Review: Roundup: Endless Winter

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

Learn How We Rate ##### Wired

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.

WIRED Won't waterlog, making it much lighter than a standard suit when wet. Exceptional cut and fit. Easiest to paddle and pop up in—like not wearing a wet suit at all.

TIRED Like not wearing a wet suit at all: Warmth-for-mobility trade-off worth it only for exceptionally hardy, performance-oriented surfers.

$475, matuse.com

4. Rip Curl H-Bomb

The H-Bomb represents the wave of the future: powered wet suits. Twin, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the lumbar pouch provide enough juice to stay warm in frigid waters for up to two and a half hours. The heating element is localized on your back, and the theory is that the heater will warm the water sloshing around inside the suit. If you're surfing in Arctic waters, keeping your torso warm is vital to staving off hypothermia. But otherwise, you might feel like a total dork walking around with a bunch of electronics stuffed down your swim jumper.

WIRED Batteries pump out an incredible amount of warmth—up to 124 degrees Fahrenheit.

TIRED In practice, it can feel like someone is ironing your spine.

$1,000, ripcurl.com