Hi All,

I'm making the move back to Victoria to live and have only got WA thickness wetties..so I'm wondering what I'll require. I have surfed summer conditions there in my springy, but never surfed in winter. I'm looking at the Matuse hoplite, and debating between the 432 or the 543...
Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Ben

A mate was living over there for a while and he was using an Oneil 4/3 and he said that was all he needed, used booties when it was really cold

I have gotten through the past 2 winters with an oneill phycofreak 3.5/2.5 warm as toast. Not many people over here use anymore than 4/3, technology has come along way, a few guys in town wear 2mm Patagonia, reckon there the warmest they have owned.

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crustt said...
I have gotten through the past 2 winters with an oneill phycofreak 3.5/2.5 warm as toast. Not many people over here use anymore than 4/3, technology has come along way, a few guys in town wear 2mm Patagonia, reckon there the warmest they have owned.

Patagonias are very good but not cheap

moved back to vic from WA last October. got a 4/3 xcel drylock chest zip.

So warm! and im a huge wuss when its cold.

booties in winter are pretty much a must as well

Sweet, thanks guys!

I like the Matuse hoplite 432 as it's mostly a 3/2 suit with a 4mm section around the kidney area right the way around. I've mainly been a rip curl person up till now, but haven't been impressed with the wear factor on my last few e-bombs. They are super comfy, but my steamer is getting tears on the inside after only 1.5 seasons. The Matuse's are a hefty price, but they look the goods (as do the Patagonia's)

ive been looking for basically any wetsuit that will fit me,
cant seem to find a LT size in australia for any brand, anyone no of these wereabouts?

should i just go online and shop overseas

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Poida said...
ive been looking for basically any wetsuit that will fit me,
cant seem to find a LT size in australia for any brand, anyone no of these wereabouts?

should i just go online and shop overseas

Boardroom had a goodish range when I got mine a couple of weeks ago.

I was just looking for (L) and found what I was looking for heavily discounted so I was very happy

How tall are you?

I agree that online is the way to go these days, however for a serious winter wettie, I'll recommend seventhwave from NZ. A full custom MAX 4/3 (with boots, hood and gloves) was seeing me have sessions longer and more comfortably than the flock in 5mm/drysuits. And good longevity, too. And they'll repair it if anything goes amiss! And the kiwi dollar is like rupiah.

I was in Apollo Bay for 10 months in '97 including over winter & just had a 2/3 which was fine provided you just kept moving lol...its the southerlies which are cold & thats onshore for everywhere I surfed. The offshores (Northerlies) are a lot warmer. Wetties are a lot better now with a lot of them offering drylock. Something like an excel where you climb through the neck (zipless) should be fine & booties/hood for the extra chilli days.

I live in the bay, 3/2 back then would have been okay if you kept moving North

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crustt said...
I live in the bay, 3/2 back then would have been okay if you kept moving North

lol It wasn't that bad, I'd come from living in Margs for 3 years before we drove over. Must admit I never really got out there before 0930 though coz I was packing & delivering bread for the Apollo Bay bakehouse.

I was living out at Cape Otway in 97, working at Greenacres. I have surfed at Margies in August and September and I reckon it is just as cold as Vicco.
Patagonias can be bought for a reasonable price on sale and they honor there warranty, Buying off your local shop is alot better IMO, my wetsuit had a small hole in the seam, dropped it off 1 week before the warranty ran out and I will be getting my new replacement in April with another 12 months warranty. The shop owner said since Oneill were giving him credit for the wettie, if I liked I could have any of the brands he stocked. Your not going to get that sort of service online.

PROBE WETSUITS iFLEX4/3 based in Victoria made in Thailand.Best value,workmanship and back up wetty I've ever owned.I have a 4/3 &3/2 and am very impressed.When I bought mine they were $270 delivered to my door!!!!.They are big in diving wetsuits but have branched out to surfing.www.probewetsuits.com

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doggie said...

Poida said...
ive been looking for basically any wetsuit that will fit me,
cant seem to find a LT size in australia for any brand, anyone no of these wereabouts?

should i just go online and shop overseas

Boardroom had a goodish range when I got mine a couple of weeks ago.

I was just looking for (L) and found what I was looking for heavily discounted so I was very happy

How tall are you?

ill give them a call
im 6'4"
need an XL top and L bottom section and elongated, so difficult to fit with a std wetty
ive had a custom fit before but that took ages to get right,

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Poida said...

doggie said...

Poida said...
ive been looking for basically any wetsuit that will fit me,
cant seem to find a LT size in australia for any brand, anyone no of these wereabouts?

should i just go online and shop overseas

Boardroom had a goodish range when I got mine a couple of weeks ago.

I was just looking for (L) and found what I was looking for heavily discounted so I was very happy

How tall are you?

ill give them a call
im 6'4"
need an XL top and L bottom section and elongated, so difficult to fit with a std wetty
ive had a custom fit before but that took ages to get right,

Oh ok, yea you might struggle as Im 6' and a large fits me perfectly.

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crustt said...
I Buying off your local shop is alot better IMO, my wetsuit had a small hole in the seam, dropped it off 1 week before the warranty ran out and I will be getting my new replacement in April with another 12 months warranty. The shop owner said since Oneill were giving him credit for the wettie, if I liked I could have any of the brands he stocked. Your not going to get that sort of service online.

exactly! i bought at my local shop 4/3 top-end billabong wettie for a sale price for $380 3 years ago. since then i got 2 replacements under warranty. nothing major, just small hole, broken zip.
no kidding, at the end of each season i was given a brand new top-end billabong wettie with another 12 months warranty. how good is that ?
i wonder if their shares going down because of me

Not good that all these "top End" wetties need replacing before their warranty runs out - phark if they dont even last a year!!!!!!!!! Why do they cost 3-4 $500???

on the other hand GOOD that they are being replaced at least.... as they should be at 3-4- $500

Well mine retails at $650 but I've never paid retail (loyalty discount). This is my second suit on warranty, so I will be getting at least 3 years out of the money that I paid for one, might even get another newie next year , I'm happy with the quality and the after sales service, get that on the net.
Also I treat my wetties very badly, they get washed once a month at best, some times it'll stay in the bucket for a week before I chuck it over the fence to dry. if I looked after it the holes would have showed up after 14 months instead of 10 I'd still have the original with more holes in it.

4/3 ripcurl E-bomb is what I have at the moment into its 3 season and its going strong...probably gets used about 3-4 times a week from around easter until Oct/November....don't see many blokes in 3/2's in the water for more than an hour in June/July/August when the wind is howling..I can go fro about 4 hours in my 4/3 before I start to numb up....lol

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Poida said...

doggie said...

Poida said...
ive been looking for basically any wetsuit that will fit me,
cant seem to find a LT size in australia for any brand, anyone no of these wereabouts?

should i just go online and shop overseas

Boardroom had a goodish range when I got mine a couple of weeks ago.

I was just looking for (L) and found what I was looking for heavily discounted so I was very happy

How tall are you?

ill give them a call
im 6'4"
need an XL top and L bottom section and elongated, so difficult to fit with a std wetty
ive had a custom fit before but that took ages to get right,

Star Surf shop in Perth City can order in a LT size West steamer wetsuits

My 3/2 psycho 2 got me through 2 winters at Bells no worries. Booties and maybe a hood for when it got really cold.

Awesome longevity on the Oneills

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Chris_M said...
My 3/2 psycho 2 got me through 2 winters at Bells no worries. Booties and maybe a hood for when it got really cold.

Awesome longevity on the Oneills

Mine only lasted 18months and I flushed it with freash water after evry surf, how do you look after yours?

^^^^ doggie, my Psycho 2 is over two years old now and gets a fair amount of use. I rinse it well in warm water after every surf and hang it in the shade to dry. It still looks like new.

PS: You're not doing a JB and pi55ing in it before getting in the water then changing your mind about a surf and driving back home still wearing it are you?

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Zuke said...
1: It still looks like new.



2: PS: You're not doing a JB and pi55ing in it before getting in the water then changing your mind about a surf and driving back home still wearing it are you?

#1 Reality? Sorry Zuke

#2 Reality? Nasty

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doggie said...

Chris_M said...
My 3/2 psycho 2 got me through 2 winters at Bells no worries. Booties and maybe a hood for when it got really cold.

Awesome longevity on the Oneills

Mine only lasted 18months and I flushed it with freash water after evry surf, how do you look after yours?

I piss in it most surfs, but I wash it out whenever I know the missus is going down the beach with me as it gets a bit on the nose. Dog doesn't seem to mind the smell.

Yeah I rinse it after every surf and never piss in it (its too water tight!).

Admittedly the neck seal went after the second season, but I got it repaired and I have put the odd dab of shoe goo on one or 2 splits in the leg seams.

I have absolutely hammered this wettie - as well as heaps of surfing I have used it for 3 seasons of kite instructing. My bloody spreader bar took a few chunks out of the neoprene around my ribs though! Got a spreader bar pad for it waaaay to late in the picture :)

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Chris_M said...
Yeah I rinse it after every surf and never piss in it (its too water tight!).

that's the idea, keep the warmth in

But its like surfing with a couple of goon sacks stuffed down ya wettie!

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Zuke said...
^^^^ doggie, my Psycho 2 is over two years old now and gets a fair amount of use. I rinse it well in warm water after every surf and hang it in the shade to dry. It still looks like new.

PS: You're not doing a JB and pi55ing in it before getting in the water then changing your mind about a surf and driving back home still wearing it are you?

Um no.....

Yep I do the same thing, fresh cool water hang in shade.

Anyway I have a front zip now, dunno why I didnt go this way sooner. Much nicer fit imo than back zips.

Problem with front zips in the winter is when you get out of the water and your hands are so numb they dont work you are pretty much wearing a straight jacket.