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I bought an NPX 4/3 Assassin (I think) this past Spring. It is warm and comfy and I hope it lasts! I dont' have that many sessions on it so mine still looks new.

I wonder if the Patagonia suits would hold up better over time? They certainly have the killer warranty. I also tend to see a lot of ProMotion wetsuits that last a long time. They used to make a good suit and they have a superb price point. Hopefully theirs haven't changed.

i bought new 2009 np 5000 ulimate 5/3 wetsuit also it have soft stretch skin
i m still impressing with it so i still use it for all year but not hot summer
no problem / no seam tore out , etc

npx and np are same family but different design . that s all

poools81, first of all, sorry for not responding to you more quickly. I've been at our annual dealer meeting for the past 10 days and I've had spotty internet access. Please contact the dealer you bought this suit from and they'll handle the warranty for you immediately. If you ask around on this forum and your local beach, you'll hear that we stand by our products and are very fair with warranties.

I'm sorry your suit had seam issues. Depending on how much you use it, you should be able to get 2 or even 3 seasons out of your Zealot. We have a warranty rate below 1%, but even 1% means they'll be some issues here and there. Sounds like you got one unfortunately.

BWD wrote:Also, it's lame most Co's are too cheap now to go with the smooth skin as much as before, now most are mainly covered in that jersey crap that falls apart, and doesn't keep you as warm, no matter the hype.

We make this exact suit (The Zealot) in a smoothskin "wind" version. You're right, it's definitely warmer when it's really windy. However, the regular version is more durable and a little more stretchy and light weight, so a lot of customers choose it instead. Both versions are fantastic kiting suits.

Some "factory insight", smooth skin is actually not any more expensive than double-lined or "jersey" neoprene. It's one less layer, so it's actually sometimes a little less expensive. Our Zealots are the same price in both versions. Also, double-lined neoprene is notoriously more durable than smoothskin, which is susceptible to cut and nicks.

I got less than a year out of my NPX Assassin before the seam tape started to fall off. I tried gluing it back down a few time, but it got worse and worse, so I just ripped off all the loose flapping tape because it was annoying. Sent two emails to the MFR at the time (and within the warranty period), but they never responded. Gave up. Suit still works but it is annoying to have paid for a seam sealed suit and ended up with a mess.

Sorry to hear Buzzy. What email address did you use when you sent emails to the manufacturer? Send an email to the dealer you bought the suit from and they'll help you out immediately.

the same happened to my billabong wetsuit after 2 months!!!

I also have a 5 year old spring wetsuit from O'neill and it is good.

Not very happy with the NPX Assassin either, bought one in spring 2011 and used it from autumn 2011 until early autumn 2012, ca a year, maybe 20-30 sessions..seams came apart around the breast muscle. I've been training a lot, but still...

Tried fixing it today though, not sure how long it will last..

My Assassin lasted 3 sessions. On the third session I pulled my zipper up and it came all the way off. I did not even pull hard. I looked at the end of the zipper and it appeared there was no top stops (the things at the end of the zipper to stop it from coming off) or they had possibly come off somehow. I have heard of others doing the same. It seems there are some serious quality control issues with these suits.

Get an X-CEL wetsuit!

Very warm, durable and flexible. So good they never flush so it is kind of gross to pee in them!

The water here (Virginia Beach/ OBX) gets down to low 40's and even into the 30's some winters. We have thousands of year round surfers and the suit you see the most in the lineup is X-Cel.

The only thing missing that the kite wetsuits have is the ankle strap. Nothing that some tape can't fix.

SSK wrote:My Assassin lasted 3 sessions. On the third session I pulled my zipper up and it came all the way off. I did not even pull hard. I looked at the end of the zipper and it appeared there was no top stops (the things at the end of the zipper to stop it from coming off) or they had possibly come off somehow. I have heard of others doing the same. It seems there are some serious quality control issues with these suits.

Same with mine - I am looking for a place to get zipper fixed. Anyone know of one in SE US?