The elite sports men and women of surfing compete at some of the greatest wave spots the world has to offer. Eight competitions make up the ASP World Tour with the water temperature of each venue varying from tropical board shorts temperature to cold 4/3mm wetsuit conditions.
Trusty tools of the professional surfer, their surfboard and wetsuit, are the core equipment used when surfing. The surfboard is a fine tuned, tailor made piece of surfing equipment that usually only the individual can get their hands. A shaper will spend hours changing and perfecting a pro surfers board. Unlike this, the pro surfers wetsuit can be bought in any surf shop, their wetsuit doesn’t have any special design features or specs other than what the manufacturer sells to the mass market. So when you buy the latest top end wetsuit this is the same suit the professionals wear when competing around the world.
On the ASP World Tour, with the conditions and water temperatures varying, they don’t always wear a wetsuit and can get away with just a rash vest and board shorts. Other locations with milder conditions may require a spring wetsuit (short arms and legs) or a long john (short legs).
The one element of a professional surfers wetsuit that is most important is flexibility above all else. With the restrictions and bulk that layered neoprene can have on the core body and limbs it’s flexibility that is required for pulling of the mind blowing manoeuvres the surfing elite make time and time again. Flexibility and lightness are key, warmth is considered a lesser requirement. With surfing brands adopting more advanced techniques, making neoprene stretch as optimum as possible and with reduced weight, it’s no surprise that these lightweight flexible wetsuits tend not to have a long shelve life, especially if they are used day in day out.
Where wetsuits are currently is truly mind blowing and can make surfing an absolute joy. It’s good to know which wetsuits the crème of the crop are wearing. OK so these guys get paid to put these wetsuits on, but even so, if they weren’t getting paid they’d be zipping in and ridding with one of the line up below.
O’Neill Psycho RG8 / O’Neill Psycho Freak FSW
Pro Surfers: Jordy Smith, Bobby Martinez
O’Neill Psycho 2 FSW
Pro Surfers: Cory Lopez
Rip Curl E-Bomb E3
Pro Surfers: Mick Fanning, Owen Wright
Rip Curl F-Bomb E3
Pro Surfers: Taylor Knox
Rip Curl G-Bomb E3
Pro Surfers: Stephanie Gilmore
Quiksilver Cypher DS CZ
Pro Surfers: Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Jeremy Flores
If you’re a serious water user and want total performance from a wetsuit then make sure the above are the first port of call.
