I'm looking to buy a wetsuit for the Mrs. It will be used for general larking about from spring to autumn in UK coastal waters (think bodyboarding in Cornwall) . She's not a surfer, won't go out in the middle of winter and gets cold fairly easily. Have been advised to get a 4/3 suit but no idea if one brand is significantly better than another. Happy to spend up to £150. Any suggestions?
Wetsuit for the wife
Sounds like a generous trade. Got pics?
Fit is everything in wetsuits imo.
Get her to a shop to try them on.
Very much this!
Walking around bent double only to find when you jump in there's a void that fills with cold water.
Cougar - Moderator
Wetsuit for the wife
Sounds like a generous trade. Got pics?
15-0 to Cougar!
Cougar - Moderator
Wetsuit for the wife
Sounds like a generous trade. Got pics?15-0 to Cougar!
Indeed, that's made me really chuckle. Well played sir!
If she gets cold easily then probably a 4/3. I surf all winter in Cornwall in a hooded 4/3. By the end of April I'm starting to cook a bit and will wear a fairly knackered old summer suit until late October ish.
Can use a rash vest as an extra upper body layer they come in different thickness
Fit is critical make sure ankles wrist and neck tightish and a good all over body fit
blind stitched/sealed seams - don,t leak at joins
Sdz semi dry zip lets in less water
Some suit have a bat flap or anti flush flap that sits behind zip to reduce flushing which imho seems to work
In vcold I find a hat and gloves help
I borrowed a mates heated rash vest a while back. It's awesome. It's also awesomely expensive.
I just grabbed a bunch of shorties from decathlon for the whole family.
They're 2mm but we will be using for dinghy sailing rather than surfing so maybe not needing quite the same level of warmth as the immersion of surfing.
I've just bought one from "need essentials" [url= https://needessentials.uk ]Link[/url]
Only had a few surfs in it so far, but pretty impressed. Bargain at that price.
I have a Billabong 4:3 wetsuit that I used for wakeboarding which is now surplus to requirements (tore my ACL = end of wakeboarding).
I'm 50kg and 157 cm if your wife is near my size ..... I think it would still fit someone a little bigger than me.
I get cold pretty easily so I use a 6/4 wetsuit in Cornwall in the summer! Definitely go full length not shortie, and boots are the best addition ever - more useful than a hood for me. I've got some Gul 5mm ankle boots with a 7mm toe.
Go for a 5mm suit and be prepared to spend £200+ on one which is properly taped and sealed. i wear my winter suit year round and only on occasion do I find it too warm. I've found O'Neill suits to be the best fit for me and certainly have lasted longer than other brands I have owned. I get on average 7 or more years before time to retire it (generally because it smells of death when drying)
Fit is important
A £150 budget should be plenty
I think a 4/3 is a bit too thick, but as others have said the fit is far more important. 5mm will be a bit to stiff and restrictive IMHO
If she feels the cold get a full suit (full length arms and legs)
Fit is the most important thing
Get in to a shop and try a few on
Did I mention that the fit is the most important thing?
polypro rash vest can help with warmth. Please do not buy one of the thin lycra ones. Lovely thing to keep cold wet material next to the skin!! However, polypro vests are quite thick so would make wetsuit a big horribly tight / stretch it if you do it all the time.
You really shouldn't need more than a 4/3 for UK summer/Autumn. If you do the suit is rubbish / fits badly.
Problem is wetsuit manufacturers can quote 4/3 because a small panel is 4mm. Another brand might have half the suit in 4mm.