East Coast Surf

I don't know model names, but the dry lock is excel's top of the line suit with bomber seams. Look at a model a price point below.

The RipCurl ebomb is their entry level suit. It is blind stitched (I think) and has tape below the waist and at "critical points". Or where three panels come together. Anyway, I use it in 54F and above (assume sunny, slight wind, and 60F plus air). and have no complaints regarding warmth. I use my hooded R3 for colder days.

Point being, spend your cash on a nice warm suit for the cold days, and get something a little cheaper to fit between that suit and your 3/2.

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Originally Posted by Ottime

June is a little early for board shorts, but things do get quite warm south of the cape. And you can still get plenty of spring squall swells in June. I'd look for a 3/2 and a longboard. Where on the car will you be? It is fairly long.

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I was hoping to avoid the 3/2 purchase. I also own 2mm top and bottoms for tropicalish type trips when the sun isn't blazing and the wing is up. I.e. baja. A 3/2 purchase would complete the wetsuit stable though.
At the base of the cape. Near bourne. I guess that's another good question. How long are the drives around there? Maybe it's better to go southwest versus east on the cape.

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Originally Posted by Atrain505

I was hoping to avoid the 3/2 purchase. I also own 2mm top and bottoms for tropicalish type trips when the sun isn't blazing and the wing is up. I.e. baja. A 3/2 purchase would complete the wetsuit stable though.
At the base of the cape. Near bourne. I guess that's another good question. How long are the drives around there? Maybe it's better to go southwest versus east on the cape.

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Water on the outer cape doesn't really warm up in the summer like it does over in RI, you'd be fine in a 4/3. From Bourne the traffic can be a nightmare if you time it wrong. RI is accessible from Bourne via the 195 and will open up your chances of finding something rideable from the South/Southwest and the cape will pull in anything from the Southeast to Northeast. What dates are you traveling? I might have an extra board if you need.

June 5th-12th. But realistically surfing the 8th-12th after the wedding unless a swell pops up. I'll be renting boards for my wife and my little brother is into surfing now as well so we might as well find a shop. I certainly won't be bringing a board. Seems like it will be some long board cruising unless I get extremely lucky. I enjoy long board cruising.
Always down for a surf if you are around piggity.

Cool man, I'll send ya a PM

Bring the 4/3. You don't have to zip it and you can flush it if you get hot. If it looks like it is going to be hot, and you are thinking if long boarding in RI, might e worth bringin the 2mm gear. When I'm in a log, I can get away with a lot less rubber.

Pigs gots ya on beta. Ping rog as well. He is down on the cape sometimes. I much prefer RI. Especially if there is swell. Points and reefs galore.

Rog is still banned, otherwise I'd send these questions his way as well

Uh-oh. He must have done something really bad to get banned from this place. No wonder he has been so quite recently. I just thought that Maine went flat or something.

I'd like to amend my temps on the ebomb. I went out the other day. Warm upper 70s air, but the water was 53. Still plenty warm. And to note, the ebomb is an entry level suit for RipCurl.

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Originally Posted by Pudge.

strawjack, is their movie available for download anywhere? Missed the Portsmouth premier.

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Not that I'm aware of. I think the Music Hall was it. They are in SD now showing it.

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Originally Posted by Pudge.

Today I was in a 3/2 a little north of Hampton, air 72, water 48, and I was on the struggle bus. Its possible I just have a low tolerance for cold but my instructor was in his hooded 4/3 Drylock that he said he used in Spring and Fall. He was traveling all winter so he didn't say anything about if he would have used his Drylock then.

I am going to look around for sure, those were just some suits that stood out to me. What would you call a midlevel 4/3?

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What shop?

3/2 summer
4/3 spring/fall - hood
winter suit

It sucks, but you can just buy a 4/3 and be hot in the summer. The bitch is the thickness. Rog wears a 4/3 all summer. Actually, I only have a 4/3 now too, but I just wait for board short weather anyway. :biggrin:

Cinnamon Rainbows

Does entry make a difference? Easier to flush a back zip v chest? I just don't want to be cold. I wanted to surf all day except I was ready to throw up with every plunge, and I fell a lot, naturally.

I am trying to get one wetsuit soon, and then keep renting a board for I think they said 15? every saturday morning for 4 hours

But now my buddy says that our instructor wasn't wearing a Drylock. Man I didn't think rubber would be this complicated :confused:

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Originally Posted by Pudge.

Cinnamon Rainbows

Does entry make a difference? Easier to flush a back zip v chest? I just don't want to be cold. I wanted to surf all day except I was ready to throw up with every plunge, and I fell a lot, naturally.

I am trying to get one wetsuit soon, and then keep renting a board for I think they said 15? every saturday morning for 4 hours

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In general, a back zip will flush more than a front zip, depending on the make/model. On most front zips, the zip is only zipping the flap you pull over your head to the suit and it is not zipping the actual wetsuit together the same way a back zip does (if that makes sense). Front zips are usually more work to get off/on but that's why they flush less.

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Originally Posted by strawjack

What shop?

3/2 summer
4/3 spring/fall - hood
winter suit

It sucks, but you can just buy a 4/3 and be hot in the summer. The bitch is the thickness. Rog wears a 4/3 all summer. Actually, I only have a 4/3 now too, but I just wait for board short weather anyway. :biggrin:

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1) rog does a lot of things other would consider a bit eccentric.
2) I agree with your 3/2, 4/3, winter suit scenerio.

I surfed Maine for many a spring/summer/fall and over one winter. The other winters I surfed in either RI or Long Island, which tend to be quite a bit warmer. A 4/3 in summer would be miserable except on the coldest, cloudiest and windiest days. Yes, the water is cool, but tends to be in the low 60s, and the air can exceed 90F. Anyway, if I was surfing year round in ME, I would build my quiver as such.

1) Spend my cash on a bomber winter suit. If I plan to surf year round, I'd rather be too hot in February than too cold. Something like a R4 or Drylock. Hooded. At the end of every winter season, I would triple wash it and put it away in a dark closet for summer. Make that thing last, cause they are not cheap.
2) Next, I'd make sure I have a summer suit. A middle of the line or entry level 3/2. I tend to run warm, so I'd be fine with a back zip.
3) 4/3, no hood, to fill the gap. Something like the ebomb chest zip would fit the bill. Flush makes a bigger difference in colder water/air. I don't really mind the minimal flush one gets with blind stitched not taped/glued seams. So, I'd save money there and get a suit that has the legs glued or taped, but not the upper body.
4) Buy a hood. Probably a squid lid. 5mm boots. Maybe 3mm boots. 3 finger gloves. And likely h20 2mm gloves (best fucking surf glove out there!)

Get a jug to carry hot water and have it waiting in the car. Sometimes that hardest part is changing out of the suit. I used to ride the NYC subway and change at the beach. Wool socks and sheep skin gloves helped.

One way to save money is to not get the pricey winter suit and just buy a bomber 4/3 and also a 1mm vest w/ hood. But then you will likely be cold on the worst of days.

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Originally Posted by Pudge.

But now my buddy says that our instructor wasn't wearing a Drylock. Man I didn't think rubber would be this complicated :confused:

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It really is only complicated when your water temps ranges from 37F to 64F, which is pretty much the entire range for suits other than a shorty. Oh yeah, I'd get one of those too.

I actually surfed two summers with no suit and my first suit was a long leg farmer john. It was not until I was 15 that I bought a wetsuit, and that one had removable sleeves to make it a short sleeve. Dumb suit, but it does get warm in summer.

I pretty much only buy chest zip 4/3. Water temps here range mostly from 52F to 58F. Rarely cooler. Even less rare is it warmer. I hear bat wing back zips don't flush much, but I like the chest zip.

Awesome, I sincerely appreciate the help! I will look more into seam construction, see where I can squeeze the most money out of the 4/3.

The hundred-something page unbiased wetsuit thread on surfer has helped, but the technologies seem to change so much year to year, and there has only been a little more than dozen or so pages in the last year.

must suck to worry about what rubber to wear hahaaaaa.... I only have one number to what I wear,,,, 32 inch waist.:)

In Maine/NH I had a 6/5/4 excel for winter and it was toasty. I had a 3/2 that I used for summers and had a 2mm hood I would put on for fall and spring but the 3/2 eventually wore out.

Now I have a hood less 4/3 rip curl back zip suit (not sure of model, but I think it's probably the entry level/cheapest one) that I use all the time that I don't use the winter suit. In Maine and NH it rarely gets too hot in the summer that I am uncomfortable, but if it does, I just unzip the back a little bit and flush the suit. The real downside to a summertime 4/3 suit is the lack of flexibility that you could get in a nice 3/2 suit (which can be better than a 4/3 if you get a really nice one).

why does that idiot keep posting in this thread? nobody cares.

i have a drylock but i get the bro deal, so i wouldn't recommend that to college student. I would get a 4/3 if i were you and be done. Add the vest-hood combo as it gets colder.

With two kids I have gone thru this whole scenario recently. I have all of what has been mentioned, but at the end of the day you need what I previously posted to surf in NH, but the 4/3 is what probably makes the most sense to get first. That is until you get addicted and the most important suit will be your winter one...because that is when we get waves.

Some people have shallow lives and feel then need to interject. Whatever.

Pudge - you already own a 3/2? Is it decent? Shitty?

I like strawjacks idea of a 4/3, especially if you don't already have another suit.

Maybe I just run hot. Two of you have already said you wear your 4/3 all summer. Rog does, or used to, so that makes three. I can't imagine putting on that much rubber in summers up there, especially if it is a solid, well built suit that does not flush or leak. Which is what you will want if you plan to wear it through the winters. If you already have a 3/2 for the warm weather, then then buyer a solid 4/3 makes a lot of sense.

Here is why I like having multiple suits. I own three. I only wear my R3 in winters. I wash it out real well in spring and store it for summer. The suit I spend the most money on last a lot longer that way, and keeps me warm when I need it most. I have my regular 4/3 that I wear year round. And I have an old beater that I take with me when I'm surfing down south, well in town, or just hanging at the beach with the family and might go for a quick surf. That way I don't get sand/dirt/grime/sun etc into my good suits.

Oh, but most important of all - take care of your suit. Rinse it out after every session. Don't leave it in the sun. Don't piss in it. Don't leave it crumpled up in the trunk of your car. Hang it by the waist, not shoulders. Don't change in the sand. Don't get it sandy. Buy a cheap plastic bucket to change in so you don't grind it into asphalt. Carry a jug of warm water to pour over you and the suit when you get out after your session. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

Ottime, I didn't own the shitty 3/2 I was in, it was rented when I rented a board.

I am going to rent a longboard all summer on every Sunday at Cinnamon rainbows. So I can save that expense of buying one until fall, maybe I'll progress enough that I could see myself on a funboard, we'll see!

As far as suits go, I am going to get an entry level 3/2, I will keep my eye out for lightly used. Then I was going to get a hooded 4/3, mid level. Then drop the actual coin on a really quality winter suit.

I know it's going to be expensive one way or another, I get that. That's just what happens when you take up something new.

Timing is important for me too, I won't be able to buy the 3/2 until my first paycheck sometime in the first week of June. When the water is typically above 55 which is the lower bound for most 3/2s. Then when the water falls below that in September I can get the 4/3, after I buy the board.

Yeah, the 4/3 is way too hot for me in the summer that is why I just use trunks if I go. I run hot also. But my kids surf a lot and they have (now) 3/2, 4/3, and winter suit. Plus we have vest/hood, just a hood, booties and gloves.

CR will have used wet suits but it's obviously a hit or miss. Actually, they'll have a couple of mine this weekend. :) They also have great deals on used boards. CR is a great shop.

Yeah I really liked the guys there when I went. Plus my understanding is that the Wall is a good beginner beach, and I am not sure how far I'll be able to go with a 9 foot longboard and a 2003 Impreza :rolleyes2

Soft rack will get you pretty far.

Your timing sucks.

Best to look for a winter suit on sale Memorial Day and a 3/2 on sale Labor Day.

You may just want to buy a 4/3 in June and search CR for a cheap 3/2 or shorty to get you through the hot days.

Stawjack, while I certainly used to have a 3/2, I got out in a shorty or board shorts every chance I got. As an adult who often only gets to surf for 45 minutes that works fine. When I was a kid, in summer, and a swell was actually running, I would literally put 4 and up to 10 hours in the water per day. Needed the wetsuit for that.

I'll be in Wells last few days of July an the first week in August if anyone wants to surf. I don't care if there is no surf.

There is this one, if you are S or XL. http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/XX843MF-TM3

That site is not cock full of deals. Keep an eye on theClymb. They sometimes have some worth buying.

But seriously anybody reaping benefits if this East Coast swell today?

http://youtu.be/DgYGoVLo_0A

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Originally Posted by Ottime

Keep an eye on theClymb. They sometimes have some worth buying.

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Spoken for truth. Couple weeks ago picked up a brand new rip curl 4/3 after my old 4/3 is now littered with holes. 320 dollar retail. 49 bucks shipped. Stupid deal. Every time I put on the suit I am going to be smiling just because of that.

Also keep an eye on whiskeymilitia.com. I got a 4/3 rip curl suit there a couple years ago for around 100 bucks. Some good deals online but the negative is you can't try on the suit before you buy it obviously. If you've tried on a certain brand before, you can usually get the same size that fit you regardless of the model although each model will have it's differences.

True, but is not like you are fitting ski boots. A little bit of imperfection in fit won't require a punch. I once wore a suit for two seasons that was an inch too long in the sleeve and leg. It was all I had. Hooded 4/3, so I wore it on our cold days (50f water/45f air), and while the sleeves would have ripples in them, I stayed plenty warm. Not suggesting it, just saying it is not a huge deal.

OTOH, I do like to try them on, get to know my fit. I'm mostly a LS, but can be a M or L. Some suits have fit me better than others, but I never have bothered spends much time trying on suits. I tend to look for one on sale, and if it fits, I get it. If they don't have my size, or I am between sizes, I move on. I am also lucky enough to live a few minutes from a hotline, ripcurl and patagucci outlet.

49dollar 4/3 - holy geez that is a good deal. I have always bought from shops, as they were always nearby, but that is a killer deal.

Pudge, I'd still try to get some money together by next weekend. Or even call the Hampton shops that will be having sales that weekend and see if they do lay away. At least around here the summer bookends tend to offer the best deals.

Ottime, I have plenty of money right now! Buuuuuuuut veneer preorders from ON3P drop tomorrow I have been told, and my veneer Jeff's are getting a tad lonely :biggrin:

All the money I have is going to that pair of sticks I have been waiting on, which is why the first paycheck means the 3/2

CR treats their customers better than most...way better than most. You're better off buying from them as you'll get a good fit and then when your done you can trade back in to them. Same with boards...try it and if you don't like bring it back. That shop has the best vibe anywhere. No bro brah bullshit. Kooks are welcomed and taught the ways. They get that everyone starts as a kook and some like myself stay one!

Can agree with the good words for CR. Never heard anything except positive words about the shop and have had some good experiences when going in myself. Can't attest to anything about trade ins but they do have a lot of used stuff so I'm sure they will take stuff in. Pretty big shop with lots of selection too considering it's in NH.

Picked up a new house board from CR last night. WRV Fernandez funboard 8'2" Rounding out the quiver.

edit-
some nice small waves to try it out
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03e8a884.jpg

the shortboarder learning to walk up on the nose
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ps07f293dc.jpg

waves today. nice shoulder with head high sets with some power.

gotta give my kid props for dawn patrol before school. he is full on addict.

Sweet Strawjack. That is awesome. Such a nice healthy addiction. Just warn him about getting post surf nasal drip on his tests. Teachers hate that.

Heard it had some sizable surf at the river mouth this morning but super funky. Do you know what direction the swell was from?

I think it was coming in east southeast. Light sw wind this AM, but just checked a cam and it's little messy now.

waiting for the next set

Attachment 155913

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Originally Posted by matoco

Can agree with the good words for CR. Never heard anything except positive words about the shop and have had some good experiences when going in myself. Can't attest to anything about trade ins but they do have a lot of used stuff so I'm sure they will take stuff in. Pretty big shop with lots of selection too considering it's in NH.

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Worked there for a few summers in high school and Dave, Phil, Ross & company are local legends. That shop is one of the top five-grossing stores for board sales on the entire east coast, which is crazy! Will be tough to get a deal on a summer suit now but if you get it with a board or other stuff they're usually pretty good about giving a deal. I know they used to sell used boards for people on commission, those boards are usually to the right of the board room near the fins, but haven't been there since last summer so not sure what they do. They always have a HUGE Labor Day sale that is awesome for getting deals on stuff. But the nice thing about summer suits is that if you buy a shitty or used 3/2 with holes in it that fits loose, whatever water does seep in is 60 degrees or warmer and not going to kill you. I bought the kookiest 90s-looking 3/2 from a coworker for $80 with super loose ankles but ever though it wasn't super tight, just having a wetsuit on of any kind is enough for me in the summer. Come November it's an entirely different story, but point being you can get away with a shit suit in the summer.

As far as kook spots are concerned ;), The Wall is good but usually pretty mobbed nowadays with the influx of Quebexicans coming in. Whoever is marketing the six-hour drive to NH to surf our crap waves in Montreal is some kind of genius... Canadians seem to nearly outnumber 'Mericans in the water in NH now, I'm sure thanks to the fact that 93 and 101 dump you right out on the beach. But yeah, The Wall, Jenness and Wallis Sands have some waves that are beginner friendly. The Wall's sandbar shifts a ton from year to year though, so how that place surfs changes all the time. Last year it was all fucked up and only surfed well on a low tide... otherwise the deep spot closer to the beach just sapped the waves dry. Either way, hoping there's just a little bit of something to shred on when I come home for a July 4th visit. Rye Rocks gets the most hype from the hardcore crew but when it's good and not so big you have to deal with paddling out through a bunch of bullshit closeouts, The Wall is my favorite spot in the area.

Just found this on my FB from a wall session years back. A buddy of mine going backside DEEP haha.

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/..._3173839_n.jpg

It don't get cold until after Christmas. Throw on a pair of boots, and a 3/2 and a little New England pride will get you through then.

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Originally Posted by Ryan Dunfee

Worked there for a few summers in high school

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You must be ok if Crop kept you around for a couple summers.

His quote was one of my most favorite the first time he got off the tram in JH. His big ole smile and eyes wide open, "I could throw a football and hit the parking lot!" Welcome to the village Crop!

The water was stoopid warm in the cove last wkend. Felt like high 60's!