VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I need a new wetsuit. The one I currently have is great but it's very difficult to put on and once exhausted from sailing or surfing it's even harder to get off. My "Whites" suit from the mid 90's with the chest zip was easy to get on and off. I really miss that suit. It seams wetsuit technology has not kept up with my increase in waist size. No longer being 22 and having added some girth I find modern suits a pain to put on even if it's dry. Last 2 suits I bought on line. They are supposedly sized correctly for hieght and weight but neither of them are good. I have a pyro dry suit that I like but I have filled a dry suit with water before and I'm well a are of their dangers. I'm missing sailing days due to my shitty suit. I plan on keeping the "Dad bod" for some time until I get the "fat gramps bod". I need a suit that's easy to put on for the next 20 years.
So those of you in the 5'10", 215lb range, what suits do you have? Why do you like them? Looking for a winter suit for the island. Thanks for the help. If anyone needs any tips on achieving the "Dad bod" send me a pm. I have got it perfectly figured out and no beer was needed.

Holy crap if you can make a suit last 20 years I salute you. I'm thinking even if you don't use it much the rubber starts to dry out and Crack around year 5.

I along with many others use an Excel infinity. But go try some stuff on Dad bod!

I use a excel 5/4 xplorer. I cannot get thru those top entry suits with the small opening in the top. I tried on a top entry at the shop and with a lot of sweat and near exhaustion I still never got into it.
The excel xplorer is a back zipper (very easy to get into). It is about $250 at island longboard. Having said that I like to use is with a bit more protection...so.
I use a rash guard underneath, a hood, and a short sleeved kayak jacket ($119 at mec)
or the other option I use is heavy excel rash guard with a build in hood ($90) either over or under the suit.
Seems I am able to stay out as long as most in the CB winter conditions with this combo.

Xcel is definitely the best in the fit department IMO - they have so many more sizes than most of the other companies, and some of the other seem to really weird fitting cuts (neil pryde/NPsurf come to mind).

From the suits i've had ripcurls seem to have more stretch to them, so might be easier, but fall apart/degrade ridiculously fast compared to xcels.

Take a look at the xcel L, XLS and XXLS, I'm a similar height/weight and found the best fit was the L where the height and waist measurements were the closest to me (my chest and weight are both a decent amount more than their size chart)

http://www.xcelwetsuits.com/page/help/fit-sizing

For what it's worth, sports rent tends to have a decent selection and will do a discount if paid debit or cash to avoid the merchant processing fees.

All 5/4 surfing suits have gone the route of chest zip and "yoga entry" now. It seems to be the market standard. The first few tries were tricky, but you get used to it, learn where to bend your elbow or what to grab, then it's a non issue.

But I know one local user who shall remain nameless who is probably an L/XL in size, but uses an XXL suit just for ease of getting in and out. It doesn't seem to flush or have excess material, so maybe that's the way to go.

Xcel is the most common surfing suit for sure. Infiniti is the entry level model (good enough), drylock/revolt is the higher end version. You sometimes find stupid cheap deals on amazon.com or backcountry.com, especially for odd sizes and for last year's models.

I'm a size lighter & shorter BUT I have good luck with hotline front shoulder to shoulder zip suits. http://www.hotlineonline.com/product/ta ... fault.aspx Watch http://www.coastalbc.com/ads/surf.htm 'rubber' if your not ready for a warm/new suit !!! http://www.hotlineonline.com/LinkClick. ... &tabid=101

Xcel for this Dad too. I went to a thinner suit last year because of the new tech. My 5/4/3 is as warm or warmer than my older 6/5/4 was.

My sizing on the excel xplorer suit :

At 5'-10" to 5'-11" at 235 to 240 lbs was a XXL.
Now at 207 it is a XL.

I got 4.5 years out of the first suit...fairly heavy use...Now stretch holes at the bum crack and too big, but still good for a summer suit.

Bum crack holes were only because I fell and slid down conrete debris trying to get up the bank at air force beach down wind from the boat launch.

Promotion has a 5/3 inversion drysuit http://stores.wetsuit.com/mens-5-3-inve ... black-h26/ which is very easy to get into and has more room inside on the upper body. It's cut loose on the arms specifically for windsurfing and kiting as opposed to surf suits that all the other manufactures make. This makes it very comfortable when sailing. It's also loose around the chest and you can put a warm layer on inside the top. I wore a Promotion rash guard in mid winter underneath and it was really warm and it almost stays dry inside. The downside's are it has a drysuit style zipper on the back so you need a piece of rope hooked up in you van for solo sessions to get it zipped and they are expensive and a little heaver than the newer suits. Mine lasted 3 seasons before getting leaks in the seams. I bought mine as a close out for $299 and I found out later, when I took it into Promotion to get repaired, that it was actually 5 or 6 years old. I think that's why it didn't last that long. Mind you I had a lot of sessions in it.
The one I use now is an O'Neill Pyrotech 5.5/4. The material is very stretchy and after a few sessions it's easier to get in and out of, the first few were a work out. This suit is very warm. I had and hour and a half swim in this last November and I was toasty warm when I got back to the beech.
Downside is I find the hood is tight and the first season my neck got really sore looking up wind all the time.

Tsawwassen wrote:

*Camel toe not included. Some restrictions apply.

Hey Joostio,

I am not skinny. Or tall. Been called stocky. And stumpy.

Promotion is great as they have multiple sizes by height (Tall, Regular, Short).

Eg at 5'7", when I was fatter (180lbs+) I wore a LS (Large Short). Now I am in a MLS (Medium Large Short) (170lbs). ML is right between Medium and Large. Their size charts sre pretty good.


R

I am happy to remain "nameless" in this thread.
Oh Shit - now you know.

Thanks for the replies, I should hit up Island Long Boards as it's not too far from my place. A hood would be nice but a hooded vest would work too.

The camel toe isn't usually a problem except in February. I guess that's why kiters wear shorts over there suits. For us windsurfers the camel tow problem is easily and cheaply avoided. Just remember, the potato goes in the front.

I really like my 5/4 excel infiniti, but the O'neils are good too IMO. I have a old Mutant i really like and it is holding up great. I have touched up the seams on the Excel but not on the O'neil.

Colin at Island Longboards is a good bet.