Photo by Jens Mortensen
Summer is for dilettantes. Surfing is increasingly becoming a winter sport, since the cold-month storms bring bigger and better waves. We tested four new cold-weather suits to see which would keep you shredding, not shivering.
1. O’Neill Psychofreak
The designs of wet suit pioneer Jack O’Neill have been soaking the competition ever since the early ’50s. The Psychofreak offers a number of subtle refinements to the standard design: sealed wrist and neck openings, premium closed-cell neoprene, a (mostly) watertight zipper, and a plush lining. The result is one of the warmest unpowered suits on the market.
WIRED Easy on and off. Patented zipper-bib will funnel interior water away from the body. More details than a Wes Anderson flick: abrasion-proof neck closure, small leg pocket for car key, and polyurethane sealant on every seam.
TIRED Design complexity can backfire: Easy to put a leg through that patented bib while suiting up—especially in the groggy darkness of an early-morning dawn patrol. Not that we did this.
$530, oneill.com
2. XCEL Infiniti Drylock
Made of plump, air-pocketed neoprene with a comfy inner liner, the XCEL was the warmest unpowered suit in our test. It was also harder to get into and out of than a 20-foot shore break. The supertight “drylock” neck and wrist closures more than live up to their name, keeping water out but also completely locking you into the suit. We love surfing too, but come on—you’ve gotta leave the beach eventually.
WIRED Layer of fuzzy bamboo fabric bonded to the inside works just as well as the wool that other suits use, without the scratchiness.
TIRED Poking your noggin through the collar can be particularly vexing. Lining can conspire against you—it’s almost impossible to get the thing on if you’re the slightest bit wet.
$440, xcelwetsuits.com
3. Matuse Tumo
Matuse is a boutique outfit that focuses on build quality and materials: Its suits are cut from the highest-quality nitrogen-blown, titanium-coated, limestone-based geoprene instead of what it calls “mouse-pad rubber.” OK, sure. We loved the way it fit—others have a suit-of-armor feel, but the Matuse makes you feel like you’ve been dipped in plastic. After a long, cold morning, though, we were longing for mouse-pad rubber.
WIRED Won’t waterlog, making it much lighter than a standard suit when wet. Exceptional cut and fit. Easiest to paddle and pop up in—like not wearing a wet suit at all.
TIRED Like not wearing a wet suit at all: Warmth-for-mobility trade-off worth it only for exceptionally hardy, performance-oriented surfers.
$475, matuse.com
4. Rip Curl H-Bomb
The H-Bomb represents the wave of the future: powered wet suits. Twin, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the lumbar pouch provide enough juice to stay warm in frigid waters for up to two and a half hours. The heating element is localized on your back, and the theory is that the heater will warm the water sloshing around inside the suit. If you’re surfing in Arctic waters, keeping your torso warm is vital to staving off hypothermia. But otherwise, you might feel like a total dork walking around with a bunch of electronics stuffed down your swim jumper.
WIRED Batteries pump out an incredible amount of warmth—up to 124 degrees Fahrenheit.
TIRED In practice, it can feel like someone is ironing your spine.
$1,000, ripcurl.com
