Latest on wetsuits.....

etarip wrote:

Off the wettie topic for a bit - anyone used the Needs / Project Blank fins w future setup?

I normally ride FCS but got my Webber DS at a really good price - with Futures plugs. And my damn fins I bought have gone AWOL. I’m sure they’ll turn up but I’m thinking of getting a generic set from one of those sites.

Any feedback appreciated. Or other recommendations. I know as soon as I pull the trigger my other fins will appear

Etarip. Hi mate, hope you’re well.

I’ve got a set which came with my MOTE ‘Fiji’ twin fin board. After a fair few surfs I’m finding them a bit rigid.
I’ve just recently bought some Glide fins, beautifully made, very smooth finish, nice arcing curve to them , I’ve got the T5&3/4. they are fibreglass with just a nice amount of flex, I definitely notice the lack of rigidity. AW

Thanks AW.
Doing well mate, hope you’re likewise.

I’ll check out the glides. Feel like I need a little more research.

Had a look on facey and gumtree to see if there were any decent fins on sale, noting that they’re going to be a backup anyway. But there doesn’t seem to be as much out there as there was in the post-Covid 2nd hand market heyday.

etarip wrote:

Thanks AW.
Doing well mate, hope you’re likewise.

I’ll check out the glides. Feel like I need a little more research.

Had a look on facey and gumtree to see if there were any decent fins on sale, noting that they’re going to be a backup anyway. But there doesn’t seem to be as much out there as there was in the post-Covid 2nd hand market heyday.

Etarip. I’ve got a mate in Torquay who deals in 2nd hand fins of all menagerie ,nothing crap.
He’s away for a week chasing the East Coast swell, back on Sunday.
I’ll see what he’s got and maybe he can photograph some and show you. AW

etarip wrote:

Off the wettie topic for a bit - anyone used the Needs / Project Blank fins w future setup?

I normally ride FCS but got my Webber DS at a really good price - with Futures plugs. And my damn fins I bought have gone AWOL. I’m sure they’ll turn up but I’m thinking of getting a generic set from one of those sites.

Any feedback appreciated. Or other recommendations. I know as soon as I pull the trigger my other fins will appear

Hi etarip.
I have sets from both. The Needs ones are stiff solid glass layups, my project blank ones are performance core. They both go okay, depends on what you like. I'm tall and like something that has drive, the Needs are great, the PB's are raked and more springy but do the job. For both the price is nice

Thanks AW and blackers.

As it turns out the needs and PBs are both out of stock anyway. I want something a bit stiffer for the DS.

Need to rip the shed apart again anyway. But I’ll wait out for your contact AW.

Full fibreglass.
Comes in at $83 posted with the extra 30% code.

https://www.captainfin.com.au/collections/sale-items/products/archy-man-...

Thanks SD: I got them, great deal.

A story for the ages:

Spent weeks looking for old fins.

Bought new fins yesterday.

Found old fins this morning.

4/3 shopping time again.

Can anyone confirm with experience that the 3/2 flashbomb heatseeker can be as warm as the 4/3 Ebomb? Ive seen this mentioned in reviews a few times, tempted to give it a try.
Also with rip curl, how much warmth difference do people find between the e bomb 4/3 and regular flashbomb 4/3?

Some other general wetsuit findings recently... I find the Needs are fine for thinner summer related suits, had multiple simple 3/2s, 2/2s, shorts, leggies etc, all great! However I've had nothing but trouble with the 4/3s. First version of the 4/3 liq taped started leaking in the crotch within weeks. Had to spend some time on the phone to get a replacement. The replacement was much better to be fair. Stiff but leak free for 1 winter. Second year it leaked badly in the bum, turned out the actual rubber was splitting in between the inner and outer layers. Last winter bought the zipless yulex 4/3. This thing is that stiff and heavy when wet I would not want to be caught swimming in after a snapped leash in sizeable surf in it. Also leaks all over the place.

In between those ive tried a few from Adelio. They seem to always be on sale, for the price i'd say they are much better than Need in terms of materials and stretch. Have been trying to buy a new 4/3 connor deluxe 2 winters in a row with no luck. Customer service promises to order etc etc and then stop replying. Frustrating when you want to buy their product and they make it hard. Either way the 3/2 deluxe and 22 short arm of theirs have been great. The 3/2 connor deluxe is on 3rd year with no leaks!

Have loved the xcel drylocks in the past but durability has been terrible compared to other brands so finding it hard to fork out $700+ for those again.

I find that a good new 3/2 each year is way warmer than a 4/3 on its 2nd winter

Yeah good take. Are you in Vic? What 3/2s are you using?

Im very tempted to try a heatseeker 3/2, add hood and boots for coldest days and worst a thermo vest hood thing.

ron wrote:

Yeah good take. Are you in Vic? What 3/2s are you using?

Im very tempted to try a heatseeker 3/2, add hood and boots for coldest days and worst a thermo vest hood thing.

Yes, I’m in Victoria mostly on the MP but also the Surfcoast. I’ve tried Need and Ripcurl but find O’Neill fit best. Yes, booties always over reef and on the really windy days a vest and hood.

FWIW, my 4/3 RC Heatseeker turned into a leaker within 2 months - in the crucial spot too. Very cold testicles.

O'Neill Hyperfreak for me.

Had a westsuits one like that, it was dubbed the Nutchillator. A bitter experience in June-September.
Seriously, any wetsuit company can totally take that name and use it - maybe market a Wim Hof style fortifying experience with a suit with a perforated crotch.

..be colloquially called the 'inny' before it left the racks!

Yes, I’m in Victoria mostly on the MP but also the Surfcoast. I’ve tried Need and Ripcurl but find O’Neill fit best. Yes, booties always over reef and on the really windy days a vest and hood.

What Oneill models have you tried? How have they shaped up leak wise and for water absorption?

Island Bay wrote:

FWIW, my 4/3 RC Heatseeker turned into a leaker within 2 months - in the crucial spot too. Very cold testicles.

O'Neill Hyperfreak for me.

Was that the first one with weird shoulder/arm panels? Ive seen a heap of those for sale used with rips around those panels. The next year they canned them. Did Rip Curl do anything about the leaks?

GuySmiley wrote:

I find that a good new 3/2 each year is way warmer than a 4/3 on its 2nd winter

How long are your surfs over winter usually guy?
I like that idea.

@GF, short these days max of 90 minutes but can back up the next day if I want, not bad for a old bastard!
@ron, I just buy the latest and the best for my location, hyperfreak? I eBay the old ones before they leak, tend to be picked up by soft Qlders :))

… and do yourself a favour

https://tidalsurf.com.au/products/quick-dry-wetsuit-hanger?variant=12147...

^^ Yeah I reckon a fence will do.

stunet wrote:

^^ Yeah I reckon a fence will do.

Ha, I used to say/do that until I got one of ^^. From wet to pretty dry overnight hanging up inside the heated house

stunet wrote:

^^ Yeah I reckon a fence will do.

Or gaffer2 wide jacket hangers together? Its cold down here Stu, stuff don't dry in winter.

My 2 cents.
Bought a Ripcurl Flashbomb 3/2 chest zip a while back and have given it a good try-out over the past few weeks.
Was $300 on sale.
Fit is excellent, it's very comfortable, flexible and super warm although water temps up here have been very mild.
After each surf I give it a rinse in fresh water and spin it in the washing machine.
Comes out 95% dry, which is real nice for the next day.
Longevity remains to be seen, in my experience the shoulders tend to thin out.

AndyM wrote:

My 2 cents.
Bought a Ripcurl Flashbomb 3/2 chest zip a while back and have given it a good try-out over the past few weeks.
Was $300 on sale.
Fit is excellent, it's very comfortable, flexible and super warm although water temps up here have been very mild.
After each surf I give it a rinse in fresh water and spin it in the washing machine.
Comes out 95% dry, which is real nice for the next day.
Longevity remains to be seen, in my experience the shoulders tend to thin out.

Regarding shoulder wear do you hang it on a hanger when not in use?

Hiya Don, hope you’ve been getting some waves.
I’ve never in my life hung a wetsuit on a hanger. I just can’t see it being a good thing.
I always lay it flat to dry on a slatted surface.
I’ve always put the thinning in the shoulders down to a higher percentage of lycra used in the construction of those panels for ease of paddling.
I could well be wrong.

I put them on a hangar, folded in the middle across the bar for storage, but only once they’re dry.

The weight of a wet wetsuit suspended on a small surface area stretches the thinner shoulder panels.

For those interested, earlier this year Patagonia began collecting old Yulex suits and breaking them down into their constituent parts. One of those being carbon black, which is mainly to harden rubber in car tyres but is used in the wetsuit industry to dye rubber.

Pata are now recycline Yulex suits and using them in their future suit production.

As per the presser:

PATAGONIA DEVELOPS FIRST END-OF-LIFE SOLUTION FOR WETSUITS 

Retired Yulex® wetsuits used as components to make new ones 

VENTURA, Calif (June 13, 2024) – Patagonia, as the industry leader in environmentally and socially responsible surf  gear, is proud to share the co-development of a groundbreaking circular solution for wetsuits with Bolder  Industries. Earlier this year, Patagonia began collecting end-of-life Yulex® (natural rubber) wetsuits so that they  could be broken down at the molecular level by Bolder Industries to be used as carbon black in the dyeing process  of future Yulex® wetsuits. Carbon black is used to dye the wetsuits' recycled nylon lining and accounts for about 15  - 20% of Patagonia wetsuits’ rubber foam. Production of Bolder Industries’ BolderBlack® uses 90%+ less water and  emits 90%+ fewer greenhouse gases than traditional carbon black. With recent adoptions of Yulex® by other  wetsuit brands, Patagonia hopes to see this collection program grow as more Yulex® wetsuits enter the market,  contributing to circularity. 

Patagonia’s journey into less toxic, neoprene-free alternatives in wetsuit materials began when they partnered  with Yulex® in 2008 to develop a bio-based rubber as a replacement for Neoprene. This wetsuit rubber comes from  the sap of the hevea tree, instead of crude oil or limestone. Four years later, they released their first neoprene-free  wetsuit, and first ever Yulex® wetsuits; and in 2014, they gave the game-changing biorubber recipe to the wetsuit  industry at large.  

In 2020, Patagonia built an on-site wetsuit research, development and repair center, called the Wetsuit Forge, to  put their best repair and design minds under one roof. The level of collaboration rose as the teams could take their  learnings from the most common repairs, use it to influence the design of their new Yulex® Regulator® wetsuits,  and test prototypes at the local breaks in Ventura, Calif. In 2023, these wetsuits were updated with new materials  and designs and are now better performing, more flexible, and easier to repair. They have a lifetime warranty and  now have an end-of-life solution.  

Patagonia collects end-of-life wetsuits in their Wetsuit Forge, where zippers are removed, and the suits are  shipped to Bolder Industries. Here carbon black is extracted from the wetsuits and other rubber scraps such as car  tires. The reclaimed material then goes to Patagonia’s manufacturer, Sheico, where the new wetsuits are  manufactured. The first Patagonia wetsuits containing reclaimed BolderBlack® are set to go on sale in the spring of  2025.  

That's very cool Stu. Well done to them.

And that hanger looks quite creative GS, does it create airflow all the way through?

Andy, the spin dry sounds awesome but I don't think I'd be allowed to do that.

Hang mine under the eaves out of direct sun if I can, on a drying rack so there's some space between the legs and arms as they hang. Haven't suffered any stretching or damage to the mid section of the wetsuit over many years. Store dry folded at waist on a hanger. As for shoulders, yes one of my much older rippies did wear through at the shoulders but it was worn so much.

Those hyperfreaks sound pretty good. My older rippies used to have the seams go quite early but they were used a lot, maybe I'd get a year, maybe half a year... warranty repairs helped. I find the Needs ones last about 3 seasons before leaks, trade off is a bit more stiff, like older generation suits. The more use you can get out of it, the less need to replace, the less damage to the environment, which is the other side of GS's flipping them early & often approach. There's no right or wrong answer, as I get older it would be nice to have a really stretchy easy one that's warm, all the time.

^^ yes, internal airflow is better than anything else I’ve experienced

… and these make sense for doing a van trip in the cooler months or in wetter climates, I reckon they would beat a dry sack hands down….
https://www.watersportsoutlet.com.au/2024-the-dry-pro-wetsuit-carry-bag-...

velocityjohnno wrote:

That's very cool Stu. Well done to them.

And that hanger looks quite creative GS, does it create airflow all the way through?

Andy, the spin dry sounds awesome but I don't think I'd be allowed to do that.

Hang mine under the eaves out of direct sun if I can, on a drying rack so there's some space between the legs and arms as they hang. Haven't suffered any stretching or damage to the mid section of the wetsuit over many years. Store dry folded at waist on a hanger. As for shoulders, yes one of my much older rippies did wear through at the shoulders but it was worn so much.

Those hyperfreaks sound pretty good. My older rippies used to have the seams go quite early but they were used a lot, maybe I'd get a year, maybe half a year... warranty repairs helped. I find the Needs ones last about 3 seasons before leaks, trade off is a bit more stiff, like older generation suits. The more use you can get out of it, the less need to replace, the less damage to the environment, which is the other side of GS's flipping them early & often approach. There's no right or wrong answer, as I get older it would be nice to have a really stretchy easy one that's warm, all the time.

“ the spin dry sounds awesome but I don't think I'd be allowed to do that.”

Yeah you gotta get knock off all the sand, car park gravel, little bits of bark chips etc
Fucked if I’m buying one of those little change mat things, it’s undignified.
I reckon they’re bought by the same type of people who spend 10 minutes washing their surfboard under the beachside shower.

It's more a case of overstepping a domestic boundary and suffering a penalty Andy - there are machines and uses of them that are prohibited eg using plastic egg flips to take wax of a deck, the fun I had finding these boundaries...

A wet yet clean wetsuit in the washing machine is a stepping over a boundary?
Crikey Moses.
Maybe a bit like if my girlfriend got some of my favourite Tupperware, filled it with boiling water, and was dipping their wax in there to soften it up for a new wax job.
Just a step too far.

AndyM][quote=velocityjohnno wrote:

Yeah you gotta get knock off all the sand, car park gravel, little bits of bark chips etc
Fucked if I’m buying one of those little change mat things, it’s undignified.
I reckon they’re bought by the same type of people who spend 10 minutes washing their surfboard under the beachside shower.

Yeah, to hell with those mats, but if you regularly change in rocky dirt parking lots, a $1 Bunnings foam square will save your wettie.
Also, I take my wettie in flexibucket straight to hose tap and half fill it, then thoroughly slosh it around to rinse all salt and grit off. Then hang in shade from the middle.

Andy, are you emotionally invested in your tupperware?

Does a fat dog fart?
Does Raggedy Ann have cotton tits?
Did Jesus play fullback for Jerusalem?

Yes.
Yes I am.

Does a Teddy Bear have cotton balls?

Does a bear shit in the woods?
Is a frog’s arse water-tight?
Does Ken have a polypropylene penis?
Well no actually he’s just got a moulded lump.

AndyM wrote:

A wet yet clean wetsuit in the washing machine is a stepping over a boundary?
Crikey Moses.
Maybe a bit like if my girlfriend got some of my favourite Tupperware, filled it with boiling water, and was dipping their wax in there to soften it up for a new wax job.
Just a step too far.

Wow, who does that? That's terrible.
I bet you told her off.

haha^ I'm the same wi' me tupperware and pots @Andy..
(if you got room why not make an outdoor post-ocean grotto.. after a trip to the local junkyard; $30 ea for an old: dryer, bathtub, wash machine if yr lucky, filleting table, sink, wettie rack, tarp overhead to stop rain/condensation, hose-to-shower-head-bits.. give it a weekend with some copper pipe, and it'll be steaming.. why try do all that sandy stuff inside..? surely not to allow room for the bit of lawn and the succulents?)

velocityjohnno wrote:

It's more a case of overstepping a domestic boundary and suffering a penalty Andy - there are machines and uses of them that are prohibited eg using plastic egg flips to take wax of a deck, the fun I had finding these boundaries...

I never knew what a GHD hair dryer was or how expensive they were until I cooked my wife's using it for nefarious wax removal purposes. The egg flip sounds like a safer and cheaper boundary for sure.

basesix wrote:

haha^ I'm the same wi' me tupperware and pots @Andy..
(if you got room why not make an outdoor post-ocean grotto.. after a trip to the local junkyard; $30 ea for an old: dryer, bathtub, wash machine if yr lucky, filleting table, sink, wettie rack, tarp overhead to stop rain/condensation, hose-to-shower-head-bits.. give it a weekend with some copper pipe, and it'll be steaming.. why try do all that sandy stuff inside..? surely not to allow room for the bit of lawn and the succulents?)

Coastal lifestyle nirvana!

sell it as a lovely on-site dog-care station : )

Dog’d get dizzy in the dryer though :)
Edit: hair dryer or tumble dryer??

ha, all of the above.. and some op-shop spatulas. A fun semi-wet outside area where you get the job done.. or can have a soak.. kids need it, dogs need it, sea-peeps need it.. tumble dryer can be for the dog blanket if you don't mind sharing.
(I must admit though, moving my tumble dryer into the main living area helps maintain air moisture and not-wasted mid-week heat-production when getting the kids' school clothes dry .. a simple batik-throw over it when not in use.. reminds me of domestic smells in the 80s too..)

Wow, this has become the Swellnet domestic science thread! Cool. Okay, question: stacking the dishwasher, rules or fee for all? Good for booties?

Gents (and ladies) I've solved this wetsuit problem and have developed and refined a system I call : Rapid Fire Heating.

It takes a couple of wetsuits. A primary and a back-up. The goal is to always have a bone dry wetsuit to put on. When I say dry, I mean, like the Sahara Desert dry. Not damp in any way shape or form.

You need a car for Rapid Fire Heating and you need to be able to park it in the sun.

Once a wetsuit is used, you hang it somewhere until it is drip dried. Then you put it in the car in the sun, over a seat with a towel over it.
Water is a sticky molecule and the mechanism is to impart heat energy into the water molecules on the wetsuit, until they evaporate.
You leave the windows ajar so the water molecules can escape the warm interior of the car- which in effect becomes a wetsuit drying oven.

This works perfectly.

I'm a winter dawn patroller, so even though it's sub-tropical water temps, air temps are usually single digits. Sometimes close to zero with wind chill.
A bone dry wetsuit makes the winter dawnie an absolute treat.

Any questions?

blackers wrote:

Okay, question: stacking the dishwasher, rules or free for all?

Serious..?

The ability to stack a Smeg is the difference between us and the apes.

stunet wrote:

blackers wrote:

Okay, question: stacking the dishwasher, rules or free for all?

Serious..?

The ability to stack a Smeg is the difference between us and the apes.

Oh, I agree but I happen to live in a house of bonobos.

I’m hearing ya Blackers. It’s a daily struggle!

blackers wrote:

stunet wrote:

blackers wrote:

Okay, question: stacking the dishwasher, rules or free for all?

Serious..?

The ability to stack a Smeg is the difference between us and the apes.

Oh, I agree but I happen to live in a house of bonobos.

The horror...