The Sarvo Series 3/2, after a session in San Diego.
Editor’s Note: This feature is presented by our partners at Flatrock.
Over my nearly two decades of surfing, I’ve tried just about every major wetsuit brand on the market. And as a rail-thin surfer who doesn’t retain body heat, I value a quality wetsuit more than most of my peers.
While accumulating enough neoprene to create a carbon footprint that offsets my vegan diet, anti-consumerist wardrobe, and gas-efficient Nissan, I’ve also formed a long list of wetsuit gripes. Some suits have awkward liners that detach from the suit. In one suit my heel exploded straight through the calf area when I was sliding my foot through. Some are cut in a manner that creates excess neoprene around the armpits or groin, leading to painful rashes. My current 5/3 winter suit has micro-tears in the groin that send a steady trickle of freezing water straight to the gonads. Burrrr.
So when I heard about Flatrock, an Australian wetsuit brand started by two brothers in Sydney that emphasizes fit and comfort, I was more than willing to give the suits a test. Flatrock hit the drawing boards and worked with an Australian design firm to produce a superior cut and comfort. They don’t go cheap on their materials with premium Japanese limestone neoprene. Plus Flatrock offers 100-day returns on its products if unused. There’s no risk in giving the suits a shot.
Flatrock’s mantra of fit and comfort spoke to me.
I got my Flatrock suit in the mail and was eager to see if the claims of fit/comfort were true. Even in a steamy, summertime San Diego apartment, I put the suit on and walked around the living room. The snug was great. There was no clump of rash-provoking excess neoprene in the armpits and groin, the nightmare of any surfer. Once it passed the house test, I gave it a whirl in the water.
There was a fresh northwest wind swell running in San Diego with pesky south wind. Everyone who owns a surfboard in these parts knows that means decent surf at Scripps in La Jolla while most other spots in San Diego (California for that matter) suffer with the devil wind.
The Sarvo Series 3/2
I pulled up along the multi-million dollar beach houses of La Jolla Shores, watched the parking enforcer dole out tickets to those who forgot about street sweeping, and threw on my Sarvo Series 3/2 fullsuit. It was snug, soft, and fit – so far so good. I missed the ideal dawn patrol window and the wind was already turning onshore in the late morning. Even so, some punchy, chest-to-head-high bowls allowed for a few speed pumps before the close-out maneuver of your liking.
My movement felt free, the fit was still comfy in the water, and I must add that butter-smooth zipper was oddly satisfying to open and close. The water was a mild 69 Fahrenheit (20.5 C), a temperature that would cause some surfers to look for their boardies. But for me, a human who warms up like a basking lizard, the 3/2 was perfect. It’ll be my go-to suit as we transition from summer to fall here in Southern California.
I left the session with that radiant new-wetsuit feeling. Is there anything better than a leak-free wetsuit? And I felt even better knowing that Flatrock had planted a tree on my behalf – a pledge they make for every wetsuit sold. More trees and rash-free wetsuits make the world a better place.
The Australian-designed suits are only available online in the U.S. Get yours at a 15 percent discount on Flatrockwetsuits.com.au using the code INERTIA15 – knocking a few bucks off an already competitive USD $240 price point. Flatrock offers a lifetime warranty on its products: if the suit rips, it gets fixed for free.
