tel: 01332 813 150

Nytro

Flex

Epic

Psycho RG8

Oxbow’s flagship suit, the Flex, has been put through its paces by some of the most serious watermen on the planet. It’s made from Level 3 Neoprene (with 3x stretchability) with a polyamide lining, is fully GBS and taped, and has Oxbow’s Batlink 2 system to keep those flushes to a minimum when you’re getting nailed on those 20 foot+ days. Tough gig.

SP Team

The SP Team is a 2/2, so just the ticket if you’ve already booked your ticket to somewhere properly hot where you need a quality suit for those pre-sun-up sessions and can opt for boardies in the afternoon. It’s got a flatlock construction and Finemesh chest and back panels – so the kind of wettie that takes the edge off, but you genuinely don’t feel like you’ve got on...

Web: www.snuggwetsuits.co.uk Email: snugg@globalnet.co.uk tel: 01637 878488

Web: www.oneill.com Email: wetsuits.eu@oneillwetsuits.com tel uK/Eire: +44 (0) 1730 811460

If you spent a bit longer than planned in Indo/Oz/ SA over the winter and are returning home with a maxed out credit card, a pissed off girlfriend, and a stretched and battered wettie, then the Nytro offers some great features for minimal financial pain. It’s got stretchier neoprene in the top half of the suit, mesh panels in the front and back, and flatlocked stitching. And the price: £60!?

It looks like the guys behind the epic have been rummaging around the drawers of the top-endsuit makers at O’Neill. The Epic has many of the same features as the Psycho’s, including FluidFlex Firewall chest panel, double-seal neck closure, LSD (Lumbar Seamless design) and a covert blackout zip. Put the change towards your Boardmasters ticket. £115

You know you can trust a wettie when the name stays the same for a few seasons – no need to ‘relaunch’ it. And the Psycho’s been around in the lineup for years now and still has a deserved rep as a seriously top-dog suit. This summer’s Psycho has been refined yet further and is 100% Ultraflex RG8, has the beaut F.U.Z.E front zip system, and O’Neill’s bombproof Exterior Seam Weld. Plus the Psycho Regenerate (RG8) Series features a new UltraFlex RG8 neoprene, an environmentallyfriendly option along with the new F.U.Z.E. closure system. You love it. £210

Psycho 2

The Psycho’s scarier big brother, the Psycho 2 is a serious piece of wetsuit technology. It’s built from 100% Ultraflex XDS, has XDS-Air Firewall panels on the front and back, and the Z.E.N entry system. One of those ‘summersuits’ that will probably do you for seven months of the year... £240

Snugg Sabotage II

The most flexible made to measure wetsuit available. The ‘Hot One’ has aero zirconium as per the mini zip, Ultraspan arms, shoulders and lat panels for maximum movement. An Interlocking ‘Y’ flap water barrier panel prevents water entry through the back zip. Available in 5/4/3mm, 4/3mm & 3/2mm. Over the last few winters some Cornish surfers wore the 3/2 ‘Hot One’ model version all winter. The top end suits are that warm! Prices from £285 for the 4/3 Alternative. £320 for a 5/4/3 Hot One.

Web: www.bodyglove.com Email: sales@typhoon-int.co.uk Call: 01642 486104

web: www.animal.co.uk/wetsuits email: sales@animalwetsuits.com Tel: +44 (0) 1642 498543

will bailey

Patch Wilson in a very green room.

CT slant

Bodyglove have been working hard this winter and come up with a real treat for Summer 2011. The CT is 100% Magna Flex – Bodyglove’s superstretchy neoprene – plus it’s got a Thermolite chest panel for those ‘maybe I should have worn my 5/3’ drizzly mornings, and a top drawer front zip entry system. £219.95

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Method

Bodyglove’s entry level suit does pretty much all you need from a ‘trip away’ or ‘sun’s out’ wettie. It’s made from 100% Quadra flex, and has Fairskin front and back panels to keep your vital organs that little bit warmer. Plus with flatlock stitching you’ll be rash free too. Smiles all round then. £89.95

Assassin

Animal's new Assassin is constructed in A-flex Pro, the highest dynamic stretch neoprene with LSS liquid seam seal. The new Assassin features thermacore tri ply neoprene in the chest, with Toastex hollow fibre lining in core body areas – so it's warm, stretchy and you're all set for summer. SRP: £200

Amp GBS

The new Amp offers the highest level of all-round performance in an entry level suit. Glued and blindstitched, the Amp now has a front-zip option and is constructed of A-flex neoprene. In short it's a lot of bang for not much buck! SRP: £100

Tel: 0800 026 0055 Web: www.patagonia.com Email: store_sansebastian@patagonia.com

Suited and not booted.

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R2 Back-Zip Full Suit

R2 Front Zip

Patagonia burst onto the scene last year with their range of thinner-and-warmer wetties – boasting unheard of technologies to keep us toastie in less rubber. And – as with their winter suits being thinner than the norm – their summersuits are 2mm throughout: yup, everywhere. The key is in the linings: fast-drying, chlorine-free merino wool and, once again, we could be witnessing the future of wetsuit technology, right here, right now. £399

Web: www.ripcurl.com Email: rc_newquay@ripcurl-europe.com Tel: 01637 859359

The R2 back-zip has all the same top-end technology as Patagonia’s R2 Front-Zip (2mm throughout, merino wool lining, GBS etc) but, you’ve guessed it, has a back zip. Give yourself another biscuit. £379

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It’s time to get fit and maximise your water time. But you need the right kit to do it. As ever the mix of great flex and warmth is going to determine the amount of fun that you have this summer. Count up your pennies and consider how many beers you are willing to sacrifice in order to get a product that will last you a good few years and be the difference between pleasure and pain. A piece of sports kit for sub £200 is blinkin’ cheap in this day and age, so get the best that you can afford and it’ll pay dividends. Make a shortlist of the features that you want and cross reference them with the suits in the guide. Cut them down to your three favourites, maybe one slightly above your price range, one spot on and one just below. Put a couple of hours aside and get down to your local surf shop and try them on. This may sound daft, but keep your socks on in the changing room, it’ll help your sweaty feet slide down the legs easier. When you’ve got it on, check the seals for flush openings, double check there are no folds in the back panel or the back of the legs and have a little stretch to make sure it feels comfortable. Only you can decide which one feels the best, it isn’t always the most expensive, it’s all about the cut that fits your body shape. If you can’t decide between two, then have a look at the warranty, a solid policy against seam splitting will give you piece of mind and probably help to swing the deal.

rubb

Ban Dawn Patrol

The term ‘entry level’ is becoming a bit of a misnomer. Most entry level suits in our guide will ensure you’re toastie, flexible and have a big grin on your face throughout the ‘summer’ months in the UK. And the Dawn Patrol is a top-of-the-class example. It’s Elastomax 3 in all the right places on the torso arms and legs, seamless underarms and shoulders, and a chest zip. Seewhatwemean?! £140

E-Bomb PRO+

If you want to feel like you’re breezing out back in your Speedo’s, then the E-Bomb has long been recognised as your weapon on choice. It is, quite simple, an incredibly flexible piece of kit. And this summer Rip Curl have added an E3+ Action Panel to the suit, which is apparently 30% more flexible! Plus you’ve got all the trimmings you’d expect from a suit in this price bracket. Rest assured: you will see a lot of these about this summer – wherever you are. £220

E-Bomb

The classic E Bomb was the Curl's all singing all dancing super flexible wetsuit. This year it is lighter, and warmer with liquid tape , making it amazingly flexible while achieving unparalleled durability. As you can see there are two E-bombs this summer. Basically the difference is that the Pro is super flexy one and this wetty is a bit more durable giving you an even longer lasting wetsuit. £230

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photo courtesy xcel

Bede Durbridge.

Web: www.xcelwetsuits.com Email: info@danielsurf.com tel: 01752 330772

ts Drylock

Don’t just believe the wettie manufacturers hype, Xcel’s Drylock has been voted wettie of the year three years on the trot – and by the surf industry manufacturers association no less... It’s built from 100% multi density Ultrastretch foam, has Airprene chest and back panels, and has a water repellent thermo-bamboo lining. The stuff wettie wet dreams are made of. £300

Infiniti

At the top of the tree for a while now, this summer’s Infiniti continues to impress and is as feature packed and innovative as ever. It’s got the original (and arguably the best) front zip entry system, is 100% Ultrastretch, and uses their clever-as water repellent lining. Not surprising that you continue to see plenty of these in the lineup. £220

Infiniti comp

Not content with just giving us Regular Joes what we need from a top-end summersuit, Xcel have added a ‘comp’ version of the Infiniti to their range. So we’re talking fewer seams, less weight, but retaining all of the core Infiniti features. No excuses for not squeezing those extra few centimetres out of that frontside air then. £200

Xflex Xzip

Xcel’s ‘mid range’ Xzip would sit comfortably at the top of many other wettie company’s ranges. It’s built from 100% superlight neoprene, has a performance front zip, and is fully GBS with a supersoft snag resistant lining. Plus the fit’s been cleverly worked out to ensure minimal panels and seams for maximum performance. £150 (or £100 short arm: a steal)

rubber

Email: info@c-skins.com Web: www.c-skins.com Tel: +44(0)1208 78845 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cskinswetsuits Twitter: www.twitter.com/cskinswetsuits

Ba Quivering

Legend steamer

Re-Wired Steamer

The Re-Wired is C-SKINS mid range suit and brings the same attitude and build-quality of the Wired Series along with most of the tech plus an environmental edge. It’s 70% Ultra Stretch Eco-Flex neoprene and 30% C-Flex Ultra Stretch neoprene, triple glued and blindstitched, and the same Diagonal Front Zipper as the Wired. The Re-Wired is a suit with Eco credentials plus you get some change in your pocket towards that wintersun trip – that doesn’t happen often! £160

Wired LQS Steamer

What is it with C-SKINS? They’re always the wetsuit on the rack that seems to jump out at you. And, with a rep for top-dog build quality, they’ve always been a favourite amongst the more discerning surfer. This summer’s Wired Series proves the point. With 100% C-Flex neoprene, 100% external LQS and their bombproof front zip entry system it’s a classic. Again. Available in 4x3 and 3x2 thicknesses. £210

Web: www.circle-one.co.uk Email: sales@circle-one.co.uk tel: 01363 773005

Another ‘What, entry level, really?!’ creation. C-SKINS Legend has C-Flex Neoprene over the upper body, a FireCore polypro chest panel and a proper keep-that-dribble-out Ozone Back Wing system. What more do you need for a British summer or, looking ahead, for that winter trip to Morocco? Available in Mens, Ladies & Kids – 3x2, 4x3 and 5x3 versions. £110

The last couple of summers have been warm early on, then cooler leading in to August and September. So getting your wettie earlier and getting geared up for summer needs to be pretty high on your agenda as you are reading this. If you’ve got the bucks (or you’re sponsored) our crazacious climate can demand quite a selection of wetsuit wear. When the sun is shining and the wind is minimal (and you are only planning a quick surf) don’t deny yourself the option of a surf in a shorty or tube suit. A great addition to your summer rubber wardrobe - they give you that extra freedom, let you feel the sun and salt on your skin and make paddling easier. Summer fullsuits tend to come in two broad types; the ones made of really flexible and stretchy rubber that may sacrifice a little neoprene thickness in the pursuit of expandability and the ones that feel slightly thicker but offer a considerable amount more warmth. If the budget allows, it’s worth having a super stretchy one for the warmest months and a thicker one for those shoulder season days when the wind is chilly and the water may have dropped a degree or two. Just like boards, a wetsuit quiver can have a seriously positive effect on your surfing experience. Not to mention, you’ll never have to put a wet wettie on as you’ll always have an alternative.

Respect is Due. The thinner a suit is the more that you need to look after it. Attempting to take your suit off in a gravel riddled car park while doing some crazy skank dance, trying to stomp your legs out of it is not going to help. Get yourself a moon bag to get changed in to, or at very least pull the floor mat out of the foot well in your car and use it to get changed on. Always give your suit a rinse in fresh water, then hang it out of direct sunlight on a wooden hanger to dry.

NOIR ZIPPERLESS

That’s right: Circle One’s truly Zipper-less suit. No mini-zips, poppers or bungee cords and no leakage. This zipper-less suit uses ‘stiction’ seals for watertight closure and has a decent size opening for easy entry. The ultimate in high-performance wetsuit joy, it is 100% Ultra stretch, GBS and is tested in Europe to make sure it can really cut it... Circle One have kept the price keen but not compromised on specification. You will not get a better suit for the quality anywhere else. £150

ICON

A mid range suit with plenty of top-end features. Circle One’s ICON is glued, blind stitched, spot sealed and is 75% Super Stretch. With Kevlar reinforced knee pads and a solid all round construction you should get a few season’s use out of it too. £110

DRIFT

Circle One’s entry level suit features strategic panel layout and flat lock construction. It also has a lycra neck seal and a single lined upper body to keep the wind off and soak up any warmth from the sun. A solid entry level suit if you’ve spent most of your cash on a new stick for the summer. £77.95

Grab yourself a nice new suit for the warm season, get on every bit of swell this summer and the living will be way better... easy. carve surfing magazine 105

Web: www.quiksilver.com Email: liam@quiksilver-tech.com

Cypher DS

Well, the action is truly hotting up at the top-end of the market where the NASAesque technology is making surfing an ever more enjoyable option in climates where a wettie is a must. The Cypher DS uses three different types of carefully tailored neoprene to give you maximum warmth and flexibility. Pilo-tech in the back, Bio fleece in the front, and Fibre lite elsewhere. In short: it’s the dog’s. £280

www.savviephotography.co.uk

sean “skippy” skilton fancy free.

Cypher MS

The Cypher MS brings maximum flex and minimal weight to Quicksilver’s range. It makes use of their super stretchy Fibre lite neoprene with a Bio fleece back panel, and has Flex max liquid seals on the seams to give you plenty of flex without any cheeky May-dawnie seal dribbles. Guaranteed to be a favourite again this summer £220

Ignite

Once again the quality of mid-range suits this summer never ceases to amaze. If you’re a stickler for only wearing your summersuit for three-months of the year then you’re spoilt for great-value choice this year. And the Ignite is a prime example. It’s 100% Fibre light, is fully liquid-flex sealed, and has chest or back zip options. And all of that beautiful technology for just £160 – get thee to your nearest surf shop.

Syncro

The Syncro is Quicksilver’s ‘entry level’ suit. And whereas entry level used to mean: ‘it’s got the logo on it but not much else’, the Syncro is oozing features. Including 100% Hyperstretch 2 neoprene, mesh chest panel with Hollowfibre technology heating system and it’s full GBS. And all for £130. What is going on?

wetsuit retailers