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Wetsuit-back zip v chest zip
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RichardMueller



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 85
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 5:26 pm    Post subject: Wetsuit-back zip v chest zip Reply with quote

Is the "full back zipper" wetsuit easier to get on/off than the "chest zipper"?

I have narrowed my search to 3 wetsuits and would also appreciate your views/experiences with any of them. All are available with back or chest zippers. The prices are from Wetsuit Wearhouse.

1. O'Neil, Quicksilver SYNCRO, sealed full wetsuit, 3/2; $145
2. O'Neil, EPIC-2 CT full wetsuit, 3/2; $150
3. Rip Curl, DAWN PATROL, full wetsuit, 3/2; $160

Thanks for any help you can give me.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've owned dozens of neoprene fullluits, all but two with backzips. The worst chestzip suit zipped more easily than the best backzip, simply because it's right there in front of me. I suppose that if I wore a bra more often, I'd be used to fastening and unfastening crap behind my own back.

As for getting the suit on and off, not counting zipping it, all I recall was that the front zip access more than made up for any difference in getting in and out of the suit. Maybe I noticed no significant difference in just getting in and out because I far prefer a generous fit with lots of excess shoulder and chest and breathing room.

I asked Promotion why they don't offer frontzip suits.
"Because most people feel they offer too much resistance to reaching forward."
Really? REALLY?
Then who carries their board down to the water's edge for them, and where do they find the strength to uphaul? Wink

But since frontzips are so hard to find, especially at 20-40 cents on the list price dollar, I just use a zipstick* to zip them up. Makes life easy, especially when the only other person on the beach says, "Zip up your own damn suit", as one guy was told.

* a 30" piece of broomstick with a hook on one end. Hook it, lay the other/handle end over your shoulder facing forward, pull down on it to zip. Now the zipper strap is being pulled up and away from your back, so the zipper flap and any shirt or rash guard beneath it stays clear of the zipper. Works very well.
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about a suit with no zip? I have an O'Neil Mutant, which is super streachy, very warm and easy to get on and off. Much easier than my old O'Neil Oasis drysuit with the back zipper. I just tied a piece of line to the zipper on the Oasis, and tied the other end to my roof rack to zip, very easy.
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outcast



Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 2724

PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

most of the major surf lines have gone to chest zip so that you don't get
"The Flush"

Most of the suits are so stretchy now that you don't need a windsurf specific suit anymore....there was a time when ProMotion made a lot of sense.
Less expensive suits= less stretch

been zippin chest for 5 plus years....not going back

I don't mind the back zip for warmer days....sometimes a little flush is ok, and you are looking at 3/2's so probably no big dea;

_________________
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jordanwd



Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 158

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Needing a new suit, I've recently tried both, front & back zip-- really wanted the front zip too work- but frankly- if you've got any muscle/girth on your torso / shoulders- the chest zip may be just way too tight & trouble too get on & off- for me - the O'niel 5/4 back zip worked so much better... As far as 'the flush'..well - that's just the price you pay for a suit that's comfortable to wear and you don't need to wrestle on & off every seasion... Try before you buy might be your best course of action....

ymmv

jd
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KBack



Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 40

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:47 am    Post subject: Re: Wetsuit-back zip v chest zip Reply with quote

RichardMueller wrote:
Is the "full back zipper" wetsuit easier to get on/off than the "chest zipper"?

I have narrowed my search to 3 wetsuits and would also appreciate your views/experiences with any of them. All are available with back or chest zippers. The prices are from Wetsuit Wearhouse.

1. O'Neil, Quicksilver SYNCRO, sealed full wetsuit, 3/2; $145
2. O'Neil, EPIC-2 CT full wetsuit, 3/2; $150
3. Rip Curl, DAWN PATROL, full wetsuit, 3/2; $160

Thanks for any help you can give me.


FYI I have a Brand New Synco 3/2 for sale I ordered the worng size still has tags on it will let it go for $70

http://www.windsurfcanada.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=classifieds.view&adid=1358&fcatid=4
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RichardMueller



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 85
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KBack, you sure got my attention with the $70 price for an excellent new wetsuit!

However, I would have the same problem you had. The L size will be too small for me. My waist is 36+ and neck is 16.5+. The Quicksilver Size Chart indicates I would take a XLS.

Since reading responses I am also considering the ProMotion 3m Vision Convertible + arms. The issue that sold me is that it is a specialty windsurfing wetsuit, using a Neoprene covering product that minimizes wind-chill.

All the wetsuits I am considering use Neoprene type with 100% stretch but only the ProMotion Vision focused on the wind-chill issue. The suit costs $270. That is more than a $100 above the price of my other choices. Maybe the wind-chill product is just horsefeathers.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jordanwd wrote:
if you've got any muscle/girth on your torso / shoulders- the chest zip may be just way too tight & trouble too get on & off.

Or not, depending on whether that is taken into consideration when buying the suit. I'm all chest and shoulders, so I buy my suits to fit them generously and the rest of the suit comes along for the ride. I absolutely HATE restrictive suits, as they feel claustrophobic, especially when I'm heaving for air after a hard anaerobic reach or three.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RichardMueller wrote:
The Quicksilver Size Chart indicates I would take a XLS.

only the ProMotion Vision focused on the wind-chill issue.. Maybe the wind-chill product is just horsefeathers.

Wind chill is a very important matter IF sailing in a dry climate. The more humidity, the less it matters. But I doubt a special coating matters much, as long as a suit is Nylon I, which has fabric only on the inside. All other factors constant, a slick exterior suit would be warmest, a cloth exterior suit coolest, and a textured but non-absorbent neoprene exterior in between, closest to the slick skin. Whether a slick suit simply has the slick side of the neoprene on the outside, or has a special coating to achieve the same effect, shouldn't make that much difference.

HOWEVER, maybe PM is using an exterior material which repels water better than slick neoprene. Maybe their neoprene material's raw surface is inherently more fragile or less water-repellent than most and benefits more from their coating. They say their ADV Windskin provides greater durability, so I'm guessing that's its primary goal. But every brand of WSing suit has varying degrees and patterns of slick vs cloth panels, and I doubt Windskin is inherently superior to any or every other slickskin material. My PMs still get nicks and cuts, which I just repair in minutes with neoprene cement and promptly forget about.

I bought a pair of (obviously) cheap 3/2 full suits for $35 each from Walmart and Ace Hardware. The one with the greater amount of slickskin is slightly but noticeably warmer on a dry day in the eastern Gorge desert, so I choose between them based on how much warmth I need that day. A high-quality Promotion 3/2 shorty is warmer yet due to better materials and water exclusion, but I use the cheap suits when suitable to save wear and tear on my more expensive ones.

Regarding sizing, Promotion's size charts are generally regarded as accurate. I choose, though, to buy a size or two larger because I don't like my suits as tight as others wear. The chart says I would use a Large Short or possibly an XL Short, but I buy an XL Short wetsuit and an XXL Short dry suit for much easier on and off and easier breathing and moving.
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RichardMueller



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 85
Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks All

Just returned from REI, Tempe, AZ. They had a O'Neil Quicksilver 3/2 SYNCRO, XL, in stock so I tried it on. It was the only full suit they had.

IT FIT, and it was even easy for me to get on. Plus it was on sale. Almost too good to be true.

I looked closely for flaws. Found a small hole in mid back - So that's why it was on sale? On closer examination I determined the "hole" was the drain for the zipper gasket.

I bought it for $115. It is not the best windsurfing wetsuit on market but it will do the job for a reasonable price.
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