Ok I'm sick of being cold so I think it's about time I invested in a new wetsuit. Only thing is of course there are just so many manufacturers and models out there and you never really know if you've got a good one till you get wet and by that time it's too late!! What with K-tron kneepads and batwings and ultraflex it all gets a bit confusing all I want to know is does it mean I'm going to be able to move my arms and hands enough to unlock the car when I get back to the beach after being out in February!!

Anyone got any good suggestions for winter steamers/semi dry's comments on flexibility with a dry zip.

I'm thinking about a Rip Curl Ultimate Elasto or possibly a Rip Curl Raptor slick skin since Ultimate Elasto's seem impossible to get hold of
PS. I'm on the skinny side and I really feel the cold so I'm not worried about getting too toasty, going to be using it for surfing kite surfing and maybe some windsurfing.

I have a Rip Curl Ultimate Elasto, it's the best wetsuit I've ever had, very flexible and very warm and mine fits like a glove.

My advice for warmth is go for something that fits perfectly and if it doesn't get a custom made Snugg wetsuit, a better fitting wetsuit will always be warmer than a badly fitting one even if it's not the state of the art wettie.

good luck

I've now got a Sola Concept Semi Dry as my warmest winter suit. Semi-Dry 6/5/4/3mm suit, and it really is warm...usually too warm for me. its not really suitable for surfing though as the horizontal rear zip is a little restrictive for paddling.

I will say that the last two suits I had were Gul ones and they were both crap. They replaced the first one for me because I ept going on to them about how crap it was... It fell apart and was really cold. But the new model they replaced it with was no better.

I've only heard good things about the Rip Curl Ultimate Elasto too.

Al.

A lot of the the Hi-Tec suits are fine as long as you are aware that you are trading off flexibility against longevity.

My Elasto is now a few seasons old. Its still very stretchy but , in doing so , the seams are just being held together by the stitching and so are no longer 100 % waterproof , allowing cold water in.

Conversely I've had a couple of SNUGG wetsuits where the only reason I've replaced them was curiosity as to the hype surrounding these super fangled stretchy little numbers. On both occasions I've regretted it.

Has anyone seen the new(ish) RipCurl Raptor wetsuit? I've heard that it's supposed to be quite good, plus it looks really sick! But i suppose that's not important.

Airborne.

[Edited on 5-10-2003 by Airborne]

Thanks guys Im still confused what to get but looks like I've narrowed it down to a snugg or the elasto of course maybe I should just save my money quit my job, move somewhere warm and live on coconuts Could probably get quite a few coconuts for the price of a new suit these days!

Yea the raptor is cool there is a Kite surf one that has what look like silver panels (ok sounds a bit naff but looks cool) a bit like Tron!! but haven't found anywhere that stocks them.

Yea I have a diving dry suit that I tried going out in once but the dry zip was a bit restrictive and the inflation valve didn't do much for my board either

If your after a Rip Curl wetsuit see my link above

New Member, Need Help!

http://www.forces-of-nature.co.uk/forum/viewthread.php?tid=836

The address and phone number are there and they still have suit's left, I took my mate in on Saturday to get one.

Micky

Crap, that link didn't work like I thought it would!

Sorry!

Micky

Cheer's Al,

I assume you rectified the above error!

Micky

Yep.... Don't quite understand why the text below the link has come out in bold typeface though, but I didn't think that mattered, so didn't bother pfaffing around trying to sort it out.

If you want to add any more links within a posting, then use the 'BB code' rather than the 'Add Hyperlink' button. The BB code is explained here.

I can't show you it in this post as when I type the BB code, it will be interpreted as code and therefore not show up in the post!!

Al.

Hi Wolfman,

Only just seen the thread, but.... I've got a RipCurl Core Raptor 5/3 and am really chuffed with it. Not only does it make me look like RoboCop (OK, maybe just in my head) but it keeps me really warm even way up here in the North Sea. Flushing seems minimal, and that's with me spending a lot of time head first in the water...

Maybe not the cheapest suit, but then it had far and away the best fit for my monkey body so it seemed worthwhile. Only downside is getting hold of one - my local shop had one ordered for me for a couple of months before I gave up and took a drive to find one.

Not sure how well they last as I only bought mine in summer, but I have heard that they stretch badly as they get older. Guess time'll tell on that one.

I like mine tho'!

Neil

On the warmth front i cant say a bad word about spartan suits. Even on days when there has been ice on the ground ive still be able to come out and have feeling in my body. Only downside is they dont last that long. Ive had mine for just over a year and its started to get some tears on the knees and will soon make its way through.

Since im also really slim i dont really mind paying a bit extra for a suit that will keep me warm and actully let me surf rather than b1tch about the cold. Im also thinking about the ultimate elasto. If anyone know of anywhere in essex or london where im likely to be able to find one let me know, ive been trawling on the web for ages and cant find anyone!

Cheers All

Andy )

Mav - You could try the following link

http://www.ripcurl.com/stores/

If you do a search on UK, London there are a few stores. I might try some of them myself as it's going to be ages before I get back down to Devon & visit the Second Skin shop.

Will let you know if I have any luck...

Mark