Super-duper warm wetsuits‏?

Question

Hi there!

I have a qustion about recent high technological wetsuits.

Every wetsuits company tend to compete for making a wormest wetsuit ever but there are areas that change seasons like Northern California.

I surf in South ocean beach SF, CA and Pacifica, CA. Now I am buying a wetsuits and interested in O'neill Psycho II and Billabong Solution Platinum.

Needless to say,they both work perfectly in winter season of the Northern California. But what about in summer? I suspect that it is too hot in the summer season.

Do you think I don't need the super-duper warm wetsuits for using both in summer and winter in Northern California and it is just OK to buy a wetsuits that is price point down?

Do I need to buy two type of suits for each season?

Please please advice me!!

Thank you.

Yoshi

Answer 1

Any of these new "warm" suits will do fine, just find the one that is most comfortable for you, try it on, see if you can move around good in it. The advances should be seen in that too. The water is always cold on the West coast, so I'd always wear a full suit. I hate cold water, though.

Answer 2

Good question.  I guess you have to look at your water temp and air temp trends.  Look up your local buoy on the NDBC and check the historical plots to get a sense of the averages throughout the year.

I tried out this year's model of the 3/2 psycho 2 in the spring as a prototype and it is SICK.  It actually felt like you were surfing naked.  You could not even tell you were wearing a suit.  It would probably be too warm to use in the summer so maybe a price point short sleeve full would be good.

Answer 3

Consider a Hotline 4/3. Very flexibale and extreme comfort, also easy to enter and exit. I surf and windsurf off Davenport, Santa Cruz and Manresa. I love my Hotline.

Answer 4

The wet suit is to protect you from cold water.  Where you surf, the current comes up deep so the water is always cold.  I surfed in the sixties when nobody wore wetsuits.

Answer 5

The best known one for that is a new item called Cell wet suits, is has a lot less seams that ordinary wet suits, and allows you more freedom as well. It also helps you stay warmer and drier longer.