My wetsuit is really annoying. It is quite stiff for a 4/3 & has like a grid pattern of tiny squares that stick to me & is really hard to adjust when putting on & also when wet. If I use a plastic bag over my hands or feet I can slip it far enough up my limbs to allow some slack material to massage into the armpits & crotch. If I get a roll of material while putting it on it's really hard to get rid of. I have tried that octilube powder stuff which is ok for slipping it on but sometimes when standing up for the first time the wetsuit legs slide down my thighs.
If I try to adjust my crotch there's no air or space in there. It's really uncomfortable & feels like my nuts are being vacuum bagged.
Has anyone had this or have any advice? I'm seriously thinking of drilling air holes in it

Buy a new one different brand

You're doing it wrong.
?si=ORKsLc_Kr10KDK1R

As Hilly said. Sounds like a dudd wettie unfortunately.

I just got a new 4/3 from Prolimit in their Natureprene. OMG, better than most 3/2's with ease. Incredibly comfy! I have become one of those guys who will wear a 4/3 at the first sign of chill .

www.prolimit.com/products/400-44040-mercury-steamer-freezip-4-3-ftm-tr?variant=43362927935671

Natureprene - www.prolimit.com/pages/faq

Best wettie ever

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Windgenuity said..
As Hilly said. Sounds like a dudd wettie unfortunately.

I just got a new 4/3 from Prolimit in their Natureprene. OMG, better than most 3/2's with ease. Incredibly comfy! I have become one of those guys who will wear a 4/3 at the first sign of chill .

www.prolimit.com/products/400-44040-mercury-steamer-freezip-4-3-ftm-tr?variant=43362927935671

Natureprene - www.prolimit.com/pages/faq

Best wettie ever

Fark should be for the price.

I like this one needessentials.com/products/4-3mm-premium-thermal-chest-zip-wetsuit?variant=14101114290237&country=AU¤cy=AUD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17723396348&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvr3jjJ2HkAMVIAt7Bx236SEBEAQYAyABEgIZ6vD_BwE

I have this one and love it they are great to deal with too cheers Rich

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hilly said..

Windgenuity said..
As Hilly said. Sounds like a dudd wettie unfortunately.

I just got a new 4/3 from Prolimit in their Natureprene. OMG, better than most 3/2's with ease. Incredibly comfy! I have become one of those guys who will wear a 4/3 at the first sign of chill .

www.prolimit.com/products/400-44040-mercury-steamer-freezip-4-3-ftm-tr?variant=43362927935671

Natureprene - www.prolimit.com/pages/faq

Best wettie ever

Fark should be for the price.

I like this one needessentials.com/products/4-3mm-premium-thermal-chest-zip-wetsuit?variant=14101114290237&country=AU¤cy=AUD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17723396348&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvr3jjJ2HkAMVIAt7Bx236SEBEAQYAyABEgIZ6vD_BwE

You get what you pay for . I try to spend as much time on/in the water as possible, so worth every cent.

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Windgenuity said..

hilly said..

Windgenuity said..
As Hilly said. Sounds like a dudd wettie unfortunately.

I just got a new 4/3 from Prolimit in their Natureprene. OMG, better than most 3/2's with ease. Incredibly comfy! I have become one of those guys who will wear a 4/3 at the first sign of chill .

www.prolimit.com/products/400-44040-mercury-steamer-freezip-4-3-ftm-tr?variant=43362927935671

Natureprene - www.prolimit.com/pages/faq

Best wettie ever

Fark should be for the price.

I like this one needessentials.com/products/4-3mm-premium-thermal-chest-zip-wetsuit?variant=14101114290237&country=AU¤cy=AUD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17723396348&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvr3jjJ2HkAMVIAt7Bx236SEBEAQYAyABEgIZ6vD_BwE

You get what you pay for . I try to spend as much time on/in the water as possible, so worth every cent.

Yep agree the Needs Essentials does everything I need.

Another fan of Need Essentials. Warm and comfy for a fair price.

It sounds like a bad fit more than anything.

Vacuum bagged nuts got me LOLing over here.

It all comes down to fit, but I swear by the Oneill Mutuant Legend 4/3. Last one lasted me over three years, and I just replaced it with the same one this spring. The removable hood makes it really versatile too. Downside is that its $$$, but I can attest that it will last alot longer than a cheaper option.

Vacuum bagged nuts got me LOLing over here.

It all comes down to fit, but I swear by the Oneill Mutuant Legend 4/3. Last one lasted me over three years, and I just replaced it with the same one this spring. The removable hood makes it really versatile too. Downside is that its $$$, but I can attest that it will last alot longer than a cheaper option.

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Faff said..
It sounds like a bad fit more than anything.

+1...too small can do that...I sized up after struggling with similar issues and it was way worth it... I'm also ready to get on the water in 1/2 the time and without being torched from battling my wetsuit...the boys are much happier too not getting vacuum bagged

If you don't want vac bagged nuts the Rip Curl Fusion is great but super expensive.

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Hdip said..
You're doing it wrong.

?si=ORKsLc_Kr10KDK1R

Yeah if it was a 2mm flexible wettie like that I'd have absolutely no problems.

Yeah I didn't want to name brands but my wettie is a needs essential. I bought it after a lot of recommendations when I asked last year. Although the fit is ok it is the stickiness of the inside fabric & stiffness of the rubber that causes a problem. If I open the neck & flush it a few times under water it balloons out a bit & gives some relief which kinda defeats the purpose. Also if it's stayed wet the second session of the day is a lot easier. It is really heavy when wet so maybe it shrinks a lot when dry. I might try keeping it pre wet & smear it with conditioner & see if that makes a difference.

Yes, the inside fabric is often overlooked but makes a hell of a difference between wetsuit brands.The slickest inner linings I ever experienced were the Feral and the Isurus. Both have very thin inner linings that try to absorb the less water possible, it is the opposite of the wetsuits with the wool-like linings that are in my opinion a very bad idea: they feel nice to the touch but it is much more efficient to replace this extra bulk with 1mm more of neoprene that will be more flexible, warmer, and lighter.

I would advise you to try other brands. And especially the ones using Yamamoto neoprene, it has some kind of "form memory" that provide flexibility but with a snug fit. More expensive, but so much worth it. And it is more waterproof than the neoprene of the main brands, the wetsuit is noticeably lighter, and so much warmer than you can use a 3/2 instead of a 4/3.

The Axxe neoprene is even better than the yamamoto, but more expensive. Note that they also are sold via vissla: www.vissla.com/collections/vissla-x-axxe-wetsuits

Wetty also have some models with similar ultra-high-end Asahi neoprene www.wettywetsuit.com/gb/68-japanese-neoprene-asahi

Note that you have now a lot of wetsuit "micromakers" like there are microbreweries. Since nearly all the wetsuits are made by the Sheico Group, it has become very easy to start a quality wetsuit brand: just give your templates and specs of materials to the Sheico Group. So you may have high quality wetsuits near you in a local "micro brand".

PS: I did not try needessentials as they do not use Yamamoto. In the cheap brands I bought a SRFACE because they uses yamamoto, and ship from the EU to avoid tariffs to France. Not as good lining-wise as Feral or Isurus, but decent.

It's hard to beat Japanese neoprene or a Japanese wetsuit for that matter. Not cheap though!

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Hdip said..
You're doing it wrong.

?si=ORKsLc_Kr10KDK1R

Hmmm if I put it on the ground it will be full of sand and grass seeds

If you're just winging spending $$$ on a super premium wettie is a waste. That $$$ is for stretch which is a big deal prone or surf but for winging isn't really necessary.

I remember by first chest zip and thinking how do I get it off. Then I tried a no-zip and after I got it on I was like "I guess I live in this thing now"
cause I couldn't get it off.

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kook123 said..

Faff said..
It sounds like a bad fit more than anything.

+1...too small can do that...I sized up after struggling with similar issues and it was way worth it... I'm also ready to get on the water in 1/2 the time and without being torched from battling my wetsuit...the boys are much happier too not getting vacuum bagged

I had the vacuum crotch when I listened to some bad YouTube advice to buy the smallest you can get into ("at the upper end of the weight range on the size chart"). So, I sized down. And no, it didn't "stretch over time".

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TooMuchEpoxy said..
If you're just winging spending $$$ on a super premium wettie is a waste. That $$$ is for stretch which is a big deal prone or surf but for winging isn't really necessary.

You clearly never tried high-quality wetsuits out of the "big names".

My Yamamoto and Yulex wetsuits are actually less stretchable than, say, my Rip Curls.

But this means they do not stretch in a wipeout and let water in by ballooning under pressure. They just fit to you.

And they are warmer, since stretching makes the neoprene thinner, less warm, plus the open cells in the regular neoprene lose their air and thus their insulation, and gain water, thus weight. Yamamoto is closed cells. I now use a 3/2 Isurus instead of my Rip Curl E-Bomb 4/3: Yamamoto #40 for the shoulders (flexier), but #39 for the body (warmer).

yamamoto-bio.com/material-e/rubber.html

And their lightness when wet would be important for winging. The first time I climbed back up on my board with one, I though I had floaters, kind of propelled out of the water!

I have similar 'suck' effect with my Cskins wetsuit but only after putting it on me. Then I let air get inside from the chest, make some adjustments and usually it is ok then until my fingers starting to freeze (when water is below 5 ?C in chilly days). Then I go out from the water for 2-3 minutes, and after stretching going back to water usually without this suck effect.

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colas said..

TooMuchEpoxy said..
If you're just winging spending $$$ on a super premium wettie is a waste. That $$$ is for stretch which is a big deal prone or surf but for winging isn't really necessary.

You clearly never tried high-quality wetsuits out of the "big names".

My Yamamoto and Yulex wetsuits are actually less stretchable than, say, my Rip Curls.

But this means they do not stretch in a wipeout and let water in by ballooning under pressure. They just fit to you.

And they are warmer, since stretching makes the neoprene thinner, less warm, plus the open cells in the regular neoprene lose their air and thus their insulation, and gain water, thus weight. Yamamoto is closed cells. I now use a 3/2 Isurus instead of my Rip Curl E-Bomb 4/3: Yamamoto #40 for the shoulders (flexier), but #39 for the body (warmer).

yamamoto-bio.com/material-e/rubber.html

And their lightness when wet would be important for winging. The first time I climbed back up on my board with one, I thought I had floaters, kind of propelled out of the water!

Haha Icarus is almost AU$1000 needs essentials is AU$250. Ridiculous

I'm curious what this inside lining is? And squares..?

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Mark _australia said..
I'm curious what this inside lining is? And squares..?

needessentials.com/products/6-4-3mm-hooded-liquid-sealed-thermal-chest-zip-wetsuit

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hilly said..
Haha Icarus is almost AU$1000 needs essentials is AU$250. Ridiculous

I see (from France) the 5/4 hooded needessentials (not yamamoto) at the same price as the equivalent SRFace (but in yamamoto) from here, 440? = 780 AUD

The Isurus is more expensive as it is higher quality.

But... needessentials is significantly cheaper in OZ, and that's what I said: you have now local wetsuit makers in a lot more places.

Love this one; best I have ever had. www.sharkeyesglobal.com/products/new-hybrid-4-4-hooded-steamer-surf-dive-spear-wetsuit-copy?utm_content=Facebook_UA&utm_source=facebook&variant=43491881320499&utm_medium=paid&utm_id=120232416451070777&utm_term=120240543195390777&utm_campaign=120232416451070777&fbclid=PAZnRzaANOxaRleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqy4jYgDFCQGnbXa62dt7Fx8AGZB0ZAN1BVTuw4vGKffxCeTwAIW8KX_gn2T6EOS8LtlUCIM_aem_Ri8i8wSCafAoTbJJ1fvfcw&campaign_id=120232416451070777&ad_id=120240544461020777

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mikey100 said..
Love this one; best I have ever had. www.sharkeyesglobal.com/products/new-hybrid-4-4-hooded-steamer-surf-dive-spear-wetsuit-copy?utm_content=Facebook_UA&utm_source=facebook&variant=43491881320499&utm_medium=paid&utm_id=120232416451070777&utm_term=120240543195390777&utm_campaign=120232416451070777&fbclid=PAZnRzaANOxaRleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqy4jYgDFCQGnbXa62dt7Fx8AGZB0ZAN1BVTuw4vGKffxCeTwAIW8KX_gn2T6EOS8LtlUCIM_aem_Ri8i8wSCafAoTbJJ1fvfcw&campaign_id=120232416451070777&ad_id=120240544461020777

$700 plus postage

I have had top of the line suits and they are amazing for 6 months then disintegrated. Cheaper suits not as flexible do the job and last for years. I have a 5 year old NE 4/3 I still use. But water here is 20C all year round. Might change my tune in 9C water

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hilly said..
I have a 5 year old NE 4/3 I still use. But water here is 20C all year round.

a 4/3 in 20C, how can you bear it ?

I would be cooking... at 20C I use my 2/2 short john, or 2/2 shorty if air temp less than 9C.

My 4/3 yamamoto is for 11C and less.

Unless... your 4/3 is not warmer than a good 2/2?

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colas said..

hilly said..
I have a 5 year old NE 4/3 I still use. But water here is 20C all year round.

a 4/3 in 20C, how can you bear it ?

I would be cooking... at 20C I use my 2/2 short john, or 2/2 shorty if air temp less than 9C.

My 4/3 yamamoto is for 11C and less.

Unless... your 4/3 is not warmer than a good 2/2?

Air can be 4C