I want to get a 4/3 Excel full wetsuit for Central Florida winter, but will I be unhappy when the water warms up a bit and I will still want to use a wetsuit? Will it be too hot to use in February to March when the water gets a bit warmer?
Aloha Sean - I used to wear a straight 3 mil Santa Cruz when I lived there and was fine all year 'round. Now I live in Hawaii and when I visit Santa Cruz I’m freezing in my 4/3… I know, woe is me, but I wouldn’t think that you would need all the bulk of a 4/3 in Florida. How about just getting straight 3 mil and getting one of those separate hoods? They sell ones with a full neck gasket that sorta goes out to your shoulders and you just zip it up inside your suit so you don’t get the gnarly cold water flush. Most of your heat is lost through your head anyway, so that would give your suit a lot more versatility, and you would only have to wear the hood on the colder days. Maybe booties if you had to. Good luck and Mele Kalikimaka.
Sean I’ve surfed in central Fla.for close to twenty years you should never neeed a 4/3 here. Get a good 3mil. I’ve never needed a hood or booties. Water temps don’t normaly get below the mid fifties(except for this past summer)which is pretty warm for the East coast.
yeah, i agree on it not getting cold enough for a 4/3…but i think booties suit anyone well in 50 degrees. thats definately cold enough to make ur feet numb and not move.
4/3 in FL??? c’mon man
I’m taking a trip to the west coast next summer, would a 4/3 suit me there? Anywhere up and down the California coast.
There is no “one size fits all” wetsuit for California. A 4/3 would work well in NorCal for the summer, but I think you would be too hot in SoCal. The water temp changes a bit south of Santa Barbara from cooler to warmer. Water is warmest usually from Aug-Sept/Oct. Also and most importantly, your wetsuit needs depend upon you. Do you run cold or hot? I personally will take all the extra insulation I can get because I’m pretty skinny. Others would probably roast in my wetsuits. I would rather be warmer than colder so I err on the side of extra warmth. Hope this helps. Aloha.
Thanks for the insight. I decided to get a 3/2 excel with booties and will “suck it up” if it can’t handle the frigid Florida winters, hah!
let us know how that excel holds up…I need a new spring suit…
Is there a good way to keep your leash from tearing at the neoprene?