What type of wetsuit to choose to ride all year round without breaking the bank!

What type of wetsuit should I choose to ride all year round?

This week I would like to talk about neoprene accessories that revolve around wakeboarding and mainly wetsuits and other sweatshirts or accessories.

I would like to give you some feedback because I ride all year round and in the most variable weather conditions possible. Mention me in comments what you use as neoprene, thickness, brand and your feedback on the subject.

Before each camp at hip-Notics or others, campers ask me which Neoprene to take. So I'm going to list the equipment needed to cover the whole season or even the year without breaking the piggy bank.

What are our options:

For men first:

• the complete set
• Shorty long sleeve / Short sleeve
• Tops
• Neoprene jackets or sweaters

For women:

• We find the integral
• The very long sleeve/short sleeve shorty

-> Yes they decided to save on Neoprene for women. You are more resistant than men anyway.

Then what are the times of the year when you will need neoprene?

Roughly the whole season except for the summer months which is 4 months out of the year. So that's most of the season and if you don't buy accordingly it will penalize you.

What are the concerns related to neoprene

1- mobility problem

2- water infiltration

3- Tears due to wear and tear or misuse or poor workmanship.

4- problems related to your morphology.

Not all neoprene suits are suitable for everyone. I advise you to try them on to avoid surprises and to feel as tight as in the first row.  of a heavy metal concert.

What is the best neoprene pack or combo to ride all year round and in almost any weather?

Tip number 1

Go for the elasticity of Neoprene! The more elastic it is, the warmer you will be.

Why? It will flatten your skin and water will not enter the suit.

Also, the more elastic it is, the more mobility you will have for the palo passages.

Tip number 2

Choose the superposition of medium thickness layers rather than a big neoprene suit.

-> ? we don't do scuba diving ^^

If you are hot you take off a layer and if you are cold you put on another.

Tip number 3

Choose solid suits with reinforcements on the seams to avoid tears.

-> ? the wake hurts the suits. Especially when used in the park.

Tip number 4

It's more in the water that you get cold. The wetsuits are so powerful now that the rider will be cold outside the water. Because of the wind or the lack of sun. Well, unless you dive with it...

Integral / shorty ?

It is sure that a Belgian rider will not buy the same suit as a Catalan rider. Nevertheless, here is my most valuable advice that allowed me to ride with only 3 accessories.

My advice

If you are on a budget I advise you to take a full wetsuit like 3/2mm if you are in the south and 4/3mm if you are in the north and to couple that with a neoprene sweater in both cases.

To ride a 5/4mm you really need to be cold. At a lower cost you can ride all year round. If it's really cold, you put on both. If it's bad and the water is not super warm, you'll ride a full body. When it's windy but the water is nice, you wear your Neoprene seat.

I recommend a full body wrap because when you start to feel cold it rarely gets any better. The goal is to delay the cooling.

You will find below the  comparative table of thicknesses and types of neoprene wetsuits according to water temperatures.

If it's your first purchase, the budget for a full body suit starts at 200€ and you should count around 100€ for the neoprene sweater. You will find for a budget of 300€ something to keep you warm for the whole season. Of course this is an average.

Leave a comment if you have any feedback for me on the subject.