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THE SomEWHAT rUbbEry
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STAFF Photography by Tim Jones and Andrew Shield Studio photos by Glen Morrison Design by Dave Read Testing by Blake Ainsworth, Wade Carmichael, Adam Bennetts and Brett Levingston Filming by Nick Pollett and Sean O’Doherty Torturing, recording, interviewing, bodysurfing, etc by Nick Carroll
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CONTENTS
SPecial first-time edition! Starring a dozen of the beSt rubber garmentS in the world in our firSt-of-itS-kind WETTIE SUPER TEST.
+ A to Z
WHERE THEy BEgAN, HOW THEy’RE MADE, AND WHAT THEy’RE TURNINg INTO.
WATCH FOR MORE WETTIE BIBLE INFO, OUR CUSTOM IPAD APP, AND FOLLOW-UPS AT
WWW.SURFINGLIFE.COM.AU
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ASL’S 2011 WETSUIT TEST SESSIONS GOING TO
RUBBER SCHOOL YOU’vE GOT TO START TAkING WETSUITS SERIOUSLY WHEN THEY COST AS mUCH AS SURfBOARDS. That’s really what drove us to embark on ASL’s latest mad rubbery endeavour. In the past decade, wetties – once the classic Necessary Evil of every surfer’s life – have evolved so dramatically as to be in some cases an actual adornment. The neoprene’s super flexible, the knee pads are beyond questioning, the zips have become “entry systems”, the seams are vanishing into each other, the cuffs are non-rashing ... the things are so comfy that some people, heck a LOT of people, are wearing full suits in summer. And the wettie makers themselves are so confident of their product they’re having no issue with ASL’s Durability Challenge (see below). Yet it’s all come at a price – and a shortfall of knowledge among us about this extraordinary piece of surfing equipment. What do YOU know about your slithery outergarment? How good ARE the best suits on the market, and which might be worth your tax-return cheque or your girlfriend’s birthday-gift budget? Here we go with ASL’s first annual Wetsuit Super Test and A-to-Z guide to the wonders of rubberworld….
THE DURABILITY CHALLENGE One thing we couldn’t Test for during a few days’ surfing was sheer durability – a suit’s wear-and-tear over time. So over the coming winter, we’re gonna subject each of the Test suits to 100 hours of committed surfing time. The suits will be worn by experienced surfers who are not employed or sponsored by any of the companies involved. They’ll be rinsed in fresh water regularly and given one full wash during the period of use, but otherwise will be handled just the way you’d handle your wettie – chucked in the back of cars, hung over railings, pulled on and off in carparks, etc. Once the 100 hours is up, we’ll record all wear and tear, and report on the results in next year’s Wettie Bible (and online). Stay tuned!
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TESTS CONDUCTED IN Variable beachbreak conditions Water aVerage: 19 air aVerage: 18-25 Winds: strong ssE
TEST SESSION WHAT WE TESTED
Each SUIT WaS SUrfEd aT LEaST TWIcE, for Up To TWo hoUrS In varyIng condITIonS. We avoided midday sessions, surfing mornings and late afternoons to maximise Wind chill.
WET/dRy: We weighed each suit before use, then again within half an hour of full immersion. this gave us an idea of how much water the suit picked up during use, and how much wearing a full suit increases your overall water weight. (Bit surprised by how little it changed things actually – most surfers’ bodyweight would vary naturally week to week by more than a wet wettie’s weight.)
FLUShAbILITy:
EASE OF USE:
IdEAL CRAZy FEATURES: WATER/AIR: FACT:
an estimate based on how water entered and moved through the suit during a surf. We made this call on a scale from 0 to 5, with 0 being a complete unbreakable seal and 5 being completely open to waterflow. We’re gonna have to revise this scale a bit in next year’s test because all these suits were well above average for the goals we set.
We changed in and out of each suit under real surfing conditions, on the beach and/or in the carpark, to test the easy in-out factor.
We kept this simple, focusing on the main stuff: zip type and placement, seams, neoprene thicknesses, and the suit’s defining feature (which often turned out to be the entry system).
this is our estimate of the best conditions in which to use the suit Wind-chill factor: this is our estimate of the suit’s resistance to wind chill. a low score means low resistance, a high score means high resistance. note: most tested suits also come in a 4mm/3mm configuration, which would bring their water-temperature resistance down by around four degrees c – suiting almost all southern australian waters through winter.
TESTERS
originally we intended to measure rashiness: the suit’s tendency to cause wettie rash. astoundingly, none of the suits caused a rash of any kind among the testers, so we ditched the measurement.
TEST SUITS
bLAKE: 22
WAdE: 20
AdAM: 23
bRETT: 23
WETTIE SIzE: m LocaLE: gold coast fUn facT: Knew the most about wetties out of all of us
WETTIE SIzE: ml LocaLE: central coast, nsW fUn facT: never had a bad wetsuit
WETTIE SIzE: m LocaLE: gold coast fUn facT: once bought a full suit just to compete at a pro junior at Bells
WETTIE SIzE: m LocaLE: gold coast fUn facT: sponsored, but tries to do without a wettie whenever possible
BILLaBong: solution sg-x, solution sg5 o’nEILL: Psycho Pro rg8, Psycho 2 rIp cUrL: e-Bomb Pro, f-Bomb XcEL: infiniti x-Zip, infiniti drylock adrEnaLIn: Z-suit c-SkInS: Wired s2 pEak: climax Pro QUIkSILvEr: cypher 3/2
WaTch for MorE WETTIE BIBLE Info, oUr cUSToM Ipad app, and foLLoW-UpS aT
WWW.SURFINGLIFE.COM.AU
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It’s supposed to be a high performance suit, so Ainsworth immediately started chucking it around like one. Below: Yeah it’s a chest zip, buddy, don’t get confused now.
TESTERS
CoMMENTS
WHAT WE LEArNT
SHoWCASE
Unlike their closest cousin in vital surfing hardware (the surfboard), wetsuits are an international product. Scott Boot who runs Bong’s global wettie operation, spent four years in Santa Cruz working with O’Neill and regularly travels to Europe, Japan and the USA for brainstorming sessions with rubber guys around the world. “These guys are in cold places all the time,” says Scott. “In Europe and the US they surf in wetsuits every day. That’s how you have ideas about suits, when they’re part of your daily surfing experience. Europe’s getting to be a bigger and bigger source.”
BLAKE: “I think we all wanted to wear this one, because of how light it is on land and how that makes it feel like one of the best suits. In the water I rapidly realised that it’s everything I thought it was, an amazing wetsuit. It proves that stretch and stuff in a wetsuit is real, that it can actually feel like a second skin, it’s true. I can see how guys like Taj Burrow are enjoying and loving what they do the most because wearing wetties like this every day is pretty incredible. You could surf all day in it without getting tired or stiff.”
SGX XEro 3/2
SGX JACkET 101
The ultimate combo suit. First of the nextgeneration wetties, combining super highperformance qualities with extra warmth. Japanese Airlite superflex neoprene, Furnace jersey lining, Xero stitchless welded seams, pre-bent anatomic panelling, dry max G4 barrier for the chest zip entry, wrist and ankle grippers, contour collar. Comes in black/metallic silver and black/red. RRP: $629.99
The SGX suit taken to another classic cut. “Arms” have been around longer than the thruster and it’s mainly because they work so well in the right conditions – seabreezey arvos, summer southerlies and subtropical conditions anywhere. Also excellent sun protection. This one has minimal internally welded seams, Airlite superflex neoprene, ultimate flexibility, zip-free entry, and comes in that one core colour: black. RRP: $199.99
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BillaBong
SG-X Solution SHoWCASE SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Airlite superflex lowabsorption neoprene seams: Liquid welded sealed internally Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, clips in on open side Dry/weT: .8kg/1.8kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 2 family Tree: Top of the full-suit range, flanked by the SG Xero and SG5 iDeal waTer: 15-18 degrees C iDeal air: 10-20 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium fun facT: Orthopaedic athleticsupport garment designers in the USA advised on seam placement for this suit!
DESignERS
rrp/warranTy: $574.00 12 months limited on materials and workmanship suiTeD To: Energetic highperformance surfer in most Australian east and west coast autumn/winter conditions
CoMMEntS We feel we need to be on the edge of innovation to stimulate people’s interest in the suits. Everybody’s different and it’s hard to please everyone; frothers like light and flexible suits, while others of us like to sit for a while and wait for the wave we want. This is the Yang suit of our Yin-Yang combo of top-line suits. It’s made for high-performance surfing and moving around a lineup quickly. It probably goes right back to why we started making wetsuits in the first place 26 years ago – a lot of it was to do with requests from team riders along with Gordon (Merchant’s) sense that boardies and wetsuits were the two pillars of a company. Still to this day Gordon’s heavily involved with feedback on those two things.” – Scott Boot
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THE CUSTOM FACTOR
SHOWCASE
Here’s something mad – 80% of Japan’s wetsuit business is custom. Yep, people walk into a surf shop and get themselves personally measured up by the owner, the stats are sent off to the wetsuit maker, and a week later there’s a custom-cut suit waiting for you. So … why not here? Partly, says Scott, it’s the $900 price tag; who do YOU know who’d pay that?? But partly it’s necessity – or lack of. “The Japanese believe they need a superior fit,” he says. “But materials are so good now, so stretchy, a single wetsuit size will fit a lot of different people. The need for custom isn’t there any more.”
TESTERS
COMMENTS WADE: “Not the top-of-the-range one, but still up there as a really good wettie. It has a lot of mesh stuff on the torso and kidney area, which I think helped keep the wind off and make it warmer. It’s taped up and everything, but it’s still flexible and easy to surf in, a real good wettie. The chest zip is a good one too. Some of them you can feel they’re a bit tight once on and zipped up, but this one was real loose with a good neck and easy to zip up, not a struggle or anything. Water flow through was almost nonexistent. A very well sealed suit.”
Big Wade found little resistance to his power hacks from the SG-5. Inset seq: Demonstrating the near-watertight neck flap on the suit’s chest zip entry.
FOIL 3/2
REvOLUTION 3/2
A lot of the goodies at a middle-of-the-road price. Features Zero Gravity superflex neoprene with a Furnace jersey back lining, BOA chest zip entry system, contour collar, strategic seam placement, glued and blindstitched seams with stress-point support, wrist and ankle cuff grippers, and pre-bent anatomic panelling. Comes in a range of colour combos, from all black to ash/black/white, black/ black/ash, and ash/black/royal blue. RRP: $329.99
Another economically minded suit with the extra benefit of liquid taping on the outer seams for a touch of extra warmth. Otherwise, materials are Zero Gravity superflex neoprene with the Furnace jersey back panel lining, BOA chest entry system, contour collar, strategic seam placement, wrist and ankle cuff grippers, and a couple of simple colour schemes: black with charcoal fade, or ash with blue fade. RRP: $399.99
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BillaBong
SG-5
SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Internal jersey lining around torso seams: Liquid welded sealed internally and externally Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, clips in on open side (also comes in a back zip) Dry/weT: 1.3kg/2.1kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: In the higher branches just beneath exotics SGX and Solution Xero iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 6-16 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium/high fun facT: Used constantly during the Test by Nick to swim and perform in-water interviews with the Testers
DESignERS
rrp/warranTy: $549.99 12 months limited on materials and workmanship suiTeD To: Any surfer, beginner to good, looking for warmth and durability in south-east and south-west Oz autumn/ winter waters
COMMENTS “This is a durable, warm, robust suit that we designed for surfers who want to sit and wait a bit for the set waves. It’s a bit more traditional than the SGX, and made to last – a bit like a board with six-ounce glass rather than fourounce. The liquid-taped seams keep out water a bit more effectively. A highperformance surfer might feel a little less stretch as a result, but it’s only to a very small degree and not something you’d notice. We make it with a back zip because a lot of guys who grew up using back zips still prefer the idea – although you don’t get too many people going back once they’ve tried a good chest zip.” – Scott Boot
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TESTERS
COMMENTS BLAKE: “I didn’t think this was O’Neill’s top-of-the-range wetsuit, so when I paddled out in it, it really surprised me. It’s definitely got all the aspects of a top-of-the-range suit. It’s got a really good neck seal – I didn’t have any water come in, which is a really good thing. It’s got a back zip, which is unusual. A lot of companies have done away with that and put the zip on the front, which eliminates panels and helps free up the stretchiest areas in the shoulders and back. But to have a wetsuit like this, which has a back zip but sill feels really stretchy and high quality, is interesting. It’s good.”
Blake was a bit stunned by the 2’s flexibility. Insets: The ZEN zip, masquerading as a back zip when it’s actually more like an extra layer over the actual suit.
WHAT WE LEARNT
SHOWCASE
Experience counts. O’Neill have deep roots in cold-water territory and have been making wetsuits for longer than most surfers have been alive. This pays off in their suits the way decades of experience pays off in a surfboard designer’s work. “Next year it’ll be 60 years since Jack (O’Neill) invented the surfing wetsuit,” says Tom. “In Santa Cruz the water temp’s eight degrees C all year round, so a good wetsuit is an imperative…It’s a constant evolution because those guys are immersed in it every day.”
EpIC 3/2
WOMEN’S pSyCHO 2
The Epic value-for-money suit series now comes with a lot of the goodies used in the Psycho range, with the Firewall internal lining, anatomically correct seam placement to reduce pressure on the lumbar back area, and covert “blackout” back zip. Handles cooler water easily; around 15 degrees C for this 3/2 version. RRP: $299.95
Female version of the wettie featured in this spread’s Super Test, with all the bells and whistles: ZEN zip closure, Ultraflex XDS neoprene, Firewall internal insulation, double liquid taping over welded seams, able to take cooler water in its stride while affording plenty of freedom for a high-performance surfer to do her stuff. RRP: $529.95
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O’Neill
Psycho 2 shoWcAsE sPEcs
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: “ZEN” dislocated back zip (see Designer’s Comment) seams: Internal welded, external liquid taped Zip: Overlaid back zip with neck flap Dry/weT: 1.2kg /1.8kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: On the top branch next to the Psycho Pro range iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 8-16 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium/high fun facT: Only model suit actually bought (in the past) by a member of the Test team (Adam Bennetts) specifically in order to compete in cold-water pro events
rrp/warranTy: $579 12 months workmanship and materials suiTeD To: Any committed surfer with a liking for backzip entry through autumn, winter and spring months in south-east and southwest Aussie waters
DeSiGNeRS
coMMENTs “This is a core suit for a knowledgeable surfer looking for high-end gear. We have an ‘Area 52’ in Santa Cruz where suit ideas are brainstormed all the time. That’s where things like the ZEN zip start. The ZEN entry system is patentprotected and the only one of its kind: instead of the back zip pulling together two halves of the back of the suit, the underlying barrier is in fact the suit itself. The zip floats on top of the suit, rather than over an implanted gusset. You get the flexibility and feel of a zipperless suit with the entry ease of a classic back zip. I don’t know if people really grasp that until they try it. The suit body is Ultraflex DS neoprene with minimal seams.” – Tom Sullivan
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WHAT WE LEARNT We believe in supporting our retailers,” says Tom. “Plus it’s about service because a good wettie is a significant purchase for most surfers. So it’s good if people can go into a shop, look at what they can buy and get some guidance from the crew behind the counter. Besides fit is so critical. An ill fitting wetsuit will cause rashes and reduce its primary function of keeping you warm by having it constantly flushed with water. So, it pays to have your suit fitted by people who know wetsuits well and are prepared to spend the time getting you in a suit that fits correctly and is appropriate for the water temperature you plan to be spending most of your time in.”
Levingston is still getting used to chest zip entries, but once in, he was laughing. Below: Clean top turn hack, uncramped by 1.6kg of wet wettie.
TESTERS
COMMENTS
SHOWCASE
BRETT: “This is just a real good wettie, very flexy, double sealed all the way around so it doesn’t let much water in. It’s got numerous little water release holes around the arms and back so that any water coming in during duckdives just gets squeezed straight out. The entry system is a bit different to most of the other suits. It has a double fold that opens up a bit wider and lets you into the suit quite easily, and there you go – you’re ready to go surfing. This is a good way around the entry problem with some chest-zip suits. Feels like this one would keep you warmer than most, plus it’s got the little details right and it’s surprisingly lightweight.”
PSyCHOfREAk fSW 3.5/2.5
GOORU GBS 2/2
Super warm and super flexible for ripping in cooler waters down to 10 degrees C. Features the XDS-Air Firewall internal jersey, which draws water away from the skin in chest, back and lower-body areas. Double liquid taping over internal seam welds preserves the suit’s insulation. Also features the ZEN zip-entry system and Ultraflex XDS neoprene throughout. RRP: $649.95
This suit is built using Ultraflex DS neoprene and a glued and blindstitched seam, together with the ZEN zip closure for a lightweight flexible skin in slightly warmer waters. Seams are minimised throughout to reduce restrictions on movement. It’s a team-inspired favourite, good for staying loose in waters up to 20 degrees C. RRP: $399.95
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O’Neill
Psycho Pro rG8 sPEcs
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Overall water sealing seams: Internal welded, external liquid taped Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, pulls from closed end Dry/weT: 1kg/1.6kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: Top of the highperformance branch next to Psycho 2 iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 8-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium/high fun facT: The suit was designed using the same human model that O’Neill has used for 25 years – and his measurements haven’t changed a bit.
DeSiGNeRS
rrp/warranTy: $529 12 months workmanship and materials. suiTeD To: Any committed surfer wanting a sturdy, highperformance chest zip for autumn through to spring in southwest and south-east Australian waters.
coMMENTs “This suit is made for minimal water entry and easy release. It’s a chest zip with what we call a FUZE closure system – Front Upper Zip Entry uses the same floating-zipper technology as our ZEN zip closure, and keeps you dry without restricting flexibility. We do chest zips not because we think they’re necessarily better than the ZEN system, but because we do see that for some people a chest zip is a benefit. But we didn’t rush it: the suit went through a couple of years of prototyping and long-term testing to get it right. Dual drain holes in the back and arm with a waterproof code red zipper, and plasma wrist and ankle seals with a single fluid weld seam, all prevent water entry. The fabric’s 100% Ultraflex RG8 with limestone-based neoprene and jersey made from recycled plastics.” – Tom Sullivan.
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The wetties you’ll find in your local surf shop are all made in client factories overseas, but most wettie makers keep a staff of seamstresses on hand at headquarters, where prototypes and template suits can be worked through daily. “We still do all our protos in site in Vicco,” reckons Cam Lamperd. “Some weeks we might go through eight different versions of the same suit, taking ’em out surfing and bringing ’em back for changes.” But it’s not as mad as the old days: “Bells would come around and Sparrow would be up all night every night until the end of the contest making custom suits for pros.”
TESTERS
COMMENTS BLAKE: “This is another one both me and Wade wanted to use. Me especially because I live on the Gold Coast and don’t get to wear wetties much, so I wanted to test the best. It’s Rip Curl’s elite wetsuit, this is what Mick Fanning would wear if he were to go somewhere where you needed a 3/2 full suit. Basically it’s as stretchy a wetsuit as you could get and as light a wettie as Rip Curl makes. In the water it’s really elastic and doesn’t feel like there’s much suit there at all. It’s the kind of suit that makes a pro surfer – an amazing wetsuit really. Surprisingly good seal in the neck, probably thanks to the chest zip. ”
SHOWCASE
The ridiculously flexible E-Bomb sent Blake rocketing around the lineup like a pinball. Inset: Another use for this suit is as a convenient carpark disguise.
E-BOMB PRO VEST Slick “arms” version of the pro supersuit. E3 superstretch neoprene throughout, non-seam underarms and shoulders, glued and blindstitched seaming, even a key stash pocket, and the overall Rip Curl warranty that applies to all the suits: Three years on stitching, 12 months materials and workmanship. Comes in black/blue or black/ yellow/grey. RRP: $199.99
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E-BOMB PRO
2/2 SHORT-SLEEVE STEAMER Almost unbearably popular wettie among team members, probably because it hits the mark in competition and for Aussie autumns and springs. Has all the accoutrements of the E-Bomb range in a short-sleeve version, with a trim-down to all 2mmm rubber. E3+ neoprene, four-way back stretch, chest-zip entry, glued and blindstitched seams with stress points internally taped, seamless underarms and shoulders, plus Lock Slide design cuts water entry and allows for easier access into the suit. Full warranty. RRP: $499.99
Rip CuRl
E-BomB Pro SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Superflex neoprene back panel seams: Glued and blindstitched, neo taped at stress points Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, clips in on open side Dry/weT: 1kg/1.8kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 2 family Tree: Top of the highperformance range iDeal waTer: 15-18 degrees C iDeal air: 10-20 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium fun facT: Mick Fanning resisted wearing a chest-zip version of this suit until they talked him into it; now he refuses to wear anything else
DESiGNERS
rrp/warranTy: $549.99 3 years on stitching, 12 months on materials and workmanship suiTeD To: High-performance surfing and moving around lineups quickly in Australian east and west coast autumn/ winter conditions
CommENTS “We’ve been developing this suit for a few years now; we spent a lot of time looking at engineering it correctly. When we first got the E3plus (superflexy) neoprene we thought it’d be a snap to put in, but it actually wasn’t – it took a lot of prototypes before we learnt where to put it so it worked the best. (Rip Curl super guru wetsuit king) Sparrow Pyburn reckoned it was the first time he’d had to be really clever in how to use the material. When chest zips were introduced it made the back panel the obvious place to apply E3. When neoprene is stretchy you’ll find the movement restriction happens in the seams, so we cut them out of the shoulders and underarms and don’t liquid-tape this model.” – Cam Lamperd
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COMMENTS BLAKE: “Not as pro-elite superlite as the E-Bomb, but still up there. It’s maybe more useful in a little bit colder water or wind-chill conditions. It’s got the liquid-tape glue stuff on every big seam, which helps to prevent water getting in. All the same seam cuts as the E, but just more heavy duty. Not much water came through – these days the wetsuit makers try to stop as much water as possible from getting into the suit – but what water does get into the F pretty much gets flushed out. It’s got little holes to let water out from wherever it might pool internally.”
When the wind came up just before lunch, switching from E to F was a sensible move. Ainsworth swinging a little bit of extra neoprene through his cuttie arc.
THE POINT OF QUALITY
SHOWCASE
What’s up with all those $99 Steamer! Specials at your local sailboard centre? Those cheap wetties may suck, but they still sell. Do they worry the crew at companies like the Curl? Cam Lamperd says that it’s an area where serious, high-quality wettie makers don’t want to play. “It’s tough to satisfy everyone – you need to consider so many tastes and needs,” says Cam. “But people will support quality; they want the best they can get. If you concentrate on making a quality product then you’re protected by that quality.”
INSULATOr 3/2
E-BOMB SPrINg
The value version of this label’s range, this one comes with a lot of F features, including the Fireskin internal jersey lining and external liquid-taped seams (glued and blindstitched internally). Other bits include Elastomax neoprene throughout with XpandX lining, back zip with batwing collar, blue-steel zip. Warrantyis 3 Years on stitching 12 months on materials and workmanship. RRP: $399.99
Deluxe springsuit version of the E-Bomb range at a surprisingly good price. Something you could wear half the year in many Aussie waters. Comes with the top-of-the-line E3 neoprene, seamless underarms and shoulders, glued and blindstitched seams with stress points taped internally, three-hole drainage system, chest-zip entry system and full warranty. RRP: $299.99
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Rip CuRl
F-BomB SHoWCASE SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Double taping (liquid external, E3 internal) seams: Glued and blindstitched, double taped (see above) Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, clips in on open side Dry/weT: 1.3kg/2.1kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: Top of the highperformance/warmth combo branch iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 6-16 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium/high fun facT: Crazy name background part one: “F” in F-Bomb stands for Fireskin, the jersey lining inside the suit for extra warmth
rrp/warranTy: $599.99 3 years on stitching, 12 months on materials suiTeD To: Any committed surfer with a liking for backzip entry through autumn, winter and spring months in south-east and southwest Aussie waters
DESiGNERS
CommENTS “There’s a guy who wants performance and a guy who wants warmth which normally comes with a reduction in stretch. The new F-Bomb “Fireskin lined” steamer now brings performance into cold water wetsuits. The new chest zip entry provides increased back stretch and reduces water flushing. Whilst the suits seams are externally liquid taped sealed and reinforced with Rip Curl’s new internal E3+ high stretch hand tape. Double the sealing and still with crazy stretch. – Cam Lamperd
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Wetsuit companies are a bit like board companies – they all have great back stories. Xcel for instance, was founded by New Jersey, USA surfer Ed D’Ascoli in 1982 after he’d moved to Hawaii to get away from his freezing home waters. His first big contract was with the US Marine base on Oahu’s east side, but he was nearly buggered when a hurricane hit the island just before delivery and knocked out all the power. Ed rented a generator and kept working, and got the job in on time.
TESTERS
CommEnTS WADE: “Really, really nice wettie. It has one of those pull-over chest zips that sit symmetrically around your neck and that makes it easy to slip on, no struggling to get one arm in. Once you’re in the water it feels very light on your body, almost like the suit has disappeared, with no stiff points in your shoulders or back. Plus it’s super warm, none of that is sacrificed for high performance. I have no idea where they put the bamboo in the suit, I couldn’t see any bamboo, but they’ve obviously done a good job here.”
SHoWCASE
This was Wade’s fourth wetsuit for the day, but it clearly wasn’t wearing him out. Boost Juice in the X-Zip special.
InfInITI XZIp 3/2 WomEn’S
XfLEX 3/2
This wettie won Xcel’s first SIMA USA wetsuit of the Year award, up against some crazy competition. It’s the Xzip re-engineered for girls with ultralight/ultrastretch neoprene and recycled-materials inner lining along with the cross-over symmetrical neck entry system. Seams are fused and internally neo-taped and the zipper is water resistant, and it comes in light blue/dark blue. RRP: $499
The moderate price-point suit in Xcel’s full wettie range, this is still built using many of the quality ingredients in the super gun suits, including the ultrastretch/ultralight neoprene and recycled heat-retaining inner lining. Seams are glued and blindstitched and the cross-over Xzip style neck entry system is used, all at a bargain price. RRP: $329
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XCEL
InfInItI XzIp SHOWCASE SpECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Symmetrical pull-down chest zip seams: Pressure Bonded, Fusion seams. Zip: Symmetrical chest zip, tabs both sides Dry/weT: 1.3 kg/2.1kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: Top of the highperformance branch, just under the Drylock range iDeal waTer: 15-18 degrees C iDeal air: 8-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium/high fun facT: Recycled bamboo is used in the internal heat-retaining jersey lining – the only bamboo wetsuit range in the world!
DESIGNERS
COMMEntS rrp/warranTy: $549 12 months suiTeD To: Any surfer, high performance to beginner, for frequent winter use in all east and west coast Australian waters
“Xcel’s original chest zip design came from a simple concept. To increase the size of the panels across the shoulders and back to allow more stretch, Xcel placed the zipper on the chest as it’s one area of your body that doesn’t stretch. The zipper is strategically placed high in the ideal positioning to avoid any discomfort and allowing simplicity to get the suit on and off. The entry system has a double envelope flap to increase the stretch area for even the largest of surfers to comfortably get in and out of.” – Rob Cribb
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Brett got the Drylock locked into the lip on numerous occasions. Insets: This suit’s super technical neck entry looks small, but Levingston reckoned it was the easiest in-and-out he tried.
WHAT WE LEARNT
SHOWCASE
Wettie makers have a passion for their product that often seems to match that of the crew responsible for surfing’s other great piece of hardware – the surfboard. And every now and then, they even exceed those limits. “A good wetsuit is not a commodity,” says Rob Cribb. “It’s part of the surfing experience. It either makes you want to go surfing or not. And that’s how it should be if you’re going to spend money on one. A good wettie should last two to three seasons, but a good surfboard could snap the first time you paddle out.”
TESTERS
COMMENTS BRETT: “It was a Large, which is a bit big for me, so it automatically felt very nice and loose. I’m not too sure about where the bamboo is either. It feels like its name, a Drylock. It’s quite tight around the chest and the neck seal is complete, and that’s probably where most water tries to get in. Not too stiff, a good all-round wetsuit that seems made as much for warmth and durability as much as high performance – it would show its full quality over time. For the everyday bloke who wants a warm, functional wetsuit this’d be a pretty damn good fit.”
WOMEN’S OS OffSET 3/2
SLX 3/2
Suit specially designed for women with an offset neck/back zip entry system unique to the brand. Worth a try if your body doesn’t deal well with chest-zip entries. Comes in ultrastretch/ultrasoft neoprene, with a water dam barrier to prevent flushing, glued and blindstitched seams, the recycled heat-retaining inner lining, and a couple of enhanced “glitter” logo and colour options. RRP: $429
Xcel’s Australian distributor, Rob Cribb, persuaded his crew to give a minigrommet’s full suit a go and it’s proved a major hit, especially in the nation’s surfing heartlands where minigroms are thriving. Comes with stretchy ultrasoft neoprene, glued and blindstitched seams, recycled heat lining, back zip, and several colour options, and if your grommet is a size 4, it comes with ankle zippers too. RRP: $159
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XCEL
WRF DRYLOCK SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Water Repellent Fiber Technology seams: Pressure Bonded, Fusion seams Zip: Angled chest zip with waterproof sealed teeth Dry/weT: 1.6kg/2.4kg flushabiliTy (1-5): .5 family Tree: Top twig on the performance/warmth branch iDeal waTer: 12-18 degrees C iDeal air: 6-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: High fun facT: Won Sima twice in the last 3 years. Our first SIMA was won by the Infiniti XZip
DESIGNERS
COMMENTS rrp/warranTy: $629 12 months workmanship and materials suiTeD To: Any committed surfer looking for superquality in slightly colder Aussie winter environments
“This suit was designed first & foremost as the warmest & driest suit on the market. The green inner is a heat retaining lining made of bamboo charcoal infused fibers & recycled fibers. The internal lining is so streamlined that you feel nothing, even when surfing for hours. We work from an ‘out of 10’ formula to provide the most stretch where it’s required, then reduce stretch where it’s not required to make way for a more durable panel, such as below the knees and the chest area. The wrist panel is a one-ofkind ‘donut’ construction allowing maximum sealing and no ballooning around the wrist. Other features are the double-envelope entry system, the only waterproof zipper on the market, and Water Repellent Fiber Technology, not a coating, but within the fibers to constantly repel the water.” – Rob Cribb
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BIBLE2011 Wade’s not some sort of adrenalin junkie but he lit up the water in this deceptively inexpensive suit. Insets: Stop looking at me, you bastards!
TESTERS
COMMENTS
WHAT WE LEARNT
SHOWCASE
If this is a cheap wetsuit, then wetsuits have changed – big time. Even at Adrenalin’s end of the market, everything about a wettie is waaay better than even a decade ago. “We’ll never be challenging the big guys at that high end – they’re pushing the market, they helped create the whole industry. We just set out to do quality at a price people can afford.”
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WADE: “This one’s definitely got an exciting name. I caught 6000 waves with it on and it could’ve been the wettie’s influence on my adrenal gland. I wore it a couple of times, and while the first time it did feel a little stiff in the shoulders, it seemed much better the second time around – it loosened up and worked well. Maybe I was affected by the difference between a back zip and a chest zip. The cuffs are a different set-up and they seem to work well in keeping water out. It’s definitely warm enough, you’d be able to surf for ages in it. Value for money.”
BALLISTIC BATWINg 3/2 This is the bulletproof version that preceded the Z-suit in Adrenalin’s range. It has a Sealskin smooth chest panel to reduce evaporation cooling, duraflex hardwearing nylon outer and heat-shield thermal internal linings, superstretch neoprene on arms, legs and side panels, X-seals at wrists and ankles, bronze YKK back zip, glue-sealed seams. All at very much a bargain price. RRP: $199.95
AdrenAlin
Z-Suit SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Titanium-lined seals at entry points seams: Glued and blind stitched, external Double application liquid taped Zip: Brass back zip with neck flap Dry/weT: 1.3kg/1.8kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 2.5 family Tree: Top of their full-suit performance range iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 8-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium fun facT: By far the leastexpensive suit we tested
rrp/warranTy: $299.95 Lifetime limited to workmanship and materials. suiTeD To: Any surfer on a bit of a budget, for Australian east and west coast autumn/winter conditions.
deSiGnerS
COMMENtS Our mission from the outset was to make a really high-performance wettie at an affordable price. The Z-Suit is 100% super-stretch, has a Batwing Water-dam Back Seal, Liquid seal seams and guaranteed quality. It was developed from our Ballistic suit which had an 18 month test program, checking and reinforcing all the stress points until it was hard as nails and wears like your mother in law. That effort went over into the Z-suit, so while it’s made of super stretch neoprene, its origins are in designing for heavy usage. The seams are all blind stitched inside and the liquid seal is applied in two layers for extra strength. The inner mini plush lining is there for warmth but it also makes the suit easier to get on and off.� Due to popular demand we had to introduce a $229 Grommet size range - John Axford
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We hadn’t heard much about C-Skins, and Wade was blown away when the suit came through so easily. Inset seq: Working the suit’s super straightforward pull-over neck to chest zip system.
TESTERS
COMMENTS WADE: “Way different to the other ones as far as the chest zip goes. It comes over the top rather than zipping in from one side the way most of them seem to. The suit was tight on me, but the hood going over felt heaps different – took a heap of pressure off your arms. In the water it showed itself to be a really good, well-rounded wettie, fairly flexible and definitely very warm. The symmetrical zipper paid off in paddling and didn’t hurt while surfing either. Didn’t let any water in at all.”
WHAT WE LEARNT
SHOWCASE
Colour matters – but not as much as you’d think. “Black suits stem from the original colour of neoprene,” says Tomas, “but it’s also a pure function thing – black absorbs sunlight better than anything else, so it adds to a suit’s warmth more than any colour. Plus black is never a turn-off, it’s timeless in the fashion stakes.” Then again – C-Skins’ Kieren Perrow wore a custom all-white suit during some sessions at Broken Head last year and after the suit ended up in some YouTube clips, C-Skins was contacted by a guy who was willing to pay $1000 for one!
REWIREd 2/2
SURfLITE 3/2
Another version of the full suit here, tweaked slightly for value and for a warmer-water rubber mix, with 80/20 Eco-Flex and C-Flex neoprene mix and the shortened symmetrical neck flap/zipper combo that makes the Wired such an interesting wetsuit. Seams are tripleglued and blindstitched, there’s an internal collar seal surface and wrist cuff seals. RRP: $349.95
The least expensive grown-up’s full suit in the Bible this year, this wettie manages to be glued and blindstitched, with a range of neoprene qualities, including C-Flex and Freeflx and titanium mesh non-evaporative chest and back panels and a super-seal glideskin collar, for a wackily low price. Yes, it’s a back zip, but at less than two hundy, who’s complaining? RRP: $189.95
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C-SKINS
Wired S2 SHOWCASe SPeCS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Square (symmetrical) chest zip seams: Glued and blindstitched, external liquid taped Zip: Chest zip (see above) Dry/weT: 1.4 kg/2.1kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: Top of the range iDeal waTer: 14-18 degrees C iDeal air: 6-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium fun facT: The only wettie in the Test that was designed and originated in Europe
rrp/warranTy: $474.95 12 months workmanship and materials suiTeD To: Any surfer looking for an alternative, comfy, and slightly less exy suit for Australian temperate winter months
DESIGNERS
COMMeNTS “C-Skins was founded in Cornwall in 2000 by Carey Brown. Carey, with the help of his uncle Denis made the first surfing steamers in Europe. We make suits just for surfing, and we have no other products, no boardies, etc – we haven’t been tempted and we don’t want to confuse people about what we do. Chest zips are definitely groovy now, mainly because it’s a much shorter zip and there’s no neck leakage, but our one, the Wired neck flap, that’s been around a lot longer than most of the others. Asymmetric zips are meant to make a suit more watertight, but it adds to wear and tear because of the strain of getting in and out, and they are harder to get on and off. We only started selling in Oz last year, but we’ve had a great response.”
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WHAT WE LEARNT
ADAM: “It got all the simple things right: pretty easy to get in and out, really stretchy, and didn’t let any water in. I think the interior was actually dry after I got out of the water, which was pretty trippy, and it was extremely warm – I was wishing I was somewhere a fair bit colder! I’m like quite a few surfers in that I hadn’t had experience of a chest zip. This was the first one I’d tried and to me they do feel like a compromise – the water seal is perfect and they’re looser in the back for sure, but there’s a lot of stitching in funny places to secure it around the chest. I’d have to get used to that. But that said, couldn’t feel any restriction at all in paddling.”
ASL’s been a bit baffled in recent years by how many surfers seem to be full-suiting up in summer months. The answer, according to many experts we talked to? Wetsuits aren’t just about warmth; they’re also a psyche-up tool. “It’s like body armour,” read one comment. “Agree 100%,” says Brisso. “Look at a casual tennis player – you always find they dress appropriately. The psychology is that you’re more ready to go and do the sport. Plus to a degree it’s a security blanket: against sunlight, against yours or other people’s boards, against injury generally.”
SHOWCASE
Being a natural showman, Adam Bennetts responded to the Climax Pro’s spectacular name with vigour. Jeez even his fins match the suit.
CLIMATE X 3/2
FLEX 2/2
This one’s a slightly warmed-up version for sitting and waiting between major sets or travelling a bit beyond the Climax Pro’s temp range. Along with the Alpha X stretch rubber, there’s thermal chest and back panels to keep the wind off and fully liquid-sealed seams for max leak resistance. An internal breakwall behind the back zip blocks any cold-water flushes and the adjustable collar helps out too. RRP: $449.99
A sensibly priced alternative for shortie lovers, with Beta stretch rubber, glued and blindstitched seams left free of liquid seals to keep it loose, but external unlined chest and back panels to reduce evaporative chills and the same internal breakwall as the Climate X suit. Will handle most late winters and spring water temp drops with ease. RRP: $239.99
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PEAK
CLIMAX Pro SPECS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Minimal restrictions in seams (see below) seams: Glued and blindstitched, untaped Zip: Symmetrical chest zip Dry/weT: 1.1kg/2kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 1 family Tree: Top branch of the performance tree, next to Climax X warm-suit branch iDeal waTer: 15-18 degrees C iDeal air: 8-18 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Medium fun facT: The Tester was sponsored by this company – until last year.
DESIGNERS
rrp/warranTy: $399.99 12 months workmanship and materials, 3 years on stitching suiTeD To: Any surfer on a budget looking at a moderncut suit for good east or west coast Oz winter protection
CoMMENTS “This is our lightest, most flexible warm suit, made for a guy who surfs every day. It began developing a few years ago when we signed Kerrzy. That was about the time the super-stretchy neoprene came in and we had to design a suit that a pro-level guy could surf to his maximum in. That’s where the Climax Pro has grown up from. It’s crazy how fast things have swung to chest zips. They’re hard to design, but I think ours is one of the easiest to get in and out of – we worked with Sparrow and the Rip Curl guys to get it right and it has a big opening for ease of entry. But the concern with chest zips is seal around the neck, and there were a fair few prototypes made as a result. Chest zips are tricky. In a surf shop change room they can get hot and sweaty, but once you’re in the water you realise the difference.” – Adam Brissenden
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GARETH’S CALL
TESTERS
Gareth Jenkins, a local surfer from ASL’s Test grounds, rolled up one morning while we were bracing for action. We gave him a choice of suits and he wore the Cypher for a two-hour session. “Good, eh,” big G told us laconically. “I’ve only got a shorty spring at the moment so I’ve got to get a new wettie pretty soon.” Did he think the price tags on the Test suits were reasonable? “Yeah, I do, when they feel as good as this one does. It’s fair enough to pay for good quality. I might have to save up a bit this time.”
COMMENTS WADE: “Blake and I played rock paper scissors to try the Cypher because this is the lightest wetsuit in the test. It looks the best, it feels the best, and it definitely lives up to expectations. It’s pretty much exactly what we thought it would be – a very high-performance surfing wettie. Will it keep you warm? It feels thinner on the body, but it’s still kept me warm and it wasn’t letting much water in. It was also the easiest one to get on and off.”
SHOWCASE
Wade didn’t waste time in the Cypher – he paddled out and blew up, later calling it his favourite of the whole test array. Pretty big call given the array.
CypHER FUSEFLEx 3.5/3/2
SyNCRO 3/2
The new supersuit of the Quik range, completely stitchless thanks to a new seam-fusing process that will make the next generation of wetties even warmer and more flexy. The suit has a three-layer foam sandwich construction through the body and a waterproof-zipped chest-zip entry system. Team testers have used this wettie in European winter conditions with snow on the beach and been comfortable for an hour’s surfing. RRP: $649.99
This suit is made with an eye for the best value for money equation. 100% Hyperstretch 2 rubber, back zip, with a thermal jersey inner lining and non-evaporative hydro-shield on front and back. Seams are glued and blindstitched… and check the price for a full suit. RRP: $299.99
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Quiksilver
Cypher 3/2 ShOWCASe SpeCS
B F T x u i d Z N Q
Thickness: 2mm/3mm key feaTure: Superlightness (see dry weight) seams: Glued and blindstitched, internal neo taped Zip: Asymmetrical chest zip, pulls across from closed side Dry/weT: 0 .8kg/1.6kg flushabiliTy (1-5): 2 family Tree: Tip of the highperformance branch iDeal waTer: 15-19 degrees C iDeal air: 0-20 degrees C winD-chill facTor: Low/medium fun facT: Extra Test performed by on-the-spot Reader, goofyfoot Gareth Jenkins!
DesiGNers
COMMeNTS rrp/warranTy: $529.95 12 months on workmanship, lifetime on materials suiTeD To: Any intermediate to highly-skilled surfer with a premium on high-performance in south-east and southwest Australian waters
“This is the top-of-the-line steamer, made for super high-performance. Kelly’s wearing it and he’s got to be wearing something that works. It’s got the bamboo/charcoal-infused jersey on the inside lining and a thing called Biofleece thermal lining around the back and chest – it’s like a hollow weave that lifts water away from your body. We taped the suit internally with super-thin neoprene tape because it’s the most flexible way of sealing the seam. I put my Quik sticker on my board in 1992 when I was 13, so I grew up in these suits. I’ve probably spent more time in ’em than anyone in the world, and since we came out with the Cypher range our quality has skyrocketed; we’re building more and more into the suits. The new Fuseflex seam, which will come out this winter (see showcase), is another level again.”
2011 WETSUIT BIBLE // 107
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This is ASL’s first ever crack at a breakdown of wetsuit info and terms. We’ll build on this in future Bibles. Do us a favour and ask us what you need to know about the damn things and we’ll use it to dig deeper and deeper into the secret well of wettie knowledge out there in Wetsuit Guru World. Because it’s out there, trust us…
BACK ZIP
Classic method of opening and closing a full or semi full body wetsuit. Back zip surfing wetsuits have been around for over 40 years, challenged at various times by shoulder zips (in the early ‘90s) and zipperless suits (a little later), and more successfully in the past two years by chest zip entry suits. Back zips are easier to manufacture and considered functional when matched with things like the batwing (see below) but usually result in a suit that flushes more water through the neck and zipper than the chest variety.
BATWING
Wacky name given to the neoprene barrier and neck flap underlying most back zips; goes back to the Rip Curl Dawn Patrol range of the late ‘80s.
CARE Looking after your wetsuit is easy enough, and doing so can add seasons of extra life to the thing. It’s kind of amazing that most of us don’t take the time. But what the hell, here are some simple hints as to how to take care of the poor thing. - Rinse regularly in clean fresh water. This is primary care. Leave a wettie to dry after immersion in salt water causes salt crystals to form inside the neoprene; over time, the crystals will rip the neoprene apart, resulting in suit breakdown, particularly toward the extremities, the ankles and wrists and so forth. You’re bound to leave it salty from time to time but if you remember to rinse it properly in a bucket of fresh water every few surfs, then hang it to drip out and dry, you’ll be doing it a big favour. Make sure you let the suit soak for several minutes and give it a few stirs and squeezes to get the fresh water fully through the neoprene. Then hang it in a shady spot, either on a broad beamed clothes hanger or half-and-half over a railing, till dry. - Full wash every month of consistent use. Wetsuit materials build up a reservoir of body oils, waxes and dirt, and it’s worth scouring ‘em out. For this you need a bucket of warm fresh water with a small amount of dishwashing detergent mixed in. Some shops actually sell special wettie washing fluid, but the kitchen stuff is fine; shower gel will work too. The warm (not boiling) water and detergent will break down the oils and waxes over a few minutes of swirling it around. Get the wettie back out, refill the bucket with cold fresh water and fully rinse all the detergent out of the suit before hanging it up to dry. - Store off-season in a cool dry place out of the sun. Hang it, don’t fold it up. And a few do nots: - Don’t leave it in the back of your car for weeks in a stinking ball of sogginess. - Don’t use laundry detergent on it. - Don’t use a clothes dryer on it. - Don’t leave it hanging in the sun for more than an hour or so.
For repairing, see Repairs.
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CHEST ZIP
Increasingly common, perhaps even trendy entry method for full and semi full body wetties, specially in the upper levels of a wetsuit maker’s range. The chest zip is shorter than almost any back zip and thus lets in less water; it can be further designed to almost completely restrict water entry, and thus has become de rigeur in heavy super cold water suits. It has the side-effect of freeing up a wetsuit’s natural tendency to restrict movement in the back and shoulders, making it generally an easier paddling and higher performing suit option. One downside has been that many surfers find chest zips hard to get on and off in a hurry, but design improvements in most wettie ranges are steadily overcoming the issue. O’Neill’s ZEN zip system – which uses a short back zip to overlay what’s in essence a zipperless suit body – is the chest zip’s only real challenger for title of cool zip system right now. three types of chest zip: one where the zip hooks on at the end, one where the zip starts at the join, and one that just pulls straight over the head from behind.
A-Z COLOUR
Wetsuits have gone through some crazy colour scheme trips through the years, sometimes to great marketing effect. Old school Hawaiian superstar Reno Abellira once went in major pro contests wearing wetsuit pants cut like flared jeans and coloured to match. Nobody who survived the ‘80s could forget a young Occy somersaulting to fame in a Peak wettie made up of bright yellow, pink and sky blue nylon lining. But over time, they keep coming back to black, and there’s good reason for that. Not only is it neoprene’s natural colour – it’s the most practical when you consider the main point of wearing it. “Black is never a turnoff for a buyer,” says C-Skins’s Tomas Martin, “plus it absorbs sunlight better than anything else.” As a result, most modern suits are pretty restrained in their colour schemes, but some think that may be about to change. “The trend for colour is coming back,” says Peak’s Adam “Brisso” Brissenden. “The guys who are riding for companies who aren’t mainstream wettie makers – their suits will lead the way on that.”
CUSTOM
Once upon a time, you could have wetsuits cut to measure, just like a tailored suit or a hand-cut surfboard. Those days have passed, except in Japan, which thanks to its long superiority in neoprene making, is kind of the Hawaii of wetsuits. Around 80% of all wetsuits in Japan are ordered via custom service at surf shops, where you’re measured up and the measurements are sent to the wettie maker for precision cutting. But most non-Japanese wetsuit makers either don’t think custom is necessary anymore thanks to better materials which stretch to accommodate outsize humans, or they pretty much scoff at the whole concept of Japanese rubber heroism. “I had the perception that Japanese wetsuits were second to none,” says Tomas Martin. “But it’s a huge myth. They cost $900 and they come with a tube of glue for repairs. There’s no liquid taping and no wrist seals.” (image: TIM_8922 caption: It’d be way easier if it were tailor-made, right.)
DS/DOUBLE-SIDED
Refers to neoprene sheet that is coated on both sides by a fabric layer, usually nylon but sometimes other materials. Double-sided neoprene became common in the 1970s; before that most wetties were made from single-sided neoprene, with a nylon fabric lining inside and raw flat rubber outside. It was nice and warm, but it wore out very fast when that raw rubber butted up against surfboards, rocks, etc. Double-sided neoprene ruled till the 1980s, when some wettie makers realised that it held water in its outer fabric layer and thus cooled the suit down via evaporation in cold winds. Since then many colder water suits have featured sections of single-sided rubber; these days they’re generally called “heat panels” or some such term, and are sealed on the raw-rubber side with smooth wear-resistant acrylics and meshes – a bit like a surfboard’s glass job.
FIRST, the
A number of people have claimed the mantle of First Ever Wetsuit over the years, but that honour belongs to Dr Hugh Bradner, a physicist and keen diver from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Bradner’s efforts arose from a US military effort to solve problems with underwater missions. He was an expert in absorption and reflection of shock waves – ie insulation – and was invited to help out with the effort. In 1951, Bradner decided that a diver did not have to stay perfectly dry in order to be warm, as long as whatever he was wearing could trap warm air inside itself. He was joined by legendary oceanographer and surfer Willard Bascom, who recommended he use neoprene manufactured by Rubatex Corp. Bradner’s wetsuits were put on trial by frogmen and shown to work, but he never applied for a patent nor tried to develop a commercial method of using the suit, since back in the 1950s, this was frowned upon if you worked for the military. Jack O’Neill, founder of O’Neill wetsuits, is generally thought to be the first to develop a wetsuit for surfing purposes, about a year after Bradner in 1952. Jack is still alive and ticking in Santa Cruz, California.
FUTURE, the
It’d be way easier if it were tailor-made, right.
Wetties have come along in colossal leaps and bounds over the past five years, partly because of the increased availability of super flexible neoprene, partly because of intense competition between wettie makers, who all want to beat each other to market with new technologies. But does this mean wetsuits just can’t get any better? Pretty much nobody in wetsuit world thinks that; they all reckon more improvement are coming down the line, but for a range of reasons. Troy Brooks from Quik thinks the new fusion glueing methods for seams is just the beginning: “In 20 years, suits may have no seams at all – the different panels will just melt together.” Tom Sullivan of O’Neill says that as long as the goal for suits is “lighter, thinner, warmer,” then everything about wetties will be measured by that criteria: “And while there’s only so much you can do, there’s already new stuff coming in seams and neoprene that’ll keep everything moving down that path.” But perhaps the most radical thinking comes from Xcel’s Ed D’ascoli. “I compare a wetsuit to tyres on a car,” says Ed. “At some point neoprene will be replaced by materials that are intuitive to the user’s needs. I see temperature and stretch adjustments being made by fabrics that are mechanical in nature at the molecular level rather than being electronically controlled. In addition more environmentally friendly materials and processes will be developed, however only if it enhances the performance of the end product. Eco will only survive if it works for the end use. These improvements will come from within our industry and driven by the imagination of wetsuit designers that have intimate knowledge of wetsuit production and materials.” 2011 WETSUIT BIBLE // 109
wetsuit BiBle online! Videos. ReViews. in-depth testing.
The most comprehensive online wetsuit bible ever! CheCk it out at www.surfinglife.com.au/wetsuitbible
A-Z
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KNEE PAD
A thick slab of flexible plastic mounted on the knee contact area of a long-legged wetsuit to prevent wear-and-tear thanks to duckdiving, etc. Unbelievably, once upon a time there were no kneepads and it was common for the knee area to wear thin and break through on a full suit over time. Once a major source of wettie heartache, the knee pad has now been mastered by almost all wetsuit makers and no longer proves an issue in most cases.
NEOPRENE
This is the core of the modern wetsuit. It’s a synthetic plastic rubber compound, invented by chemists over 80 years ago, which is “blown” into closed cell foam using nitrogen. Neoprene’s chemical name is polychloroprene, the “neo” bit is a trade name coined by its corporate inventor, the chemical company DuPont. Neoprene’s a more or less inert substance, though it can be broken down by long term exposure to naturally occurring bacteria and by physical processes like friction, sun exposure and other stuff. Neoprene foam’s main use – and the way we use it – is as an insulator, and it’s especially good when used for human insulation because it’s non-reactive; hardly anybody develops a neoprene allergy. Improvements in neoprene quality have probably been the single thing most responsible for the massive improvement in wetsuit quality in the past five to 10 years. In the past, Japan made the world’s best wetsuit neoprene and priced it accordingly, but as the bigger wettie makers have grown and developed factories in southeast Asia, they’ve invested in regional neoprene manufacturing. The result? Super high grade neoprene can be found in wetsuit ranges across the board, not just in Japan.
PANEL
A tricky name given to a piece of neoprene within a wetsuit, usually with a flat sealed exterior lining to prevent evaporative cooling.
REPAIRS
As seams get better and one-sided neoprene rarer, wetties are increasingly difficult to damage (other than by long term lack of TLC and resulting breakdown). Wetsuit companies are typically quick to address warranty-type problems like a seam collapsing or taping coming unglued, and you should use the warranty wherever possible. Little slices or nicks in the neoprene on a suit’s non-evaporation panels (if it has ‘em) can occur through contact with a fin, rocks, anything sharp really. You can repair such little slashes using either specialist wetsuit glue from a dive shop or a regular waterproof glue from your local hardware (Selley’s Kwik-Grip is an example). Make sure the suit is dry and follow the gluemaker’s instructions. No…UV surfboard resin won’t work. Try not to stitch these little cuts – whenever you stick a needle into neoprene, you’re doing it a little bit more damage. Bigger rips and tears and damage outside the suit’s warranty…well this kinda depends on how skilled you, or somebody you know, happen to be with needle and thread. Wetsuits are essentially a form of clothing and can be stitched together like old jeans – as long as care is taken and the thread is a) water resistant and b) not too thick or tough (or it’ll rip the rubber). Professional wettie repairers do exist, just like surfboard ding repairers, but good ones are (like ding repairers) not super common. Try dive shops for best results, or contact the wettie maker for advice.
SEAM
The join between separate pieces (or panels) of neoprene, connected by stitching, glue, neoprene fusion, tape, or a combination of these. Wettie makers think of seams as a necessary evil and do their best to reduce the number of seams in any suit, but are restricted in this mission by the need to vary rubber thicknesses throughout the suit and by human physiology; arms and legs really get in the way. In time seams may become semi-irrelevant (see FUTURE, the).
PSYCHOLOGY To rubber up or not to rubber up? This profound question once had a simple answer: when it’s too fucken cold to do without. But in recent years, more and more surfers seem to be full-suiting it in conditions where keeping warm is just a non-issue. This causes some bafflement among surfers who grew up (not so long ago) in the days when wetties felt like they were made out of cardboard and sandpaper. Wetsuit experts cite a range of reasons for people rubbering up more than ever these days, from concerns about sun exposure to protection from their own or other people’s surfboards. Improvements in materials are making the wettie an easier proposition: “The rubber’s the best there is these days, I think that might be a factor,” says Quiksilver’s Troy Brooks. “They’re not a hassle to get on and off anymore. You might once have stayed in your boardies as long as you could, but today a 4/3 feels like a 1mm suit used to.” But some user research is turning up a fascinating possibility: that for many people, putting on a wettie is part of psyching up to go surfing. “The psychology is that you’re just more ready to go and do it when you’re wearing the uniform,” says Adam Brissenden. Billabong’s Scott Boot cites a pile of user feedback he’s been gathering from ordinary surfers who’re out there living rubber psychology; one example comes from Jake Zack from Port Washington, New York. “Growing up surfing NY, the perfect wetsuit definitely has to be the perfect motivator as well,” reckons Jake. “Surfing in blizzards, waters that hover in the low 30sF and harsh winds, motivation is half the battle. I don’t have ugg boots to help me motivate myself, half the time I’m paddling out alone and the waves are often far from perfect but with a perfect wetsuit it’s like all the elements are gone.”
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BIBLE2011 STITCH
A time-honoured method by which pieces of neoprene are joined together to form a wettie. First there was flatlock stitching, which butted the edges of the seam up to each other and pulled them together with an X-type stitch; easy enough, but it leaked like a sieve through the stitch holes and was prone to collapse through wear and tear. Then came the overlock stitch, which bunched the edges of the seam; less leakage, but holy Crap, what a wettie rash. (Overlock pretty much created the rash vest.) Then came blind stitching, which hid the thread inside the seam and when matched with glue, made the ideal seam of the past 15 years or so. Stitching is on the brink of vanishing from many top-line wetsuits, as new techniques such a fusion, taping and welding take over; it will hang in there on price-point suits for a few years yet we suspect.
TAPE
Sealing seams with tape – either inside, using super thin neoprene with soft nylon coating, or outside with urethane-based “liquid” tape – has become the new go-to method of reducing waterflow in the modern suit. Taped seams tend to work better in reducing leakage than simple glueing and blind-stitching because they block most of the approximately 10.000 tiny pinholes created in a full suit by a blind-stitching sewing machine.
Neoprene internal tape doesn’t rash, we swear!
Stiching has come a long way.
STRESS POINT
A seam join where the wetsuit has to flex a lot on a regular basis. Usually the focus of extra stitching or taping even on super lightweight suits. Like a Band-aid, but saltier.
ZIPPERLESS
A wetsuit design phase of the early ‘90s stimulated by some Japanese rubber supersuits that filtered through to Australia. These featured a step-in entry through the neck without any zips or other obvious means of opening. Australian designers went to work and eventually Billabong, who’d begun making wetties just a few years earlier, patented a zipperless design. It broke down the doors for the boardshort company but the zipperless trend didn’t last; even today with enhanced materials, zip openings dominate the full-suit market.
112 // 2011 WETSUIT BIBLE
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