Best winter suit for Ireland?

bagus

In your opinion what's the best winter wetsuit for Ireland?

Please don't reply if you haven't surfed in Ireland for at least 5 years, preferably a lot more.

There are a few new players on the market, Patagonia, Matuse, etc...

I reckon the rip curl battery suit sounds like a gimmick.
I haven't tried one, but the battery life sounds too short, and how would you charge it on a weekend away in a van.

The Patagonia R4 sounds v interesting. Anyone own one?
Are they flexible? smelly after longterm p*ssing in the suit?

Mickeroo

I use a C-Skins wired 6/5/4 and it keeps me damn toasty, its only when I'm getting changed afterwards the cold gets to me! Few of my mates have the Xcel infinity and they say they are also great.

Them Rip Curl ones with the heaters are more for situations like this rather than ireland i think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmPp_eRWmaI

ted1

i'm a huge fan of the o neils pshyco two.0fantastic suit.

rothai

i have the oneils heat, love it, but have nothing to compare it with.
the cold getting in on out of it is the problem

yank_in_eire

Try an open-cell freedive suit. While slightly more fragile than a double jersey lined suit like O'Neill or Rip Curl, they are much warmer and 3 times as flexible. The bugger is that you have to give it a squirt of hair conditioner mixed with water to lube it up so you can put it on, but it's worth it.

locomo

C-skins Wired. Warm as toast, I am never cold. Best suit I ever had.

connemarasurf

any suit does it! i have a 5ml quiksilver cypher which works well. im getting the billabong sgx in 5ml but you dont need much. my brother was fine in a 3ml alder last winter! just as long as you have your head, feet and hands covered and a decent suit you're grand...

iceage

Alder 6/5/4. Had one but sold it to mate(unpissed in) Mug, I should have hung onto it.:(

dazftw

Mickeroo wrote: »

its only when I'm getting changed afterwards the cold gets to me!

Yeah getting changed is the worst. I've drove home sitting on a towel a few times. Im always jealous when I see lads who have vans :rolleyes:

I have the Oneill mutant and it does the job. 5/3 I think it is.

ted1

get a poncho towel for getting changed

aongo

i returned a 3rd gen c-skins wired 6/5/4 recently as felt wasn't warm enough - too much of that thin aerolite-whatever material - i'm dubious that it's as warm as just regular neoprene... it was also a whore to get in and out of
that's not to knock c-skins - i currently wear a 2 year old 5/3 wired & a 5 year old 3/2 wired and they are great suits

replaced it with a 6/5/4 west lotus on sale with gary in outerpoint, sligo - it's a great suit - tho draws attention to my feet that are still suffering in old leaking booties...
maybe santa will be good!

spaceHopper

aongo wrote: »

i returned a 3rd gen c-skins wired 6/5/4 recently as felt wasn't warm enough - too much of that thin aerolite-whatever material - i'm dubious that it's as warm as just regular neoprene... it was also a whore to get in and out of
that's not to knock c-skins - i currently wear a 2 year old 5/3 wired & a 5 year old 3/2 wired and they are great suits

replaced it with a 6/5/4 west lotus on sale with gary in outerpoint, sligo - it's a great suit - tho draws attention to my feet that are still suffering in old leaking booties...
maybe santa will be good!

I have one and yes it's a whore to get out of but I'm getting the hang of it and I've a van to get changed in. Find it a very warm suit but I I were buying a new suit I'd get a back zip and not a chest zip, it makes getting changed much easier

Mickeroo

Yea the wired is ridiculous to get out of, don't find it too bad for getting in and I find the heat grand in it.

Japer

Mickeroo wrote: »

Yea the wired is ridiculous to get out of, don't find it too bad for getting in and I find the heat grand in it.

The C-skins legend has a back zip so its easier to get out of. Like the Wired its designed for north Atlantic winter sea temperatures. Because it and the Wired are thicker than the West, the c-skins is warmer.

Cecil Mor

aongo wrote: »

replaced it with a 6/5/4 west lotus on sale with gary in outerpoint, sligo - it's a great suit

Seconded, very happy with mine. Was in the water for 3 hours yesterday only getting out due to darkness. Never felt the cold once, well a couple of ice-cream headaches but can't blame the suit for that.
Great value suit in Outerpoint and Garys a decent enough fella to deal with.

Recommend both!!

VNP

What boots do you guys use in the winter? my suit is a oneils mutant 5/4 and i have rip curl 5mm boots, suit is toasty, But my feet are the only part i feel the cold.I couldnt even drive for 10 minutes yesterday:eek:
I was looking at the split toed c skins ? not sure tho. I was going to black witch some extra neoprene into them until i find out whats worth investing in, sounds like retro insulating your house, i might get a grant for it .

ChrisJefferies

I have the cheapie O'Neil Epic 2 5/3 and think it's brilliant. I've surfed through this winter so far with it and am constantly amazed how good it is for the price.

Obviously more expensive ones are no doubt even better but I've never felt the cold in mine at all.

Decos

VNP wrote: »

What boots do you guys use in the winter? my suit is a oneils mutant 5/4 and i have rip curl 5mm boots, suit is toasty, But my feet are the only part i feel the cold.I couldnt even drive for 10 minutes yesterday:eek:
I was looking at the split toed c skins ? not sure tho. I was going to black witch some extra neoprene into them until i find out whats worth investing in, sounds like retro insulating your house, i might get a grant for it .

man, i have a brilliant pair of booties at the moment. Got them a few months ago, theyre quiksilver 6mm, they look like a bootie on the outside but they are actually split toe inside, best of both worlds. Ive never worn a warmer bootie. My friend got the same pair and he said the very same. Well worth tracking down if you can find them.

rodento

What about a patogonia 4'3

Only 5:eek: for this winter suit

lg123

dazftw wrote: »

Yeah getting changed is the worst. I've drove home sitting on a towel a few times. Im always jealous when I see lads who have vans :rolleyes:

I have the Oneill mutant and it does the job. 5/3 I think it is.

my mutant is a 5/4, great suit, would definitely recommended it. its great being able to change the neck to the hood for the colder months.