Summer is for dilettantes. Surfing is increasingly becoming a winter sport, since the cold-month storms bring bigger and better waves. We tested four new cold-weather suits to see which would keep you shredding, not shivering.
Roundup: Endless Winter
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Layer of fuzzy bamboo fabric bonded to the inside works just as well as the wool that other suits use, without the scratchiness.
Roundup:
- 1/10A complete failure in every way
- 2/10Sad, really
- 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
- 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
- 5/10Recommended with reservations
- 6/10Solid with some issues
- 7/10Very good, but not quite great
- 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
- 9/10Nearly flawless
- 10/10Metaphysical perfection
1. O'Neill Psychofreak
The designs of wet suit pioneer Jack O'Neill have been soaking the competition ever since the early '50s. The Psychofreak offers a number of subtle refinements to the standard design: sealed wrist and neck openings, premium closed-cell neoprene, a (mostly) watertight zipper, and a plush lining. The result is one of the warmest unpowered suits on the market.
2. XCEL Infiniti Drylock
Made of plump, air-pocketed neoprene with a comfy inner liner, the XCEL was the warmest unpowered suit in our test. It was also harder to get into and out of than a 20-foot shore break. The supertight "drylock" neck and wrist closures more than live up to their name, keeping water out but also completely locking you into the suit. We love surfing too, but come on—you've gotta leave the beach eventually.
3. Matuse Tumo
Matuse is a boutique outfit that focuses on build quality and materials: Its suits are cut from the highest-quality nitrogen-blown, titanium-coated, limestone-based geoprene instead of what it calls "mouse-pad rubber." OK, sure. We loved the way it fit—others have a suit-of-armor feel, but the Matuse makes you feel like you've been dipped in plastic. After a long, cold morning, though, we were longing for mouse-pad rubber.
