30/04/11 | Wetsuit dilemmas

Now that the water is finally warming up it's time to start thinking about summer rubber. Last year I went straight from my 5/4 into a Nineplus short-leg long-arm suit. I love it, and it's super warm, but I could really do with something inbetween for this time of year, it's not quite warm enough to go out with bare legs yet!

There are some really nice unusual wetsuits out there, if you live in the US or Australia, but I've been struggling to find something I like in the UK. I don't think it's unreasonable to want a wetsuit that not only performs, but looks really good too, and I find most mainstream wetsuits a bit boring.

I'm off to see Malcom at Snugg Wetsuits later to look at making a custom suit for me. I still can't fully decide exactly what I want, I definitely want a front zip and yamamoto panels like my nineplus suit, but I'd like some colour in there too, possibly a chevron around the waist in turquoise. As this is a spring / autumn suit it needs to be a full suit, but I'm also pondering on a longjohn for the summer.

Here're some of the suits I've been looking at for inspiration:

Credits, from left to right starting top left: Kassia Meador for Roxy (from last year's collection, love the chevrons and bold colour), Tallow (from last year's collection), Nineplus (this is from a few years ago, the current model has less yamamoto sadly), Roxy, Muther of All Things (surely the hottest wetsuit ever invented, but it must flush like crazy!), Snugg, Roxy Japan (like the front zip & 70s stripes), Candy Wetsuits (so so cool, but so expensive), Tallow.

I also love this neoprene jacket from student Hannah Curson, I've always wondered about putting pockets on a wetsuit, I'd love to have a hoody-style front pocket to warm my hands in on chilly mornings!

Or maybe I'll just go for all black.