Wetsuit for Arizona
 

My wife and I are beginner wake boarders, but we are hooked! We bought a Malibu 23lsv which makes a good wake for both boarding and surfing. Unfortunately it's starting to get chilly here. Last week water was already 74. Still doable in just board shorts, but before long it will be low 50s. We want to get wet suits so that we can do it year round. I'm 6ft 180lb and she's 5ft2" and 105 lbs. Being used to phx weather, we both hate cold water and would rather stay on the warmer side.

Money isn't an issue if it's paying for quality gear that's actually "worth it", but I don't care for wasting it on fads, paying for brand name or useless features.

Can someone recommend a good wetsuit for us? Something we can start wearing in 70 degree water but still be good in the low 50s. I realize a suit that is good in the 50s might be a bit warm for the 70s,but I have no issue taking it off between runs to cool off if needed.

From some research it looks like the O'Neil 4/3 phsyco III might be what we are looking for.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

What lake are you riding here in AZ? 4/3 should probably be fine, it's really more the wind once I'm out of the water that gets me.

Lake pleasant. We just started this summer!

I would say any new 3/2 wetsuit will work fine. Rip curl has a 3/2 that is zipper less which would work better under a lift vest. You'll be out of the water more than in the water so a 4/3 would be a bit too thick. Those things really damper your movement. With any new wetsuit, you still stay relatively dry underneath until the they get a bit worn. Also, remember your not suppose to wear anything underneath them also. HAHA

BTW, I was on surf team in my High school and I wore a 3/2 on even the coldest days in winter. I think 34 degree air temp was the coldest I've surfed, water temp was high 50's. I froze my ass off but my point is, a 3/2 is all you need.

How restrictive are we talking about here. As I said I would rather be warm than freezing and especially so for my wife. I know that for the timw we are i the water, we could technically even be in shorts and b survive, but we are talkimg about comfort here. We aren't exactly doing backflips, so I can imagine being restricticted by something to the point of regular riding and small jumps being hindered. Am I wrong?

Your right about out of the water much more than in, but I figured you can unzip the top and roll it down to cool off while on the boat. That's what we did for scuba and that was with a 7 mil suit. All I remember is that in 65 degree water and a 7 mil suit, by the end of a 20 minute dive it was STILL getting a bit chilly. They were cheap rental suits that definitely let water in by the neck though, so I don't know I guess.

It doesn't really stop mobility, it just takes more energy to move around. Once you have your wetsuit on and life vest, it can really get claustrophobic. It may even feel difficult to breath. Also, the wetsuit and life vest don't slide too easily together so you'll have further resistance once your vest is on.

It really is difficult to explain until you actually suit up and try. If it were me, I would run a 2mil long sleeve spring suit. I regularly board in the winter with wetsuits and will say, that once you pull that thing off, even just the top half, its not going back on. first, it SUCKS putting on a wet wetsuit, next to impossible to get it on comfortably. Second, it practically turns to ice once your body heat stops warming up that absorbed water.

I've used all 4: 4/3, 3/2, 2mil spring suit, and just a wetsuit top. I would use a 2mil regularly, 3/2 on those COLD days, and a 4/3 if my 3/2 is still wet from surfing the day before.

I hate being cold too, but i think I hate thick wetsuits even more haha.

BTW 4/3= 4mil in the chest/back and 3mil in the extremities. Same for 3/2.

We use 3/2 in that temp water here in Florida never have any issues. We have ripcurl, oneil, body glove. All in the 100-150$ range and they work great.

Hey man! Welcome to the sport/lifestyle/therapyfromlife! I'm also an AZ rider and I will tell you that I HATE the cold with a passion and want to always be warm. I also love winter riding because almost no-one is on the lakes.

Here's my wetsuit advice. 1st: Get a top of the line full suit from a top of the line company.

I wear a 4/3 O'Neill Psycho 3 and love it. Personally, I don't find it that restrictive and actually like the tight feel. On really cold days I will wear a heater top and heater shorts underneath but that's because I don't even want to feel a tinge of cold. I'm the only one of my friends that wears anything under my wetsuit and they raz me for it but the heater top and heater shorts are great to wear without the full suit if it's a warm enough day. Basically, I can customize my warmth for the weather

My wife wears a 4/3 Ripcurl Flashbomb and loves it.

There are other good companies too but you're probably looking at spending $300-$400 for a good suit.

One good option about buying a suit from a legitimate retailer is that you can send it back if you don't like the fit.

Cold hands and feet can quickly ruin the fun. You will want closed toe bindings and possibly surf booties if you're surfing. I also have heater gloves from Nevin but I don't think they make them anymore. Don't buy gloves unless they are specifically designed to keep your hands warm as the wind chill on regular gloves is awful if not worse.

Like I said, I love winter riding but didn't until I had all the pieces to be comfortable and warm.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Oneill Psycho Freak 4/3.

You need drysuits. Just do it.

My recommendation is get a heater top and a drysuit. The heater top will take you well into November. From there you can wear the drysuit - at first with minimal insulation underneath. Later you can add more insulation under the drysuit. The lowest water temperature you'll see is probably 55F +/- a couple degrees (around Feb), so it is more about keeping warm after you're out of the water. Even the cheapest wetsuit will keep you fine if all you're concerned about is keeping warm in the water.

There is a recent thread in here somewhere about drysuits you can cross-reference for advice.

This talk of drysuit is absurd IMO. I'm from Minnesota and ride for ASU and hardly ever wear a drysuit when I'm home let alone here in AZ. Get a nice 4/3 suit, as stated above the Psycho Freak is solid and you'll be fine. Back home during the early/late parts of the season (~40air/~45water) I'll bring a thermos full of warm water onto the boat and pour a little down the back of my wetsuit to get the warm water started. Drysuits are a PITA to get on/off and ripping a seal and having to repair it is equally as frustrating and adds $$$. I get that you would like to stay on the warmer side of things but I seriously think you'll be golden in wetsuits.

Never ever been cold in a drysuit...can't say that about a wetsuit.

I've been very cold in a drysuit when a seal or zipper breaks. I like drysuits and they are good at keeping you warm but I much prefer my wetsuit.

I've never been cold in my Psycho 3 and I have used it regularly in the winter for 5 years. The seals are so good that it does not leak any water in it except on hard crashes, and even then it is such a small amount that my body heat immediately warms it up. (And the seals don't rip like drysuits.) It is so waterproof that I have never peed in it because it would just be full of my pee. I often take off my "wetsuit" and it is almost totally dry inside except some slight moisture around the leg and ankle seals.

You cannot compare an average wetsuit, even one in your size, with a top of the line wetsuit that fits you.

OK, so I decided to go with the Oneil psycho.

Where is the best/cheapest place to find one of these? I can obviously find where to buy it by googling it, but maybe you guys can point me in thei right direction of where the 'best deals' are.

Ebay

The only thing with eBay is I don't necessarily know my size. So I'm thinking it would have to be somewhere that I can exchange the item.

How close are the size guides on Oneils websites?

Pretty reliable. It won't be a tailored fit though.

Action Watersports AZ has experienced people on hand to help you with Size/Fitting. Do not waste your time with online purchasing. Support Your Local Ride Shop!

I live close to lake pleasant, so literally ALL the boat and watersport shops are a minimum of 45 minutes away. I would have just went to one of them if they were around the corner, but for some reason they all decided Mesa and Tempe is the place to be.

IMO the key thing to a "good" wetsuit starts with SEALED and TAPED seams preferably with a chest zipper but a back zip is fine. O'neil has some great wetsuits but IMO Xcel is the best wetsuit out there and for AZ I think a 4/3 is just too bulky and if you have a 4/3 wetsuit with glued and stitched seams it doesn't matter that it's a 4/3 because water is going to flush in quickly with those glued and stitched seams and you'll be cold for a while until the water warms up inside. The taped and sealed seams do not allow water to penetrated the seams where the wetsuit was sewed so it forces the water to try and absorb through the neoprene. By the time the water does absorb through the neoprene (and very little water will get through an Xcel Infiniti Drylock suit, you are almost dry inside), your body heat will already have warmed up the wetsuit vs. having all that cold water flushing in through the crappy glued and stitched seams. I live in the Central Texas area and coldest our lakes get is 53 degrees. My Xcel Infinity Drylock 3/2 suit is plenty, plenty, warm and comfortable. Take a look at the link and you'll see the customer reviews and ratings speak for themselves. Oh, and Xcel does tall sizes as well in every size.
http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/wets...illabrand=XCEL

Personally I would go with an O'Neill Psycho 3 3/2. You won't need a 4/3 (imho) and I'm only talking from my experience, I own a Psycho 2 (Love it) but my girlfriend rides a Psycho 3 and her wetsuit dries out in a fraction of the time. I've never had any rips or tears and my suit is now four or five seasons old.

Don't skimp on your suit, get a good one and it'll last years.

I find the size guide very accurate.

But I also agree with Jmaxymek, it's the wind when you get back in the boat that gets to you.
Which I why I recommend these beauties :)
http://asset3.surfcdn.com/o-neill-we...R8blEYj&V=63vD

The O'neill Ice Breaker Neoprene jacket.

The coon is right. This suit is the best! I know Cuz I own it, and pretty sure I've let him try it before. If money isn't an issue this is well worth it! It feels like a 3/2 in thickness. Bought my wife one too, she rides in the winter and it keeps her tiny frame warm. If it's good enough to keep the Mrs warm, yourself better not be complaining. If you and the wife need to buy one in person and are iffy on size charts, hop in the car and make the cross county trip to the great guys at action water sports in mesa.

Are you guys talking about the 4.5/3.5 or 3.5/2.5 ? There is no 4/3 in the oneill psycho freak line

Yes the O'Neill psycho freak 4.5/3.5 is what we're talking about. It's DA shizznit!!

Or the BG Vapor 4/3. I come out nearly dry. I ski Pleasant in the winter. Water gets to 55 at its coldest.

I'd agree with you on a budget, but the OP indicated money was not an issue. I find getting in / out of drysuits easier than wetsuits. Wetsuits are definitely more trouble free, require less care, and are lower cost. The comfort of being dry between sets or not putting on a cold, damp wetsuit after your first set is definitely there, so drysuits are a good choice for somebody who doesn't care about spending a couple hundred bucks more.

Xcel infinity in the 3/2. This is a fairly new suit but I swear by it. Living in Alberta canada I have both a 4/3 and a 3/2 and the 4/3 is a little overkill at 70 degree water temp. My infinity I got this summer is amazing most of the time I get out and half my body is still dry. My 4/3 is the oniel psycho and of the two I preffer the xcel. Just my two cents

Dropped by Action the other day to check out some yeti coolers, and noticed they got a bunch of Xcel wetsuits and a few O'Neill's too. I asked if this was all they were gonna have for wetsuit season. The guys said that if there's anything there that doesn't fit or a specific model you want they can order you what you want. Tell them Durty Curt sent ya and theyll give you a discount

we were out barefooting on the sac river sunday...beautiful day hit about 80 water temp was 62...my buddies wetsuited it I went with my drysuit...they ended up chilled and shivering I never had a hint of a chill and remained snug as a bug in a rug. I did have a barefoot wetsuit on under the dysuit to keep my body from ripping apart in the event of a wipeout.

Dry suit in 62 degree water??? You Cali guys crack me up! Its got to be under 50 degrees water temp for us here in the PNW to put on a drysuit. I wish I lived in Cali!

The op said he was chilly in 74 degree water and hated cold water. I can identify with that. My PNW friends wear drysuits yearround even when they visit Calif in August. Its 48 degrees out on the delta today...bluebird sky...stiff north wind...they are predicting snow in Vegas

We are going tomorrow, air temp 37 degrees, water temp below 40 ( I would imagine) Def wearing drysuits! :) 74 degree water is like bathwater for us up here...... I don't know anyone in the PNW who wears a drysuit all year round.

That's I why I have multiple suits. The right one for every water temp. shorties, fullsuit, drysuit. heck weird as i am a few times a year i wear one shorty over the other. (That way you can pull the leg to the side to take a leak, and still stay warm)