posts: 374739
Data license: Public Domain
This data as json
| post_id | thread_id | thread_title | post_number | author_username | post_date | post_date_iso | post_body |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 374739 | 23997 | The new great unbiased wetsuit review thread | 10 | kookimus_decimus_meridius | Oct 1, 2025 | 2025-09-30T22:53:48-0400 | I'm 6'3" 165-170 with long limbs Billabong Recycler 3/2 MT: Owned since July 2023, estimate 50-75 surfs on it. Dude at the shop said "just go with whatever is on sale and replace next season brah". I wish I hadn't listened and gotten something else. Fit is ok, short in the legs/arms for my build, yet also too roomie in the torso. Flushed extremely easy since day one. Seams have held up but the rubber itself disintegrated fast and it stretched immediately. Somehow dries slower than others despite the rubber being thinner...Would not buy another even on deep discount. Oneill Hyperfreak 3/2 MT: Owned since ~August 2023, stolen ~December 2024. Estimate 100-150 surfs. This suit fit me second best of all I've owned, especially in the legs, and also has been the most comfortable. Jersey material seemed kinda fragile in some areas, and had some threads came loose before it got stolen. Doesn't seem to dry particularly fast or slow for a non-limestone suit. Did not flush or stretch much. Rubber quality seemed good, and overall, the quality was much higher than the billabong. Would buy another Oneill suit on steep sale, $399 or whatever MSRP is too much for the quality imo. Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Spring 2/2 MT: Owned since ~December 2023. Estimate 35 surfs on it. Fit is great, probably because it's a spring suit. No complaints about this suit, it's solid overall. Doesn't flush, seam quality is good. Would I seek out another rip-curl at full price? Nah, but for a $120 spring suit (outlet) that I'm gonna wear ~10-15 times a year, it's perfect, I will buy another for that price. Vissla 7 Seas 4/3 MT: Owned since November 2024. Estimate 100 surfs on it. Fit is pretty good, not as good as the Oneill, but much better than the Billabong. Fuzzy Jersey material on the inside sucks and causes it to dry slower than it should. Rubber seems thicker than 4/3, but seems like good quality. At that stage of my surfing career, I bought I 6'1 quad and proceeded to constantly slice my legs/feet on the fins because I suck. However, the vissla jersey/rubber appear to be pretty tough and it still doesn't have holes. Flushes more than Oneill, not nearly as bad as the Billabong. Good flex, overall, a great and reliable suit, not "premium" but great. I would buy another Vissla. Feral 4/3 MT: Estimate 120 surfs on it. I really wanted to love this suit, especially because many people proclaim how great they are. By the charts, this should fit about as good the Oneill. I found it overly tight and short in the limbs for my body, and also restrictive when paddling and moving. It is just restrictive in general. The rubber itself feels really nice, and the jersey material is silky smooth, and it suctions to your body in a nice way. Also does not flush, is quite warm, lightweight, dries very fast, seems well built from a seam perspective. After surf number 2 or 3 I took a chest high wave on the head. When I came up, I noticed two half inch long slices in the rubber on my forearm. Which was confusing to me. What followed since owning the suit is basically the unexplained accumulation of these slices (probably 10) all over the suit in various places. Two I for sure know are from a fin, but others are in random places like my back shoulder, and near the zipper over my collarbone. My only guess is the material is somewhat fragile to slicing forces and it's a combo of my fingernails and other things? I treat it the exact same as the 4 suits I had prior and none have these slices. I love the idea of a small company taking on the big brands, but I would not buy another Feral (At $425 especially). Bonus though is that despite all these cuts it's still warm, seams are holding up well. It was still my go to winter suit and I'm sure I'll get a couple more winters out of it. Isurus Evade 2.2 LTS Bought one June 2025. Was so impressed with quality (for price) and fit that I bought another one so I can cycle. Estimate 30-40 surfs on each. These are on a pretty steep discount for the 2023 model, which is basically same as current but with a different "worse" zipper design. LTS fit is not perfect, but very close, and best off the rack suit I've had. Initial impressions of these suits are really good. Basically, all the pros of the Feral, but fit is better for me and seems less restrictive overall. A 2/2 is plenty warm for current water temps, hoping it will work down to the high 50s low 60s so can be a mostly year-round suit. Seems like it could easily replace a 3/2. Been using these daily all summer and they have been holding up great, and have not accumulated cuts like the Feral. One complaint is the neck cinch isn't great on either and tends to come loose, kinda a bummer if you need it tighter like me. |