The 5 best wetsuits of 2021 for surfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding

The O'Neill Psycho Tech is made with water-resistant neoprene to keep it from retaining water, and its top-notch stitching makes it almost watertight.

Pros: Warm, almost watertight stitching, lightweight, quick-drying

Cons: A little pricey

O'Neill's Psycho Tech is the kind of cozy, stretchy, almost watertight suit that becomes oh-so-precious to cold-water surfers when winter storms roll through and leaky seams threaten to end surf sessions early.

If there's one company I'd put all my good faith in keeping me from the wrath of hypothermia, it's the late, lauded laureate and godfather of the modern wetsuit, Jack O'Neill.

O'Neill puts a lot of money into research and design, and while the US military doesn't exactly endorse or use any single wetsuit, they've frequently sent personnel out in O'Neill suits. That alone may or may not speak volumes to you, but the US military is not known to be one to skimp on matters of national security.

This wetsuit is flexible, and I've found it to hold up in temperatures considerably lower than their rating. My old Psycho II model from 2009, which saw heavy service through 2010 and has seen service in most of the years since, is still, shockingly, in pretty good shape. The new Psychos are miles ahead, but there aren't enough problems or even one single tear in my suit that warrant tossing mine out just yet.

Cleanline Surf, the Pacific Northwest's coldwater surf aficionados, called the Psycho Tech "the pinnacle of wetsuit technology and performance." The site goes on to taut it for being lightweight, warm, durable, and flexible — I don't disagree.

Also, the TechnoButter neoprene rejects water so well that it stays light even when wet, and it dries much faster than most suits.

Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suits cost less than $200, feature an easy-to-use rear zip entry, and have both stitched and glued seams for added durability. 

Pros: Easy in and out via a rear zip entry, stitched and glued seams, inexpensive (as far as wetsuits go)

Cons: Its 3/2 millimeter thickness won't keep you warm very long in colder water temps

Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suits are extremely flexible, thoroughly stitched, taped, and glued, and very reasonably priced.

The suit has been a bestseller for several years and being blindstitched, glued, and taped for under $200 certainly hasn't hurt its reputation. It also comes in both men's and women's designs, but, I must make a full disclosure: I've never owned one, though I've envied them from close and afar over the years. 

VISSLA's 7 Seas is economical but doesn't cut any corners to deliver a functional wetsuit at a fair price.

Pros: Price tag, sleeve gaskets, stitching and gluing, 1-year warranty

Cons: Neoprene retains water and gets a little heavy

I tried VISSLA's 7 Seas model in New York this late spring and was hot in the 3/2-millimeter full suit. That's a good sign. I also caught up with an old friend on Montauk who's in his third season with the same model, which is as much as most people ask of even a luxury suit. That was good enough for me.

It fit me exceptionally well, which is a shock because I'm six feet tall, generally, stay shy of 160 pounds, and almost no company designs standard suits sized for stick-figured string beans like me.

The seams are held together by double blind-stitching and taped three times over, which somewhere around five years ago was unthinkable for a suit under $200. Matter-of-factly, this suit is designed in much the same way one of my nicer suits from about 10 years ago was, only that one cost me about twice as much. The suit's also backed by respective 1-year warranties for both the neoprene and the stitching.

Although the neoprene retains water and gets heavy, the suit is remarkably stretchy — maybe stretchier than Patagonia's Yulex suits — and the wrist gaskets that are located a few inches above the cuff really kept water from getting up my sleeves and slowing my paddling. Further, taking water up the sleeves in fall or winter is shockingly chilling.

I also liked the fuzzy lining, which is akin to Patagonia's, but, again, this suit is less than half the price (at the time of this publishing). While Patagonia's suits are nice, and I love mine, I don't see any need to step up unless you really feel like spending the extra money or you're going to be surfing in exceptionally cold waters where you'll probably want the best technology you can get.

There are other non-neoprene suits emerging on the market, but my Patagonia suits have lasted through a lot, and it will take a lot for another suit to knock them off their throne.

Pros: Long-lasting (as long as if not longer than most neoprene suits), neoprene-free, almost petroleum-free, very warm, so you can often get away with a thinner suit

Cons: Not cheap, maybe a little stiffer than neoprene suits

Patagonia's current crop of wetsuits comes via a biochemical company called Yulex. Yulex manufactures neoprene from the guayule plant, a hardy shrub native to the Southwestern United States that's used to make rubber that's both renewable and nearly chemical-free.

The latest Yulex-branded suit now has a new patterning intended for "improved fit and increased mobility." Yulex's brand of rubber often had a reputation among wetsuit users as being stiff compared with neoprene, which isn't generally a good thing for water enthusiasts. However, the suits do feature a fuzzy synthetic liner that makes the inside of the suit feel silky smooth while also doing well to make me feel warmer in frigid water. 

The company now uses a water-based glue in all its suits, eliminating the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were used for decades. The new suit also includes solution-dyed fabrics that reduce water consumption and CO2 emissions by 86% and 96%, respectively.

Of course, as goes with the Patagonia story, everything is Fair Trade Certified, and you'll also get Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee, so if you're not thrilled with your new suit, you can send it back.

What excites me most about this suit is that, although Patagonia hasn't made the leap to zipperless suits, the corrosion-resistant zipper on this suit is now actually replaceable, so if it wears out before the wetsuit does, you can extend its life a little longer. This is great news because oftentimes the collar or zipper area is the first thing to wear out on a wetsuit.

Learn more about Patagonia and Yulex's bio-rubber here.

If you're tired of hanging up your paddles for the winter, O'Neill's O'Riginal spring suit is just enough to keep you comfortable as water temperatures reach the 60s and maybe the 50s. 

Pros: Flexible, breathable, affordable

Cons: The chest rubber can be overly sticky

Because our bodies are mostly out of the water when paddling, we tend to work up a sweat beneath a neoprene wetsuit. While any combination of layers can do the trick, I've found that a farmer john-style (sleeveless) wetsuit with flatlock seams works best unless you're dealing with temperatures below 50° F or so, at which point I'd opt for a dry suit. Stohlquist makes a good one for men and women.

Since you're getting such a thorough upper body workout, I'd suggest avoiding sleeves, which apart from causing you to overheat also tend to constrict movement and cause chafing. O'Neill's O'Riginal spring suit is 2 millimeters thick and comes with flatlock seams, and at less than $100 can't really be beaten.

If it's a little cooler, you might want one with full-length legs (the women's model, the Bahia, comes in a 1.5mm), or a 3mm. O'Neill doesn't make the sleeveless suit in a 3mm, but Aqua Lung does, for men and women. Anything above 3mm tends to get a little too hot for paddlesports, at least if you're not getting in the water.

If you want to spend even a little more money — unless you're surfing in one of these suits, keep in mind that quality might not be quite as paramount — Patagonia's Long John (men's) and Long Jane (women's) are $169 and worth it. They're made of the same non-neoprene Yulex rubber as Patagonia's other suits, but flatlock-stitched so that they breathe a little better.

What different kinds of wetsuits are there?

Apart from temperature, what you'll be doing in or on the water is a major deciding factor for which wetsuit is best. If you're swimming or surfing, a floaty, hydrodynamic closed-cell or single-piece suit is likely your best bet. These are either chest- or back-zipped and come with different sleeve and leg cuts.

But if you're diving, a closed-cell wetsuit allows too much water flow between it and your skin. You'll find yourself feeling stiff and cold, and stiff and cold are never what you want while diving for long periods of time. An open-cell wetsuit provides suction between the skin and suit that's nearly watertight. While these types of suits are a pain to get in and out of, they keep you much warmer and allow for much greater flexibility underwater.

Editor's note: If you use a little eco-friendly dish soap, getting into an open-cell wetsuit is much easier.

Open-cell suits usually don't have zippers apart from the wrist and leg cuffs but closed cells come in a variety of different zipper configurations. Some manufacturers are starting to develop zipperless models, too, which could eliminate zippers altogether — at least on more expensive suits.

What are the differences in wetsuit zipper types?

Back-zip suit: Back-zip wetsuits are the original design, and almost always cheaper than chest-zip or zipper-less suits. They're fine for swimming in temperate waters on relatively warm days, but I've found that having cool water seep down your back on a chillier day — or in the middle of winter, for that matter — can be miserable.

Chest-zip suit: Usually more expensive, chest-zip wetsuits tend to keep you warmer thanks to a smaller, well-protected zipper that sits on the front of the suit. This also makes them the most difficult to get in and out of, but, overall, we think they're worth it. They tend to last longer, and some even allow for the neckpiece to be replaced, which is often the first thing to wear and tear on a wetsuit.

Zipperless: I haven't yet tried out a zipperless wetsuit, though I've been hearing positive buzz about O'Neill's Hyperfreak Comp zipless model. It would be more of a performance suit than most require, and it's hard to say whether the lack of a zipper will, in turn, stretch the suit more or keep us warmer, but we will see how they fare over time and update this guide with our findings.

How thick should my wetsuit be?

Wetsuit thickness is measured in millimeters, and the core is most often thicker than the extremities to keep your body temperature up while allowing for more mobility in the arms and legs. This is why you'll see two — or sometimes three — numbers, listing the core's thickness first (e.g., 3/2, or 4/3/2).

Temperature rating corresponds with thickness, for the most part, but varies some from company to company and material to material, but here's a basic rule of thumb:

• Mid 60s to low 70s: 2 mm
• Low 60s to high 60s: 3/2 mm
• Low 50s to low 60s: 4/3 mm, or 4/3/2 mm
• Low to high 40s: 5/4 mm, or 5/4/3 mm
• High 30s to low 40s: 6/5 mm or 6/5/4 mm
• Upper 30s and below: While a good 6/5- or 6/5/4-millimeter suit can do you well in the upper 30s, it's tough to stand it any colder. There are 7/6- and 7/6/5-millimeter wetsuits, but they become impedingly stiff at that point. A good 6/5 or 6/5/4 with hood, boots, and gloves will take care of most of us through winter.

What sizes do wetsuits come in? 

Size charts vary from company to company, so make sure to have a look at the chart to be sure which one fits you best.

Unless you get a custom suit, none are likely to fit you perfectly but you should be able to get close enough.

What are wetsuits made out of?

Not all wetsuits are created equal, and while most are made of neoprene — and come from the same factory in Taiwan, despite different brand names — it's the stitching and seams that make all the difference.

• Overlock stitching: This is the most basic stitching, and it will let water flow through your suit like Victoria Falls. Okay, not really, but I save these cheap suits for spring and summer, or when it's not exactly board-short temperature, but a constant flush is actually refreshing.
• Flat stitching: This is probably a little fancier than the stitching they taught you in Home Economics class. By no means is it watertight, but it lies flatter and holds up better than basic overlock stitching.
• Blindstitching: Blindstitched suits have even narrower stitching than flat-stitched ones, and the seams are usually glued, which does a pretty good job of preventing water seepage.
• Sealed, taped, glued: This is a definitive step up, and usually what you'll find with blindstitched suits. Once you get into blindstitching, you start to notice that very little water seeps through your suit, and you stay relatively dry inside. The best of these suits are also sealed and taped both inside and out, but the full combination is where suits start to get above the $500 price tag, which isn't crucial for most. Still, if you plan to be surfing in sub 55-degree Fahrenheit temps, we highly recommend forking over the extra dough.

All outdoors equipment requires a little love to survive its life expectancy and, hopefully, beyond. Protect your wetsuit and it protects you — at least from the cold.

Here's what every first-time wetsuit owner should know: 

Wash your suit every time you use it, or at least as frequently as you can stand to. Wetsuits take on everything you put into them, from your sweat, sunscreen, seawater, and yes, urine. While it may not damage your suit, it will surely smell bad.

And even though Helen Hunt does it, it's not exactly a good idea to pee in your wetsuit, for obvious reasons. Regardless of whether or not you decide to relieve yourself in your suit, get a wetsuit shampoo, and follow its instructions well. Do NOT use any old soap for this, or you'll be sorry.

Store your wetsuit in a dry, shaded area with plenty of ventilation. We all know what happens to wet things in confined spaces, but hanging your wetsuit to dry in the sun is surely the quickest way to end its life.

Hang your wetsuit loosely on a thick-framed clothes hanger, a proper wetsuit hanger, or fold it loosely. If you hang a wetsuit on a sharp wire hanger, it will stretch out. If you fold it too tightly, it'll crease. I roll mine up when I travel to avoid creasing.

A simple, closed-cell suit like a surfing wetsuit works above the surface where you have heat from the sun and little pressure, but when you get below the surface, it can get stiff and cold. An open cell suit will keep you much warmer and more flexible, whether you're freediving or using scuba tanks. 

I've never actually owned an open-cell diving suit — I use a surfing suit to dive, which I assure you is less than ideal — so I called on a lifeline: an old friend who spends his workdays and sometimes his nights underwater in the marrow-chilling depths of New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds. If anyone has earned the authority to deem a wetsuit good or bad, we figure it might be a commercial diver, after all.

A commercial diver's input

The array of both open cell and closed cell diving suits in the locker where he works is almost exclusively with Beuchat and Cressi wetsuits, and while many of the members of the dive team do wear closed cell suits to work, they don't last as long — maybe that's intended. Open cell suits are snug, and almost suction-cup your skin, which is extremely efficient for keeping you warm, but makes them very difficult to get on and off.

When we would go spearfishing together — I in my 5/4-millimeter closed-cell surfing wetsuit, he in his 7-millimeter open-cell diving suit — I'd be in and out of my suit in half the time it took him to roll his on and off. But, by the same token, he could still feel his hands and feet after an hour of diving. Meanwhile, my lips would be turning blue.

Bottom line: If you're going to be in even moderately cold water, save yourself the agony of freezing and put up with the nuisance of stretching into a skin-tight open cell suit.

How to shop for a dive suit

If you've never worn or owned a diving wetsuit before, you'll probably want to go to the local dive shop and have the pros sort you out, or at the very least fit you.

When picking out a diving suit, color, or rather pattern, is a consideration that goes beyond aesthetics. If an experience with wildlife is what you're after (even if you're not in search of dinner), then a camouflage suit is probably a good idea, simply because you won't startle as many creatures as quickly as you would with a black suit, or one of any color, really.

Also, note that camouflage is relative: If you're going to be in open water, you'll want a rhapsody in blue, and if you're going to be in kelp, coral, or rocks, you probably want to look for a more greenish-brown pattern.

A few drawbacks

The main downfall of many closed-cell suits is that they are made of or coated with a softer, more delicate rubber-like neoprene skin which, while it keeps you warmer and leaves you agiler in the pressured depths, is highly prone to tearing.

Also, always make sure your wetsuit is wet when you're pulling it on, and follow instructions for care and maintenance like these, from Aqua Lung. Never leave any wetsuit in the sun but especially not a suit with skin material, which will melt and stick to itself, a tragedy not covered by any warranty far as I'm aware.

Aqua Lung, Beuchat, Cressi, and Mares are companies that have all been around since recreational diving has, more or less, and they all have similarly long legacies and popular standing with commercial and recreational divers alike.

Pros: Tighter-fitting, more watertight, keeps you warmer, less constricting

Cons: Can be more expensive, much more delicate, difficult to don and doff