SPOILER ALERT: THE END OF THIS ARTICLE FEATURES A MATRIX THAT YOU CAN USE TO COMPARE SRFACE WETSUITS TO OTHER BRANDS.

In terms of performance, most of us know what we’re looking for in a wetsuit: Warmth, flexibility, and durability. Why are these the most important things to consider?

WARMTH

Warmth, or insulation, may be the most important quality of a wetsuit. One of the general misconceptions in the wetsuit world is that a wetsuit can only be warmer by increasing the neoprene thickness. It sure is effective, but there’s much more you should take into account. Continue reading to find out more.

FLEXIBILITY

In essence, a wetsuit should fit like a second skin. You don’t want your wetsuit to restrict your freedom of motion, so flexibility is very important to consider. Flexibility in a wetsuit is not a given. Just like warmth, this is something that wetsuit designers can enhance by choosing to work with the right (high-quality) materials.

DURABILITY

Often overlooked but definitely worth considering for a moment. Nobody wants to replace their wetsuit every season. Depending on how often you surf, a wetsuit should at least last 2-3 seasons. If you take good care of it, maybe even more. Durability is also an integral part of sustainability. The longer a wetsuit lasts, the fewer materials are needed for manufacturing new ones. Therefore, when buying a wetsuit, make sure you choose one with high-quality materials that last.

YOU WANT A WETSUIT TO TICK ALL THESE THREE BOXES!

Below we have listed the top 5 components that influence a wetsuit's warmth, flexibility, and durability. When purchasing a wetsuit, make sure to use this 5-step checklist!

1. WHAT KIND OF FOAM IS THE WETSUIT MADE OF?

To develop a high-end wetsuit that keeps you warm, picking a high-grade foam is crucial. However, it’s super easy to trick people into buying low-quality wetsuits by using cheap foam but branding it as ‘high quality’. Generally speaking, you’ll see that ‘cheaper’ foam is less flexible and therefore restricts your surfing.

All neoprene manufacturers offer different grades of neoprene, varying in performance and price. Most prominent and innovative in the world of neoprene production are Sheico, Yamamoto, and Yulex. Almost every brand claims that they are using the best foam available. In reality, a lot of it comes down to marketing and perception. The stiffer the foam is (fewer air bubbles), the cheaper the price. More air bubbles make a wetsuit more flexible, softer, lighter, warmer, and more expensive.

Our limestone neoprene is called ‘I-foam’ by our manufacturer. This is the highest grade foam available on the market and thus the warmest, most flexible, and durable. Lower grades are S-foam, L-foam, etc., but every brand uses its own ‘marketing buzzword’ to make it sound better. So next time you’re buying a gold-plated-double-carbon-fiber-space wetsuit… think twice.

We simply call our foam ‘limestone neoprene’, and we use only the highest grade available in our limestone wetsuits. In our Eco wetsuits, we make use of Yulex closed cell foam, a more sustainable plant-based rubber. The material is made by Yulex and has raised the bar for sustainable wetsuit production significantly.

CHECK 1

What kind of foam is your wetsuit made of? Check the internet or ask your retailer. Watch out for fancy ‘marketing names’ as this is sometimes an indication of overselling low-quality foam. For a complete list of the different neoprene foams and their quality assessment, scroll down and have a look at our wetsuit fundamentals comparison matrix.

2. WHAT SEAM AND SEALING TECHNIQUES ARE USED ON THE WETSUIT?

At SRFACE we exclusively use GBS (glued and blind stitched) seams for our full suits, which offer additional strength. The needle doesn’t penetrate the neoprene completely but only stitches through half of the neoprene panel to prevent leakage. Gluing and blind stitching seams is the most flexible watertight seam construction in wetsuit production.

A much more cost-effective way to make wetsuits is by using flatlock seams. Flatlock seams are not glued, nor waterproof. Flatlock is the most affordable seam construction available for wetsuits. At SRFACE we do not use flatlock seams for any of our wetsuit models.

Besides the type of stitching technique, it’s important to check the following 3 aspects of the seams on your new wetsuit:

NEOTAPE INSIDE SEAMS make the seam even more waterproof and durable by forming an extra layer of protection against water intake. It also protects against seam irritation to the skin. Is your new wetsuit taped on the inside? Is it partially taped or fully taped?

MELCO DOTS are a reinforcement material that is heat welded on the seam joints to make a wetsuit last longer. Melco dots prevent overstretching and damage to the seam joints and stress areas. Does your new wetsuit feature Melco dots on every seam corner?

LIQUID RUBBER SEALS reinforce traditional glued and blind stitched seams. We apply a seal on top of the stitching of our Heat wetsuits to create a sealed outside seam. The liquid rubber seal gives the seam an extra layer of protection from water entering the wetsuit. It’s a warmer, more durable construction that lasts longer than normal GBS (glued and blind stitched) seams. The technical name for this seam construction is S-seal. A reason why wetsuit designers might deliberately not choose to apply S-seals is because it is a more expensive feature and also takes away some of the flexibility in a wetsuit. Does your new (cold water) wetsuit feature sealed outside seams?

CHECK 2

Make sure to check your new wetsuit for the type of seam and any of the reinforcement techniques mentioned above.

3. WHAT TYPE OF OUTSIDE LINING IS USED ON THE WETSUIT?

The choice of lining can make neoprene feel completely different and will change the characteristics of your wetsuit significantly. Non-stretchy lining (e.g. the material used on knee pads) makes neoprene stiff, even if you use the same stretchy neoprene foam. Stretchy lining on stiff foam, however, doesn’t make the neoprene more flexible. This is a way some brands trick customers in stores, thinking the neoprene feels smooth while the foam itself is stiff and low quality.

In high-end wetsuits, most panels should be made with some kind of super stretch lining. This refers to a knitted jersey lining made from a combination of nylon and spandex. We laminate both the inside and outside of our wetsuits with a stretchy jersey called ‘360° stretch lining’, a high-end lining that stretches 400% in all directions. This results in a flexible, soft to the skin, comfortable wetsuit and makes it easy to take your wetsuit on and off.

CHECK 3

Finding out what lining brands use may be hard due to a lack of transparency. Watch out for fancy ‘marketing names’ as this is sometimes an indication of overselling cheap lining. Try to check for material specs online and be meticulous.

4. DOES THE WETSUIT FEATURE PLUSH INSIDE LINING FOR EXTRA INSULATION?

Most modern high-end wetsuits come with some type of plush inside lining. Plush insulation, also known as quick-dry lining, is the fluffy, wool-like inside lining on wetsuits. We use plush lining as an extra layer of insulation, the hollow polyester fibers trap air bubbles. Some high-end plush linings have a quick-dry function. This material dries quicker than normal inside lining. When wearing it, it feels comfortable, warm, and dry on the skin by channeling the water to the back of the fabric, where the water runs down. The inside lining we use is plush quick-dry lining. This is considered the warmest material out there and is made from recycled polyester and spandex.

CHECK 4

Make sure to check if your new wetsuit features plush lining and on what panels. Generally, plush lining only covers the areas where you need the extra warmth such as the chest, back, and upper legs. If used in other areas, it can negatively affect the flexibility of the wetsuit.

5. DOES THE WETSUIT FEATURE SEALED ARM AND LEG CUFFS?

A wetsuit should prevent water from entering your wetsuit. Sealed arm and leg cuffs play an important role in achieving this goal. The neck is an area where water could potentially enter your wetsuit. The arm and leg cuffs are also at risk of letting water in. This is why these areas should seal off your wetsuit as well as possible.

A good and functional wrist and ankle seal limits the amount of stretch in the edge of the cuff. In addition, it sticks to your wrists and ankles to create a watertight area. We do this by applying a strip of liquid rubber on the inside of the wrist. An extra stitched-on cuff panel with glideskin is another option to create a seal. However, these cuff panels can be fragile at times. There is a fine line between a good seal and an uncomfortable or leaky one. So make sure your arm and leg cuffs are the right size for you.

Wetsuits also come with different types of neck seals. The most common one is a glideskin inside collar panel that sticks gently to your neck to create an even seal over a big surface area. Another way to create a neck seal is a glideskin binding edge. This limits the amount of stretch in the edge of the collar panel and seals off by sticking to your neck.

CHECK 5

Make sure to check if your new wetsuit features sealed arm and leg cuffs and a glideskin neck.

WITH WHAT OTHER WETSUIT CAN I COMPARE MY SRFACE WETSUIT?

To provide a little more clarity in the field, we did some comparing ourselves as well. We ended up comparing (almost) all leading wetsuit models with the SRFACE models. Curious what we found? Check the overview underneath. Obviously, we cannot claim 100% accuracy, mainly due to the fact that some brands are somewhat vague (to say the least) about the materials they use.

*If you are really on a roll you can compare a wetsuit on its smaller features as well. Things to think of are: color, coloring technique, zip, type of lamination glue, toggles, etc.

Surfers: Marlon Lipke, Benedicte Emery, and Ana Morau

Behind the lens: Jan Bijl and Joao Bracourt