just wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of the new wetsuit brands emerging? i.e buell , vissla , Imperial motion , etc! looking to get a few suits for next year and want to see if these smaller companys have anything good!
from what i heard vissla is made at the same factory as billabong. not sure about the others but this day in age just about anybody can make a pretty solid suit. that is maybe everyone but hyperflex…worst suit i ever had in recent times.
I’ve never heard a good thing about hyperflex unless it was from someone who got them for free (there are a lot of guys where I am that do)
Been wearing matuse for years due to the Yamamoto rubber. I’ve had O’Neil’s, Ripcurls, xcels in the past.I use to buy a new suit every 1.5 years. I still have a 09 matuse good as new. I’ve got a rotation of 5 suits now, since they don’t go bad. Yamamoto rubber doesn’t seem to age, no leaks nothing. I wash my water rinse my suits pretty lazy and hang in the shade…nothing wild.
Last year I thought I try a new suit since I haven’t bought one in a couple years so I purchased an isurus suit. I gotta say their 3mm w/1.5mm hood feels like you are wearing a 2mm comp suit. Plus it is warm enough for NorCal winters.
Since I’ve been switching back and forth between the various matuses and the new isurus. There is a noticeable difference. While the matuse suits are pretty flexible and I have no complaints, the isurus is absolutely next level. I’ve been surfing overhead waves consistently with a fair bit of current, with the isurus on I can feel like I can paddle forever. I didn’t notice it as much in the summer and fall since the waves were smaller. The way the suit is cut is the difference. I don’t think I’ll go with another company for now.
Is the Isurus also Yamamoto rubber?
I am probably gonna pop for Yamamoto rubber on my next suit just based off of what I have read here and on the ERBB.
For the OP, I disliked the 1 Hyperflex I bought. Needessentials are ok. Not great, not terrible.
Hey Chris - I have a hyperflex & agree that they are a bunch of crap. I got a 4/3 online & when it arrived, it felt about as thin as a 3/2. Froze my ass off in the water. It’s now my summer suit.
Currently on a Boz. Didn’t buy the top of the line. Bought next one below it. The price was good & its just as warm as a Psycho or other ONeill. Next time, will probably buy the top of the line, because neck closure is more conventional with the overlapping Velcro to cover the zipper. The neck flap on mine was way too small & would choke me everytime. It finally tore. No big deal, Just took it to Kitty at The Fitting Image in SLO & she’s going to repair it and add a couple of inches to it so it doesn’t choke me.
I will have to check them out… I need some repair done on a wetsuit…
Did you surf this morning?
Google “Need Essentuals” my buddy just bought a 3/2. $165 feels like a $300 suit.
No pros, no ads, no tags or logos even so no money spent on marketing. Just a great black suit.
I’ve been buying Matuse and Patagonia for years but also recently tried an Isurus. Best I’ve ever owned so far. Warm and extremely comfortable at the same time.
I’ve had a lot of O’Neill 4/3 over the years, then a couple of BOZ (no-frills, good price), then a few Matuse (pricey, but good). Current suit is Need Essentials 5/4 - a quality suit at a very good price.
Thanks for the heads up on needessentials.
I once had A hyperflex shortjohn, I guess I got my money’s worth.
Almost always had bad luck with Oneill, and Rip curl in both the fit and the longevity.
I find it a bit hard to comment on something where fit is so important. Perhaps some brands are cut differently to others?
Freediving suits seem a lot warmer and flexible due to increased flexibility of the neoprene and the smooth inside contacts the skin to seal it. Unfortunately these suits are a lot weaker and I didn’t find one with something on the outside to make them stronger.
I had a nolimit suit made for £400. The fit was good and it’s durable but overall not sure it’s worth it compared to a yamoto… The inside rubber is kind of rough… It depends on your body type.
Driving around, trying a lot and buying the first yamoto that fits seems like the best bet.
Had good luck with O’Neill over the years…use to get custom ones in Santa Barbara by the name of endless summer wetsuits.stiff but classic. I checked isurus seems like the suit to go to next. Now I am having to go check needed essentials based on the comments here.
No - I didn’t get a chance. Spent all day working on converting a Hitachi planer per NewLeafs’ video’s. Works been pretty busy last few months. Haven’t got much water time. Hoping to finish the planer mod’s by next weekend & then start shaping. I’ve had two blanks sitting around the house for over a year & need new kiteboards for the upcoming season. I did get in a quick kitesurf session @ A-Beach about a week ago… It was fun.
I second Needessentials, but i also have a vissla front zip top thats actually really good.
The new O’Neill Hyperfreak Comp with Technobutter 3 is the best wetsuit I’ve ever worn, and I get new wetsuits every year. It’s as comfortable as a pair of pajamas, and it’s so flexible it’s like your not even wearing a wetsuit.
Funny, but I have had good luck with a Hyperflex I bought a few years back. They have made a lot of improvements and came out with a new line last year. Henderson is the owner. They’ve been making dive suits forever. But you are right Isurus is probably the best suit made these days. Yamamoto rubber is not always what it appears to be. There are dozens of Japanese Neoprene Manufacturers in Japan. All of them extremely high quality. Boz makes a great suit if you aren’t tall and lanky. The least known and extremely high quality is “Ride Engine”. They are primarily aimed at the Kite Surfing crowd, but make a great suit. One of the best I have seen around. Of course there are the usual suspects; O’Neill, Billabong, Excell, Patagonia,Quicksilver etc. But I will always favor a local company like Hotline. They are using a more flexible rubber than they used to and make a solid suit. Lowel
Thank you Lowell
All the best
I bought a Vissla 7 Seas on CL just to check it out $250 new and as good or better than my $450 wetsuits. Very impressed- good for lanky guys.
Another vote for the Need suits. Got a 2mm summer suit. Good quality, flexible and robust zip. Nice sticky rubber around arm and leg holes to stop the sleeves/legs rolling up.
Here’s a review I found: https://surfbunker.com/blog/need-essentials-wetsuits-tested.
PS Vissla is the new effort by Billabong’s ex CEO, Paul Naude who left the bong after it went bankrupt.