When to Replace Your Winter Wetsuit and How to Choose A New One
Winter surfing in Los Angeles often means colder water temperatures, bigger waves, and more neoprene. Likely, you haven’t seen your old 4/3 wetsuit since the last winter season. To make sure you’re prepared for the next few months of cold-water surfing, it’s in your best interest to give your winter wetsuit a thorough once over.
How to Make Sure Your Wetsuit is Ready for Winter Water Temperatures
Unless you have the luxury of getting towed into every wave, you (like most surfers) spend most of your time in the water paddling to and staying into position. So, it’s no surprise that the arm and shoulder areas often wear down more quickly than other parts of your wetsuit. Check your wetsuit’s arms and shoulders for signs of thinning and/or tears. Stretched, cracked, or dry neoprene around your suit’s elbows, armpits, and shoulders are strong indicators that it is time to replace your wetsuit for surfing.
Wetsuit thickness is a crucial factor when considering your warmth in frigid conditions. Thinned or worn neoprene compromise your suit’s ability to keep you warm in frigid conditions. Over time, a tattered 4/3 or 5/4 can provide less warmth than a new 3/2 wetsuit. In addition to the arms and shoulders, examine your entire suit (especially at entry-points and knee pads) for the following signs of wear and tear:
-Dryness/cracking
-Faded or sun-damaged spots
-Thinning neoprene material
-Tears, rips, and holes
-Loose or undone external seam stitching
-Cracked seam taping
-Peeling or disintegrating portions of glue or smart foam on the seams
The obvious and most important function of a winter wetsuit is to keep you warm in cold water. Wetsuit thickness, seam design, stitching, and lining, are essential elements to consider when searching for a winter suit. That said, a surfing wetsuit can’t simply be thick and warm— mobility is also imperative. Winter wetsuits for surfing need to provide both warmth and flexibility, allowing you to paddle freely without freezing. In Los Angeles, a 4/3 (4mm in the chest, and 3mm thickness in the arms and legs) is typically warm enough for winter water temps from San Diego to Santa Barbara which often hover in the mid-to-low 50s. Visit O’Neill’s wetsuit temperature guide for more information.
Wetsuits offer warmth through insulation. For a detailed breakdown on how wetsuits work check out our comprehensive wetsuit guide. Higher-end wetsuits often boast features that maximize insulation including glued and blind stitched or minimal seams, quick drying neoprene, flash lining, chest zip, or no-zip entry. The zip-free O’Neill Hyper Freak and the chest zip Rip Curl Flash Bomb possess many of the previously mentioned bells and whistles, and are among the warmest and best cold water wetsuits on the market. In addition to enhanced warmth, premium features like taped seams and fast dry lining also provide added strength.
If you’re in search of the ultimate cold-water wetsuit, expect a steep price tag. When you purchase a premium winter wetsuit, remember that you’re not only paying for a top-notch product, but also for the extensive research and development that goes into premium wetsuit design. Visit out our articles on stitches and seam design, and lining types, to learn about the granular details of wetsuit construction.
Though, maybe you’re not looking for the warmest suit with the highest price tag. If you’re in the market for an affordable winter wetsuit, there are plenty of options out there. The O’Neill Epic and Rip Curl Dawn Patrol are excellent options (available in both front zip and back zip options) that will keep you warm during the winter season without emptying your wallet.
Don’t wait until mid-December to check your wetsuit. The best way to ensure that your wetsuit is winter-ready is to take it in the fall as water temperatures drop. If your wetsuit for winter surfing isn’t keeping you warm in November, it’s unlikely it’ll last you through the upcoming winter season.
Ready to hit the water this winter? Need to repair your wetsuit? Have a question about our winter wetsuits for surfing? Feel free to give us a call or message us on Instagram. We’re happy to answer your questions!