Front entry requires a bit of practice, but then once you're used to it, it's actually better at keeping the water at bay. And it's also much better for surfing. I hate the extra bits of zipper in the back of the neck, source of stiffness and pain eventually. No big deal for kiting though.
I've been very happy with O'Neill wetsuits for a long time. HOWEVER, there is a material used in some of their wetsuit ranges that has an incredibly strong rubbery smell. So strong that it fills the room where you dry your wetsuit, and sticks to your skin for a couple of days. It definitely reeks and if I had known that this wouldn't fade away after a year, I'd have returned my son's wetsuit. Another friend (and his partner) was mentioning that problem, and I couldn't comprehend it until I experienced it too. The models with the blue "TB2" inner material are fine, the ones with a black material are the ones I'd avoid.
[EDIT:] that's what I'm talking about!
https://www.reddit.com/r/surfing/commen ... like_weed/