SO. As the water temp. continues to drop down into the comfortable 50s, my 3/2mm body glove wetsuit no longer cuts it. I spoke to a few local surfers about what to get and the general suggestion was a 5/4mm with an attached hood. Unfortunately at this moment budget is a little more important then quality, (which makes me cringe to say) however I am pretty happy with what I was able to find. I love the look of Hurley, Roxy has these great feminine touches and great seam lines but an Xcel suit is what I really want. I tend to love the tech-y, practical, no-nonsense stuff and Xcel kinda does it for me. But this is not about any of the afore mentioned. I found an awesomely priced Billabong "Synergy" 5/4 full hooded suit via evo.com; 5/4mm (check)... attached hood (check)... right price (check). Delivery!!!
For the price, this suit is a great value and hits on all its key features and is pretty true to its reviews. The moisture-wicking jersey "furnace" lining at the front and back chest and at the top of the hood is no joke. It's designed to reduce wind shock and keep those organs warm and that it does. The suit is not truly seam-sealed but instead the it is bonded, blindstitched with stress-points reinforcements at the chest, elbows, and knees. This is one of the details that makes it cost-effective but it totally doesn't take away from the performance of the suit at all. I have a feeling that perhaps the longevity of the seams won't be as long as a truly seam sealed suit. The hood was super weird the first time but now it's comfortable and oh so effective. Regardless of how many times I wipe out my hair stays about 40% dry, which is still impressive. I haven't figured out how to fix my hair so it doesn't feel like I'm being strangled, but baby steps. The fit is pretty great too, I'm 5'6" and about 130 and the 8 fits great. It took two wears for it to adjust to my body and now it fits seamlessly. My biggest gripe would be the sleeves. That is the number one concern of fellow wearers as well. The bottom opening has a partial binding which keeps the opening tight and reduces the water from seeping in but at the sleeve opening there's no finish and water is constantly getting in, (without gloves). It's not problematic because it doesn't really get too far into the suit, it's just annoying. I don't understand why they couldn't add the same seam finish as with the hem. It's a tiny detail but it would make a huge difference. I can't imagine that it would make a huge difference in the price and I would definitely pay a little extra for that detail.
Yes I would recommend it, absolutely. I still have my eye on an Xcel suit but for the meantime I am very satisfied. Che-che-check it out.
See below for the link to evo:
http://www.evo.com/wetsuits/billabong-synergy-5/4-chest-zip-hooded-wetsuit-womens.aspx#image=74893/343892/billabong-synergy-5-4-chest-zip-hooded-wetsuit-women-s-black-front.jpg
