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Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

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heisenberg135
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Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby heisenberg135 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:35 pm

Hey guys, for u what is the best westsuit for kitesurf, in 4/3????

Thanks!

SaltWaterDog
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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby SaltWaterDog » Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:49 pm

Ripcurl’s Flashbomb is the best of the best as far as I’m concerned, but check out the below link which I think gives you the best value for your money.

https://needessentialseu.com/

If you need both winter and summer suits I’d recommend a 3/2 when you’ve got water temps above 9C. The flexibility of a 3/2 is a big plus and supplementing with a thermal underneath if you need. I go 3/2 most of the year and then 6/5/4 for the winter season.
Last edited by SaltWaterDog on Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

tomi3000
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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby tomi3000 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:53 pm

For me the best are Ripcurl wetsuits especially the flashbomb range and I like them for the quality of E5 neoprene, warmth and fit. Zipless version provides better range of movement but frontzip is easier to get in/out so it is personal preference. I do also like Ion Strike Select range for its warmth, durability and useful features for kitesurfing like drain holes and shin guards. On the other hand I will say that from the premium wetsuits the biggest disappointment recently was O'Neill Psychofreak 4/3. Quality of materials is poor especially the thickness of neoprene is a joke, does not provide enough warmth and liquid taping inside started cracking within the first season of moderate use.

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby dragnfly » Wed Aug 22, 2018 2:45 pm

I've also got 2 flashbombs, a 4/3 & a 6/4 both in E4 neoprene - best wetsuits I've ever owned by miles.

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby Da Yoda » Wed Aug 22, 2018 4:17 pm

There's only one answer... THE ONE THAT FITS!
Go try on as many wetsuits as you can. The "best" wetsuit will find you.
Way too many brands and models to list, but I'd focus on the kiteboard brands first since they're tailored more towards kiting like seam orientations to accommodate a harness and drains and ankle straps so you don't get water ballooned. Start with brands like Mystic, Ion, NPSurf, Ride Engine, Prolimit, Manera, Brunotti, etc. I'd also recommend a mid priced model since most of the high-end suits are mostly marketing and hype from my experience. Enjoy the search!

If you like the direct-sale business model (like Switch Kites) check out Needessentials wetsuits. Really nice and priced right for their quality. They're awesome if they FIT ya! :thumb:
https://www.needessentialsusa.com

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Slappysan
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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby Slappysan » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:41 pm

How are the need essentials for balloon legs? Looks like some decent suits at good prices.

I've had great experience with NP Surf suits but they only last 2 seasons.

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby Da Yoda » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:49 pm

Slappysan wrote:
Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:41 pm
How are the need essentials for balloon legs? Looks like some decent suits at good prices.

I've had great experience with NP Surf suits but they only last 2 seasons.
Unfortunately they're tailored to surfing, so you'd have to make your own drains. One nice aspect of the Need suits is the panel of smooth neoprene on the backside works really well with securing a hardshell harness in place. Almost zero slip! :thumb:

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby SaltWaterDog » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:55 pm

Need is great! Highly recommend. I’m 191cm and 88kg and my LT size suits have given me no problems. Yes it’s true that it’s the one that fits you that’s the best but as long as you get the measurements as close to your true fit as possible you’re fine. If it’s a decent suit there will always be some give once you’ve had it on a couple times. RipCurl is top quality and I also agree that ION suits are good but nothing beats Needessentials in terms of value for money. The dry bag accessory is also totally worth getting.

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby Rob_85 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 7:11 pm

Da Yoda wrote:
Wed Aug 22, 2018 4:17 pm
There's only one answer... THE ONE THAT FITS!
Go try on as many wetsuits as you can. The "best" wetsuit will find you.
Way too many brands and models to list, but I'd focus on the kiteboard brands first since they're tailored more towards kiting like seam orientations to accommodate a harness and drains and ankle straps so you don't get water ballooned. Start with brands like Mystic, Ion, NPSurf, Ride Engine, Prolimit, Manera, Brunotti, etc. I'd also recommend a mid priced model since most of the high-end suits are mostly marketing and hype from my experience. Enjoy the search!

If you like the direct-sale business model (like Switch Kites) check out Needessentials wetsuits. Really nice and priced right for their quality. They're awesome if they FIT ya! :thumb:
https://www.needessentialsusa.com
This!

Personally, I really like the O'Neill Psycho suits, they fit me the best and are so comfortable.

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Re: Best Wetsuit for kitesurf? 4/3

Postby Barryg101 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:20 pm

Wouldn't recommend billabong . I bought the absolute comp one and it literally fell apart after instructing for 2 months. Had a nightmare with customer service and will probably give rip curl a try after this . I get a replacement but took much too many e mails


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