15 BEST WETSUITS FOR SURFING IN 2023

A good wetsuit isn’t as cheap as water but should hold its own for a good span. You can expect one to last at least a year if you’re passionate surfers who hit the waves daily; no kidding. If you’re not punctual with surfing, your wetsuit might ride out a good few years, up to four. But remember, it isn’t just about how much you use it, the quality matters too. Less stretchy, more robust wetsuits tend to outlive those high-performance, super stretchy ones.

Having tried hundreds of suits over the course of my life, the way that your wetsuit fits is what is going to keep you warm, and the amount of mobility that you are going to have while you are in the water. 

Without the wetsuit, water molecules surrounding you will pull energy or heat out of your body faster than you can replace it, with no protection. In effect, your body is putting energy into heating up water, thus using precious energy you might have saved up to keep your own body warm. The design traps body heat within your suit, preventing the cold Water from drawing energy from your skin. A thin layer of water is quickly warmed up by your body, and the wetsuit is designed to be tight, preventing a lot of water in, so that your body stays warm, only being exposed to a tiny bit of cold water at a time.

Without a wetsuit, water molecules surrounding you will pull energy or heat out of your body faster than you can replace it with no protection.

In effect, your body is putting energy into heating up water, thus using precious energy you might have saved up to keep your own body warm.

The wetsuit design traps body heat within your suit, preventing the cold water from drawing energy from your skin. A thin layer of water is quickly warmed up by your body, and the wetsuit is designed to be tight, preventing a lot of water in, so that your body stays warm, only being exposed to a tiny bit of cold water at a time.

Wetsuit thickness for different water temperatures is one factor that impacts the cost of a wetsuit the most. The other range of factors includes the materials of the wetsuit, quality in the stitching and seams, and, of course, the wetsuit brand. 

When looking for a wetsuit for less than $300, you will want to look closely at seam construction and neoprene quality. Not all wetsuits are created equal, and although most are made from neoprene it is the seams and construction that make the difference. 

Basic stitches and seams can fail after just a few uses, bearing the stress of being squeezed in and out of the wetsuit. We have also noticed seams in really cheap wetsuits are nowhere near as durable as those of higher-end suits, and are often not uniformly aligned, or raised up at all (which causes chafing). Look for higher-quality stitching techniques in a wetsuit, such as, blindstitching and welded seams to stop water from coming into the suit and to last exponentially longer. 

While it may be tempting to skimp out on money for your first wetsuit, the super-low-cost wetsuits lack the build quality of wetsuits costing only $50 more, will not insulate nearly as well as better suits, or offer anywhere near as much range of motion in the water. At that price, you should expect the wetsuit to offer all of the range-of-motion features that mid-level suits offer, plus some. At this price, you can expect durable wetsuit materials and sturdy stitching, as well as a few sought-after features like a chest zip, added comfort in the pressure points of your neck, and paddling areas such as under the arm.

This might sound like a surprise, but yes, you get wet in a wetsuit. But don’t jump to conclusions. These suits are designed to let in a thin water layer, which your body warms up to create insulation. If we start naming names, the Rip Curl E7 Heatseeker Flashbomb is a top choice. It’s practically the “best all-around” wetsuit out there. Another notable one is the O’Neill Hyperfreak Fire. It’s like a cozy fireplace in the cold waters. If you’re looking for a more stretchy suit, the Quiksilver Highline is your guy. As for durability, the Dakine Cyclone could be a solid “guide to the best” candidate.

If a wetsuit is too big, it will not keep you warm, but if it is too small, it can restrict the motion of your arms and legs. When the wetsuit is loose, it allows water around you to continually touch your skin and remove heat. If wetsuits are too tight, your body will be restricted which will hinder your ability to be mobile enough to surf properly. A wetsuit for surfing should fit comfortably without feeling tight or loose in any area of the body.

A wetsuit for surfing should fit comfortably without feeling tight or loose in any area of the body. The best wetsuits for surfing feel like a second layer of skin, hugging the body without restricting movement.

Wetsuit sizing is a combination of your overall height, chest circumference, and waist size. Almost all of the wetsuit sizes are available in a Short (S) and Tall (T) fit, which is designed to accommodate a variety of different body types. Almost all of the wetsuit brands provide a wide range of sizes to suit a wide range of body types. 

Remember, each wetsuit is different, so you might have to size up or down depending on brand and style. The wetsuit size that you need depends on your build and what activities you are going to be using your wetsuit for. Once you determine your body type and how cold you are going to get, it is time to figure out which wetsuit size you will need. To make sure that you get the right fit, you need to buy a proper-sized wetsuit. 

If you are between sizes, it is always best to get the smaller one, because a wetsuit that is too big will not work nearly as well as one that is too small. To figure out your proper sizing, you will have to know your measurements and compare it with a size chart provided by your wetsuit maker. When measuring up for a wetsuit, there is a simple way to see if it is the right fit. To use a wetsuit sizing chart correctly, you need to take measurements of your height, weight, and chest. 

Most wetsuit manufacturers offer sizing charts listing their respective measurements, as well as their respective sizes. If you check out the various wetsuit manufacturers, you will find that the wetsuits come in different sizes. Most wetsuit brands have their own sizing charts, so make sure to use the charts for the brand that you are buying from. 

Note that the sizes and fits of wetsuits vary for every brand, so always carefully look at the sizing chart to ensure that you will fit into a specific size before buying your wetsuit online. To ensure that you are choosing the correct wetsuit size, you will want to take careful measurements of your body. A wetsuit that is an average of your body measurements would be a good fit. That is, you should always buy a wetsuit close to the appropriate size for clothing, to avoid having one too tight around the body. 

 It is a minefield out there, there are so many brands, so many styles of wetsuits, and so many thicknesses… Lucky for you, we have tons of experience in all types of wetsuits, and we can help make sure that you are getting a perfect suit, with the correct fit through the information in this guide. 

Wetsuit companies do not vary their sizing regimens, so if you are a Medium, you are going to be a Medium for the entire line. The nice thing with some of the wetsuit retailers like O’Neill is they have sizes for normal, smaller, and taller folks, so you will not need to size up or down simply due to height.

Depending on the climate where you live and the change in ocean temperatures throughout the year the number of different wetsuits you need may vary from one to three or more!

This completely depends on the kind of waves and conditions that you’ll be surfing regularly. For example, a long point or beachie that requires a lot of paddling may require a thinner wetsuit considering you’ll be using a lot of energy compared to a perfect reef break that requires very little paddling.

You also need to factor in your body type and resistance to the cold. One surfer may be comfortable in a 3/2mm wetsuit while another requires a 4/3mm wetsuit.

Different seasons, varying ocean temperatures, and wind chill factors require different wetsuits as well.

As a rough guide, you can get a good indication of the required wetsuit thickness based on water temperature in the following sections.

Approximately 71-79 degrees Fahrenheit (21-25 degrees Celcius).

 Please note that this range is for reference only. The actual wetsuit required for different water temperatures depends on different factors such as air temperature, wind chill, body type, and activity level.

Approximately 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit  (18-22 degrees Celcius).

Please note that this range is for reference only. The actual wetsuit required for different water temperatures depends on different factors such as air temperature, wind chill, body type, and activity level.

Approximately 59-70 degrees Fahrenheit  (15-20 degrees Celcius).

Please note that this range is for reference only. The actual wetsuit required for different water temperatures depends on different factors such as air temperature, wind chill, body type, and activity level.

Approximately 54-64 degrees Fahrenheit  (11-17 degrees Celcius).

Please note that this range is for reference only. The actual wetsuit required for different water temperatures depends on different factors such as air temperature, wind chill, body type, and activity level.

Approximately 54 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celcius) and below.

Please note that this range is for reference only. The actual wetsuit required for different water temperatures depends on different factors such as air temperature, wind chill, body type, and activity level.

The thicker a wetsuit is the more it restricts your movement and ability to surf. A 5mm wetsuit does restrict your movement when surfing, however, in the coldest climates in water temperatures approximately 54 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celcius) and below a 5mm wetsuit is essential.

Generally, you’ll want a hooded full body 4/3mm wetsuit for cold water temperatures between 54-64 degrees Fahrenheit (11-17 degrees Celcius). And a hooded full body 5/4mm wetsuit for water temperatures 54 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celcius) and below.

Generally no, you don’t wear anything under a wetsuit. Wearing something under your wetsuit can restrict your movement and cause rubbing which leads to surf rash very quickly. However, one common exception is when female surfers wear a bikini underneath their wetsuits.

As with so many inventions, the debate is on who made the first wetsuit. The wetsuit we have today evolved during the middle of the 20th century, and that is when the argument began about who invented it. The story of the modern wetsuit — the one we know today — goes all the way back to the early 1950s when American physicist Hugh Bradner was looking for ways to improve equipment used by the US Navy. 

However, most people would point to Jack O’Neill as the originator of the wetsuit, having managed to start his own business, after being introduced to neoprene by a surfing enthusiast friend; Garry Hind. Jack O’Neill and his company made huge strides in perfecting the design and developing full-body wetsuits into the large industry that we see today.  

While Hugh Bradner, a physicist, was developing wetsuits for the U.S. Navy, he inspired Jack O’Neill in doing this by making his own for surf purposes. 

While The U.S. Navy may have rejected the wetsuit made by Bradner, surfers were quick to embrace it.

Wetsuits are mostly made of Chloroprene. Chloroprene is a synthetic rubber that is used to make Neoprene through polymerization. This primary wetsuit component contains nitrogen bubbles, which help to decrease convection heat, similar to feathers in a down jacket or layers of clothes in cold weather. Wetsuits are mostly made up of layers of neoprene, as this is the component integral to keeping a wetsuit at a stable temperature under water. 

Neoprene contains thousands of tiny bubbles that serve as an insulator, trapping heat within the wetsuit instead of releasing it to the water. Wetsuits slow down heat loss because they have a thick layer of rubber (neoprene) filled with tiny bubbles. The insulate properties of the rubber/bubbles combination decrease the water temperature losses from the wetsuit.

Neoprene wetsuits provide warmth when wet, but unlike drysuits, they are not waterproof.

We get asked often about what is the best wetsuit brand, but the fact is that wetsuit manufacturing has changed so much over the years, with there being now so many price points, cuts, and types of neoprene, that buying your neoprene is a tricky affair.

There are some incredible brands and products, and all of the wetsuits in our guide are of top quality, but in order to get the best wetsuits for your surfing, you need to have it in your grubby little mitts, and you need to be paying attention. Add in the fact that each wetsuit manufacturer has varying sizes ranges and cuts, and you can understand why you need to try a few different wetsuits in order to do decent comparisons and find the best one that fits.

Generally, once you find a wetsuit brand that consistently fits you best, you’ll stick with it for quite a few years.

Ever wondered why most surfers seem to have a thing for black? No, they aren’t trying to blend in with the sharks! Most wetsuits are black because of the neoprene, a synthetic rubber they’re made from. Now, this material is naturally black, and it’s good at absorbing heat, which makes it the go-to choice for cold water conditions. Rip Curl, O’Neill Hyperfreak, Hyperfreak Fire, Quiksilver Highline, and Dakine Cyclone all offer black wetsuits that are favorites among surfers. So there you have it: science and style, all in one package!