Wetsuit Recommendations

[KatieJ]

I am looking for recommendations for a full wetsuit for my husband. I am not that familiar with what’s available so looking for advice on what people use and like. I have a Blue Seventy Triathlon wetsuit that I have been using to ski since I already had it, and it’s surprisingly working great for waterski and is super warm. I am not sure if I should get him a Tri suit like I have or go with a more waterski specific like an O’Neil. I also saw a post on a Camero brand wetsuit that people seemed to like. This is for spring and fall skiing in CT, so looking for something warm. Any advice is appreciated!

[david_quail]

Camaro blacktec. Warmer (and I'm in Canada) and most comfortable I've tried. And I've tried a lot.

[ALPJr]

Hi @KatieJ I've been using O'Neill suits for skiing in CT for 20+ years. I really like the newer Epic 2ml long sleeve shorty, comfortable and warm with taped and glued seams. Also have an older assault 2ml dry and assault 3/4 which I just got back from O'Neill repairs that are now like new again. The O'Neill's are a fav of my ski buds too. Good luck.

[Horton]

Can't beat Stokes wetsuits.

 

https://www.stokesskis.com

[dhofert]

I like my oneill epic as well. Would love a camaro if not for being so fragile because I love my top.

[mikegile]

+1 FOR THE CAMARO. Its like magic. Mine is on its third year without fail.

[Tim Vaio]

Camaro Blacktec full suit ..... I have skied in that thru the winter each of the past two years and it is both comfortable and easy to ski in. I have skied in it comfortably into 48-50 degree water.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

O'neill, Rip Curl, Xcel, Camaro all make very good wetsuits, along with the companies that make tri suits like you have. The most important thing is the the fit -- should be very snug fitting so that water pockets cannot form and be flexible so as to not restrict movement. Cheap wetsuits generally do not stretch well and therefore restrict movement. Tri suits and all the Camaro suits I've owned or seen tend to be fragile but otherwise work great for skiing. High-end surf wetsuits are excellent because they are stretchy but also durable -- downside is they tend to be very expensive ($400+ for a full suit).

[david_quail]

Good point by @dhofert

I absolutely love the feel and warmth of my camaro suits. But it does *seem* to come at the slight expense of a bit more fragility than others. I've got to be extra careful about storing it, not hanging it on a hanger etc.

[FSSPCat]

Xcel Infiniti 4/3

[Andre]

Another vote for Camaro here.

[ALPJr]

@KatieJ if you don't have a local surf shop to check them out In person you can always check out @perfski for great product knowledge and service.

[Jmoski]

I skied today next door to you (MA) with 55 degree air and 33ish water (little ice on the lake before the sun hit it) So it was a great day to test the range of my new this year Camaro wetsuit.

 

By now the docks are out so after launching the boat, I wade out with the wetsuit on to get into the boat. When I walked in I the felt the cold coming right through the Camaro on my legs, so before skiing I switched back to my 4/3 full wetsuit.

 

The Camaro was awesome in early fall before the water temps plummeted, but is now outgunned.

 

So a high end 4/3 gives me more range than the Camaro, granted the 4/3 suit is not nearly as comfortable mobility wise.

 

As @TallSkinnyGuy points out - fit is critical. Both 4/3’s I’ve had: ripcurl chest zip flashbomb, O’Neill Pyscho 3 are tight as a drum - no water seepage into the suit whatsoever, just leaving your hands and feet cold.

[Ed_Johnson]

Camaro makes great glove liners to keep your hands warm also.

[dnewton]

What about keeping your feet warm? Tried skiing in 41 degree water yesterday and my legs felt fine, but my foot in the toe plate hurt. Maybe I’m just a sally?

[dhofert]

@dnewton get ahold of the guys at @perfski they hooked me up last spring with a pair of neoprene socks. They were not listed on the website though. They worked well for me in low 40's water.

[John Brooks]

Today skied here in North Carolina, air temp 60 F, water 53 F, wore a Camero Blacktec long sleeve shorty and was very comfortable. Area covered by the suit did not get cold. Knees down got a little cool.

[KatieJ]

Thanks everyone for all your comments! I will definitely check out the Camaro, but leaning towards a warmer suit so will look at O’Neil and I didn’t know about Xcel, RipCurl or Stokes either, so thanks! @TallSkinnyGuy I do want to get the right fit and my husband is tall and thin so want to go with one of the models that offer tall suits. Also, I am definitely going to try to find Neoprene gloves!

[ALPJr]

That a nice feature of O'Neill. I bought the medium tall.

[sixball]

All I will say is I would look at a Dry if you like cold weather skiing. I go from Dry to a short. I have only used my long wet suit once in the last five years. Buy I am in the north and some of our best skiing is early spring and late fall. So we get a lot of use out of our dry's.

[chris55]

O'Neill have a size medium tall and it is a really good choice for guy like me. 6'2'' and 170 pound.I agree with @ALPJr . I have a 4/3 mm psycho freak front zip and I skied with 40°F water and 38°air temp. Beside the feet and the hands........no problem and after 2 seasons, it is still in great shape.

[Ed_Johnson]

I have a NEW Stokes 3/4 suit XXL that I would sell for $200 + shipping. Tried it once but I have 3 Camaro's, 2 Black Tech and 1 Silver that I like better.

eaj38off at aol dot com.

[wawaskr]

Oneill Gooru GBS - glued and blind stitched seams using Techno Butter neo (ultra stretchy).

[6balls]

Camaro black is super warm, very form fitting, isn't as durable as I'd like...trying a Stokes for christmas.

[KatieJ]

@jmoski or anyone else- does anyone have a suit with the horizontal front chest zip? They look hard to get into and I am wondering if it feels restricting at all in that location? I think the benefit is they can make the zipper more waterproof. Just curious what the benefits are of a front zip. Thanks!

[Jmoski]

@KatieJ - yes, my ripcurl suit was a chest zip - best seal of all the suits i’ve had. The O’Neill is really good as well, but in a crash I will get some water in at the neck - not so with the chest zip.

 

The Chest zip was easier getting in but a little more challenging to take off than a back zip. Looks like the latest ripcurl suit there is no zipper - that will be the next suit once my O’Neill bites the dust.

 

My chest zip was more comfortable than my O’Neill back zip actually. I tried a different brand chest zip but the zipper was much thicker than the ripcurl and hence it was somewhat uncomfortable - thus I sent it back.

 

Wetsuitwarehouse.com is a good place to browse. The guys at perfski are great, but remember they are in Florida...

 

 

 

 

[Gashley]

+ 1 for the chest zip. I have 2, easy entry and seal great. Oneil superfreak 4/3 super stretchy and warm. Billabong foil 2 mil. Both are great.No more rear entry for me.

[Sivota]

I have a Rip Curl E-Bomb 2mm Long Sleeve Shorty and an O'Neill Hyperfreak 2mm Long Sleeve Shorty. The Rip Curl is really stretchy and easy to get into. The O'Neill is a little more difficult to get into and you are aware of the front zip, but it does not bother me. They are both slightly more difficult to get out of than a back zip. Both are very good wetsuits, but take an age to dry.

An argument re the front zip is that as zips do not stretch it is less restrictive to have one horizontally across the front than vertically down the back. That may affect surfers more than skiers.

[KatieJ]

I ended up getting a good deal on an O’Neil Heat 4/3 full wetsuit with back zip from wetsuitwarehouse.com. It arrived and seems pretty nice, so I hope he likes it! Thank you all for the feedback it was helpful!

[eleeski]

Hmmm, how about a trip to Costa Rica or Acapulco? Who really wants a wetsuit?

[Chef23]

@eleeski I would love a trip to Costa Rica or Acapulco but I have kids and college tuition in the mix. In a few years.

[eleeski]

@Chef23 At least @Horton warns you not to take anything I say seriously. But are you really putting your kid's future above your skiing?

 

Eric

[thager]

when it is really cold I just spread seal blubber on myself

[shansen345]

I have an O'Neill Heat 4/3. Highly recommend.

[Kellen417]

im an oneill fan. Really warm/durable. Had a heat 3:4 last me 10 years. Just picked up the new hyper freak 3mm. New tech is incredible. Mobility and super light design for is awesome for skiing. this thing is quite warm. Personally, I could do 45deg water no prob in it but im pretty resilient to cold water. Definitely worth checking out!

 

https://us.oneill.com/products/4972-q76-hyperfreak-fz-3mm-fl?variant=81810849807

 

Front entry is weird at first but this suit is SUPER stretchy. The psycho is also excellent and its rear a zipper with sealed seams.

 

I just didnt feel the need for a warmer/higher end suit with a hair less mobility for more $$. If i still surfed all the time, id have bought that. for slalom, i think this hyper freak is excellent

 

[6balls]

Just got my stokes...super form fitting it's like a super hero suit...not that would be the reason to buy it but it's really cool material.

Runs small on sizing chart. XL is just barely do-able for me I'm 5'11 and 200 lbs...competitive weight lifter build up top, thinner legs respectively.