I’m in serious disbelief with just how awesome this suit turned out to be – like I removed a gorilla from my back. Photo: 7TILL8
Editor’s note: In the Northern Hemisphere, winter is officially upon us, which means colder water temperatures, ice cream headaches, and (hopefully) some serious swell. For winter sessions, the wetsuit is the surfer’s lifeline. So we took it upon ourselves to review a handful of this season’s offerings for those looking to invest in some new rubber. Welcome to the our winter wetsuit buyer’s guide.
A custom suit: 7TILL8, formerly Carapace, is not your average wetsuit manufacturer. They make custom wetsuits meant to fit you and you alone. The thought behind it is no person’s body shape is the same, and the only way to have a wetsuit that fits perfectly is to take your measurements and build a suit according to your specifications. What a concept.
Silky smooth: Out of the box, I couldn’t believe how smooth this suit was. It’s made with premium Yamamoto neoprene. I’d heard about suits made with Yamamoto before, but, honestly, thought the hype was just that, hype. But this thing is definitely lighter than any wetsuit I’ve ever held in my hands.
No frills: Part of the reason it wasn’t very heavy was because the suit doesn’t have an interior lining and no smoothie on the exterior. I was a little worried about this at first (see below), but it makes the thing super easy to put on and take off – it slips on like a velvet glove. Like I said, the Yamamoto neoprene makes a serious difference.
No frills. Nada one.
Afraid of change: As I mentioned, when I first pulled the suit out, felt how light it was and saw it had no interior liner I was concerned. Los Angeles is by no means cold, but I was accustomed to suits with more girth to keep me warm in winter months. “There’s no way this thing will keep me warm enough,” I thought. I took it out on a brisk morning and was surprised that I didn’t let out so much a single shiver. In my mind, I wasn’t convinced, even though 7TILL8 had said that you can order Yamamoto suits thinner than you’d expect that I was actually staying warm. I even chose not to surf a few days later because I thought there was no way I’d stay warm. Weeks later I went for it again. The water was hovering between 56 and 58-degrees, and I was downright toasty. It felt like I wasn’t even wearing a wetsuit. Without a doubt, I can say this is the best wetsuit I’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing.
Criticisms: The only problem with sending in your measurements for your own custom suit is that you become your own worst enemy. Measure twice, cut once they say. In the case of my suit, the torso is just a little long. That’s neither a reflection on the suit itself nor a reflection on 7TILL8, it’s just par for the course when the consumer is entrusted with taking their measurements. I would recommend having a spouse, significant other, or your mom taking your measurements twice. There are also tips on the 7TILL8 website.
Cost: A new 3/2 SAFA chest zip will run you $549 (check it out here). It’s definitely at the high end, but comparable to the cost of premium wetsuits made by the major brands (like Ripcurl’s Flashbomb Plus at $499), if not a little more.
Did I mention flexibility? This thing will stretch from here to Timbuktu.
Bottom line: Candidly, I’ve told everyone who’ll listen about how awesome this wetsuit is. Seriously. My wife’s overheard at least three separate conversations about it – we got in a fight. Part of me is in utter disbelief at just how blown away I was. I mean, it’s just a wetsuit after all, right? Wrong. Choosing between a Yamamoto suit and a regular suit seems like choosing between surfing normally or choosing to put a gorilla on your back. And nobody wants to surf with a gorilla on their back.
And check out more of our wetsuit reviews here:
