A wakeboarding wetsuit — be it a full, spring or just a top — is the key to extending your season on both ends. Follow these tips to find the best wakeboarding wetsuit for you and you’ll find yourself shredding earlier this spring and later this fall.
Know What’s What
When shopping for the best wakeboarding wetsuit, it’s important to speak the lingo.
Seams There are essentially two types of seams: glued and blind stitched (GBS) and flatlock stitched. GBS seams tend to be a little more expensive but do not allow water to pass through them like the flatlock stitch.
Neoprene It’s also called rubber or foam, and it’s what the majority of the suit is made of. The difference in the stretchiness of the neoprene usually determines the cost. The stretchier the neoprene, the better. The cost will generally go up as you get into the more flexible rubber.
Millimeters When you see a suit is a 3/2, this means the suit has 3 mm thick neoprene in the body panels and 2 mm on the arms and legs. 3/2s are usually good for spring and fall riding. When you get into colder water you want to be in the 4/3 range. 5/4s are for the super cold environments, and anything over 5 mm is probably not going to be comfortable to ride in.
Wrist and Ankle Seals Most companies have some sort of liquid tape or material that keeps the ankle and wrist seals nice and tight. This keeps the cold water out.
Buying Tips
Now that you know what to look for, here are some tips on how to find it.
Try on multiple brands Each wetsuit brand has a little different fit, so try on a few and see which fits your body type best.
Plastic Bag Trick You can either bring one, or most shops will have a plastic bag on hand that you can use to get those legs in. You just put the bag over your foot, and put the suit on like you normally would and the bag magically eliminates all the friction.
