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Wrapping up winter in the south east sporting my Patagonia R3. Water hit the mid 40's air in the 30's. With booties, gloves and occasional hood for dawn patrol sessions I was very toasty.
my boz is a great suit, very stretchy but the flushing is too much for northeast winter. broke down and bought an xcel and it works great. the hood seals up great and there is no flush. content for now.
Always a big fan of Xcel wetsuits, can no longer say the same since they were bought by Billabong. problems with seams blowing out much sooner, the smooth chest rubber disintegrates, knee pads leak, and the internal sleeve/wrist gaskets fray and fall apart - my 5/4/3 2010 Drylock model is only 6 months old, is in much worse condition then a four year old 5/4/3 that has 3x the water time on it - same goes for 4/3 models...the manager of a local surf shop says he has never seen so many wetsuit returns during the warranty period as Xcel for the past year..a lot of them my friends wetsuits, who say they won't buy another Xcel..
a real shame, since they were always one of the best..
Post Extras:
stu dog
Duke status
Reged: 01/15/03
Posts: 21701
Loc: CA
any further updates on isurus suits now in immediate need for a 4/3 replacement after taking a rock slab to the chest on Thursday which cut up the slick skin on my suit. one of the cuts opened up pretty good yesterday. once that happens it's tough to fix. isurus now sells suits on their site. $445 for the 3-4-3. hate paying full price, but the fast drying time really has me interested. really liked the Xcel's i've had but their drying time sucks.
Post Extras:
rid
Gerry Lopez status
Reged: 11/20/08
Posts: 1068
Loc: Long Beach, CA
tried teh 3-4-3 at thalia surfshop. couldnt get into MT. struggled with L, couldnt get it on either. for reference, my matuse is MT and other suits L or MT.
Felt very similar to matuse in quality and construction. nice suit.
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stu dog
Duke status
Reged: 01/15/03
Posts: 21701
Loc: CA
Quote: tried teh 3-4-3 at thalia surfshop. couldnt get into MT. struggled with L, couldnt get it on either. for reference, my matuse is MT and other suits L or MT.
Felt very similar to matuse in quality and construction. nice suit.
yeah i've heard/read both isurus and matuse are tough to get into. but people complain about getting in/out of Xcel's and i've got no problem with them
Post Extras:
heelnipstr
Billy Hamilton status
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 1445
Loc: Southern Tip, Norcal
Quote: tried teh 3-4-3 at thalia surfshop. couldnt get into MT. struggled with L, couldnt get it on either. for reference, my matuse is MT and other suits L or MT.
Felt very similar to matuse in quality and construction. nice suit.
yeah i've heard/read both isurus and matuse are tough to get into. but people complain about getting in/out of Xcel's and i've got no problem with them
the build, quality, and material a much different than the excel. they look and feel good but a very tight fit. they dropped off the map around these parts imo, bit of a gamble.
-------------------- "Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business."
- Tom Robbins
Post Extras:
kellsmith
Miki Dora status
Reged: 04/18/11
Posts: 3711
Loc: South Bay
So my Matuse is about to hit a year and a half and I think it's hitting it's shelf-life. The rubber itself is holding up reasonably well, with a few exceptions on the slick-skin where some craters have formed. The main problem lies in the glue that they use on all of their blind stitching (most of the top half of the suit). The high strain seems like the ones above the hips and under the arms are coming apart. This is a big problem with this suit because the glue is basically all that holds it together with except for the blind stitching on the inside that is held together by a single layer of neoprene. As a result the foamy rubber that makes up the slick-skin is tearing/ripping. To circumvent the suit becoming completely useless I am going to try to do some repairs and hope for the best.
All in all I am pretty disappointed with my Matuse. I think I paid $300 for it, which still seams like too much for what I got. I completely babied this suit and it's falling appart. To top it off, the 3/2/2 Hoplite's warmth and flex doesn't even compare to the suits you can grab at the Rip Curl outlet for $150. So that means it's sole benefit is the weight? I wear a Patagonia R3 in the winter which is notorious for being a heavy suit and I have never once thought to myself "Man this suit is heavy".
So my Matuse is about to hit a year and a half and I think it's hitting it's shelf-life. The rubber itself is holding up reasonably well, with a few exceptions on the slick-skin where some craters have formed. The main problem lies in the glue that they use on all of their blind stitching (most of the top half of the suit). The high strain seems like the ones above the hips and under the arms are coming apart. This is a big problem with this suit because the glue is basically all that holds it together with except for the blind stitching on the inside that is held together by a single layer of neoprene. As a result the foamy rubber that makes up the slick-skin is tearing/ripping. To circumvent the suit becoming completely useless I am going to try to do some repairs and hope for the best.
All in all I am pretty disappointed with my Matuse. I think I paid $300 for it, which still seams like too much for what I got. I completely babied this suit and it's falling appart. To top it off, the 3/2/2 Hoplite's warmth and flex doesn't even compare to the suits you can grab at the Rip Curl outlet for $150. So that means it's sole benefit is the weight? I wear a Patagonia R3 in the winter which is notorious for being a heavy suit and I have never once thought to myself "Man this suit is heavy".
To summarize, I wont buy another one.
Bummer. Was it an '08 model, by chance? Seems everyone I know that bought those, including myself, had them fall apart at the glued seams. Thankfully, they repaired mine twice, and when it happened again they gave me a 2010 model last year. I've worn that thing an average of 3-6 times a week since before winter, and it's holding up extremely well. Looked it over tonight and see no signs of weakness anywhere, and I haven't babied it aside from the usual rinse after surfing and hanging in the shade. The '10 model fits me better, is less restrictive, dries SO much faster than my Xcel 3/2 (this one is a 4/3/2, which is basically a 3/2 with a small smooth panel of 4mil in the chest), and doesn't have the smooth skin in random places that are succeptible to failure at the seams. I've been very, very happy with this suit and would definately get another. Mine usually sits in the car all day while I work, then I hang it in the shade in the late afternoon before bringing it inside at night. It's almost completely dry for the next day's dawn session. That's big for me. Very good suit!
-------------------- "Surfing reminds us of how good life is."
Oceansliding
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rid
Gerry Lopez status
Reged: 11/20/08
Posts: 1068
Loc: Long Beach, CA
love my 3/2/2 matuse. havent used it as much as others and it is not perfect but it fits best among all suits i've tried (rip curl ebomb, drylock 3/2, 4/3, psycho ii 3/2, gato heroi, patagonia r3). dries quick too. the best suit around teh neck, pretty much no flush at all.
anyone using a quik cypher chest zip? I had an ignite a few seasons back and it got me through the season. It was warm and flexible but a bit tight of a fit in the neck for me.
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
Indeed it is. I have already had a bad zipper repaired. 6 months out of warranty I didn't really think appealing to them to repair it was in the cards. Although I feel obliged to share that this was the most expensive suit I've ever purchased and also the least amount of time a suit has ever lasted me.
Backzip on my barely year old '08 Matuse 3/2/2 blew out yesterday while suiting up. Pulled the zip up and it kept on going all the way off end up with the strap and the zipper closure thingy in my hand. Little plastic piece at the top of the zipper broke off. Wonder if they will fix it. May have to try the old extended warranty through the credit card company.
The glue is failing in some places on my suit as well. Good thing I only paid like $200 for it.
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Retropete
Billy Hamilton status
Reged: 01/20/06
Posts: 1748
Loc: Sunny Coast Qld Australia
Had nothing else to do and started reading this thread out of curiousity. Man am I glad I live in a boardshorts 8 months of the year climate with all the trouble you guys have finding a good wetsuit. I wear and Ebomb long sleeve spring through winter but was uncomfortably warm in it today. Have an Ebomb steamer (fullsuit) but only wear it when I go down Sth of the border (Nth NSW) as the water's a bit colder down there. Both comfortable and no issues but I don't use them all that much. Don't get me wrong I'm not gloating. I do remember surfing Sthn Cali in Autumn and spring and am glad I spent the winter up in the mountains because the water was cold enough for me then. Can't even imagine how you guys in Nth Cali and NYC and so on Northwards handle it.
-------------------- Caution: Excessive Kool aid consumption may result in a bitter aftertaste.
Quote: Backzip on my barely year old '08 Matuse 3/2/2 blew out yesterday while suiting up. Pulled the zip up and it kept on going all the way off end up with the strap and the zipper closure thingy in my hand. Little plastic piece at the top of the zipper broke off. Wonder if they will fix it. May have to try the old extended warranty through the credit card company.
The glue is failing in some places on my suit as well. Good thing I only paid like $200 for it.
same thing happend to me. You can fix it yourself. google how to fix a zipper and youll get some videos. I put a nick in the zipper as low as I could since I could get the bottom piece that holds both sides of the zipper togeter. it you can get that off your golden.
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stu dog
Duke status
Reged: 01/15/03
Posts: 21701
Loc: CA
anyone familiar with the Rip Curl Flash Bomb? probably too early for experiences with it, but 15 minute drying time & flexible? Too good to be true wonder if it does the job for warmth how's rip curl's current seam construction? reviews?
Couple of my friends are wearing Rip Curl E-bombs this year and they're happy so far. I checked them out and everything looked alright. Soft, nice sealed seams. Not a fan of the reverse zipper chest zip design but it's not a deal breaker.
Quick drying is great but 15 minutes sounds like some advertising hype to me.
i have a few rip curl ebomb suits. very easy to get in and out of. going on second season on my 3/2 and one season on the 4/3 and really no issues. maybe a tiny bit of leaks in the seams around the ankles/calfs. i'm very happy with them.
i've been waiting for the flash bomb as well. my only concern with it is the stitchless seams. i hope they are better than oniells because i swore off oneill suits after my last two psycho ii's came apart at the seams in under 10 sessions
i'm going to give the flashbomb a shot though. the inside lining looks real comfy for the weekday pre dawn sessions
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stu dog
Duke status
Reged: 01/15/03
Posts: 21701
Loc: CA
Quote: my only concern with it is the stitchless seams. i hope they are better than oniells because i swore off oneill suits after my last two psycho ii's came apart at the seams in under 10 sessions
yeah i wonder if it's another idea Rip Curl tries but walks away from only to have another company to implement the manufacturing better. or maybe all them are going this route the 15 minute dry time is total marketing. but beats Xcel's 8 hour dry time using a portable space heater
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Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
what's a better suit the ebomb or f-bomb? lol, they called it the f-bomb!
anyways, are the ripcurls more flexible and warm than the quiksilve cypher suits? I'm thinking of going full japanese custom route but if I can find a nice 4/3 on sale around $200 I'll get one, especially how cold this summer will prob be lol!
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
Quote: what's a better suit the ebomb or f-bomb? lol, they called it the f-bomb!
the f bomb is more expensive and maybe more durable. the seams in the torso/arms is stitchless double weld seams so i don't know how they hold up. the e bomb is light and stretchy and easy to get in and out of compared to the f bomb.
my axxe suit lining dries in minutes as well. the rest of the suit not so much.
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Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
Quote: what's a better suit the ebomb or f-bomb? lol, they called it the f-bomb!
the f bomb is more expensive and maybe more durable. the seams in the torso/arms is stitchless double weld seams so i don't know how they hold up. the e bomb is light and stretchy and easy to get in and out of compared to the f bomb.
my axxe suit lining dries in minutes as well. the rest of the suit not so much.
don't be dropping no f-bombs yo!
fark, if I can get an ebomb for around $200 I'd be stoked. starting to think that wetsuits are just disposable items. the flexible ones don't last and the durable ones are too stiff and constricting.
que.. super dureable flexy wetsuit guy in 3,2,1....
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
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ifallalot
Duke status
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 17938
Loc: Carlsbad, CA
Quote: what's a better suit the ebomb or f-bomb? lol, they called it the f-bomb!
the f bomb is more expensive and maybe more durable. the seams in the torso/arms is stitchless double weld seams so i don't know how they hold up. the e bomb is light and stretchy and easy to get in and out of compared to the f bomb.
my axxe suit lining dries in minutes as well. the rest of the suit not so much.
My F bomb only lasted through a summer in Santa Cruz
-------------------- The only two things in life that make it worth livin is guitars tuned good and firm feelin women
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Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
Quote: what's a better suit the ebomb or f-bomb? lol, they called it the f-bomb!
the f bomb is more expensive and maybe more durable. the seams in the torso/arms is stitchless double weld seams so i don't know how they hold up. the e bomb is light and stretchy and easy to get in and out of compared to the f bomb.
my axxe suit lining dries in minutes as well. the rest of the suit not so much.
My F bomb only lasted through a summer in Santa Cruz
that's why they call em f-bombs b/c dat's what u be dropping after stvpid suit only lasts 3 months in santa cruz lol!
e-bomb it is. don't trust no fused welded seams. new tech will take em' 10 years to perfect it
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
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ifallalot
Duke status
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 17938
Loc: Carlsbad, CA
Quote: I may go back to Rip Curl though because my buddy at work gets a bro deal
If I'm payin 40% off I'll deal with a one-winter only suit
dude, they're all one winter suits more or less. seriously, maybe 1.5 seasons at best and either they become too stiff of disentegrate. like I said, disposable and not worth full price.
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
Post Extras:
silentbutdeadly
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 11616
Loc: Tower 13
Nearing end of season on my 2010 3/2 drylock purchased from Whiskey last summer. Started wearing it in Novemeber (I think) and it has been regularly rotated with either my worn out 3/2 xzip, or my 4/3 drylock so it doesn't have tons of use.
Unfortunately it's showing some wear. Some tape coming off here and there and it has developed two pin hole leaks, one in the knee and one near the man parts. Not huge, but enough to let an annoying trickle of water in.
Will send back for warranty when the water warms up but the pin hole leaks are a tough one.
This is my first full with the bamboo stuff and to be honest, doesn't seem as flexible as my infiniti xzip. Flushing is still mostly non existent but there's something about it that is not quite as soft.
If I can continue to get these suits on Whiskey I still will but if I had to pay full price, or close to it, I would definitely begin to entertain more options.
-------------------- Thou shall not commit adulthood
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Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
Quote: Nearing end of season on my 2010 3/2 drylock purchased from Whiskey last summer. Started wearing it in Novemeber (I think) and it has been regularly rotated with either my worn out 3/2 xzip, or my 4/3 drylock so it doesn't have tons of use.
Unfortunately it's showing some wear. Some tape coming off here and there and it has developed two pin hole leaks, one in the knee and one near the man parts. Not huge, but enough to let an annoying trickle of water in.
Will send back for warranty when the water warms up but the pin hole leaks are a tough one.
This is my first full with the bamboo stuff and to be honest, doesn't seem as flexible as my infiniti xzip. Flushing is still mostly non existent but there's something about it that is not quite as soft.
If I can continue to get these suits on Whiskey I still will but if I had to pay full price, or close to it, I would definitely begin to entertain more options.
I still have a 2008 xzip 3/2 that is still way flexier than my drylock ever was. I think that neck seal causes more stiffness but warmer.
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
Im buying another e-bomb,it will be my 3rd one,was going to get a exel but herd to much bad stuff about craftsmanship, I have had great performance,the e bomb is not a gimmick, [feels like 2nd skin,da bomb]for a 4/3 its like wearing a 2/2.They only last a year but are so stretchy & soft,does anyones suit last more than a years of heavy use?flex for more fixes?
Post Extras:
Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
Quote: Im buying another e-bomb,was going to get a exel but herd to much bad stuff about craftsmanship, I have had great performance,the e bomb is not a gimmick, [feels like 2nd skin,da bomb]for a 4/3 its like wearing a 2/2.They only last a year but are so stretchy & soft,does anyones suit last more than a years of heavy use?flex for more fixes?
read my prev post. super flexy and limited durability or stiff and lasting.
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
Yeah Havoc, you may be right about the neck closure being the restrictive part.
As far as a suit lasting more than a year? The Xzip I am talking about went through a full season of non stop use, then got the neck reinforced and some tape repaired and it made it through all last summer, then in rotation with my other suits this last winter. It's still a comfy suit down to about 58 0r 59. It's been a good one.
-------------------- Thou shall not commit adulthood
It sucks because you have the big companies that know how to design a suit- Xcel, Rip, Oniell, etc. and then you have the companies that use the quality materials- Matuse, Isurus (etc?) but I have yet to see a company really nail it and produce a japanese rubber suit that has a solid design.
Either one of those two small companies is capable of it, I think, but they need to get their priorities in order. For example Matuse should probably put less money into making their team riders look like colossal douchebags with their off-putting advertisements and more money into designing a suit that doesn't fall apart as quickly. Also, standing behind their product would go a long ways towards developing customer loyalty, a la Patagonia. I'm not holding my breath, though. It may just be me but when matuse started selling jewelry, handbags and $4500 books I sort of lost faith in them as taking the whole wetsuit design business seriously.
Isurus does have a solid suit with the beautifully taped seams and the softest rubber I've ever felt. Quick drying, stretchy, warm, etc. Their prices are better than matuse but they have minor fit and design issues. Also they do not look as cool as matuse which doesn't bother me but for their own sake they should look into designing a better logo.
I wonder if the Yamamoto rubber really is so expensive that the major companies aren't making suits because they would have to charge so much to maintain their high profit margins? I think an Xcel Drylock made out of the Isurus honeycomb rubber would probably be about as good as it gets at this point.
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Havoc
Tom Curren status
Reged: 09/10/07
Posts: 10000
Loc: The OC Life
i seem to be collecting suits every year since none of them are leakfree after 1 season of use.
so far
1 patag r2 backzip that i like 1 xcel 3/2 xzip super flexy. may make into a short arm full 1 xcel 3/2 drylock. leaks, tape cracked so it rashes me. may peel off take and make into a short leg long arm spring suit 1 patag r3 backzip. my warmest suit by a mile but also my stiffest. 1 3/2 2010/2011 xcel drylock I got off whiskymiltia that I may return. quality seems not so good as prev years
that's it. I may pick up another 4/3 this summer if I can find something good for at least 30-40% off. Heard great things about the quik cypher so I'll be looking for one.
I really want to get one of those custom japanese suits. all 3 mill zipperless made by airtight/seven/saver cross. I used to wear those future/future wave suits and to this day the all 3 mil future zipperless was by far the warmest longest lasting suit I've ever owned. got stolen before I wore it out.
so really 2 routes to go with wetsuits. 1. disposable at 30-50% off quiver em or 2. custom japanese rubber
buell's are ok for stock suits but need some improvements. all the other big names seem to be made in the same factory of similar quality which aren't worth full retail imho. well maybe the patagonias for the warranty alone. They make a good chestzip.
Havoc
-------------------- "motions of rippage is initated by the hind leg"-Northern_Shores
"Lemme know. I got endson gas"-20W
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now in immediate need for a 4/3 replacement after taking a rock slab to the chest on Thursday which cut up the slick skin on my suit. one of the cuts opened up pretty good yesterday. once that happens it's tough to fix. isurus now sells suits on their site. $445 for the 3-4-3. hate paying full price, but the fast drying time really has me interested. really liked the Xcel's i've had but their drying time sucks.
