STAYING WARM
Winter Wetsuits 2026
Winter isn’t coming. It’s here. Crispy mornings are back, winter swells rolling in. Depending where you’re surfing, you’re either already deep into 3/2 land and maybe thinking 4/3’s already.
Our wetsuit guide this year has shifted a bit. Instead of a guide for each section this year we’ve put them all in one – Premium Pete, and a bunch of other brands. We picked out four suits for each segment that we think are worth your time to read over but we definitely haven’t included an exhaustive list. If you still have questions after reading this, throw us a DM on IG. We’re pretty good getting back to you quickly. Note that all prices are in Aussie dollars.
Hit the links below to jump to the section that interests you most or just scroll through the lot of them. A whole bunch of good looking rubber is on offer here.
Moneybags
Premium Winter Wetsuits
You might get sticker shock looking at the best premium wetsuits. They can get expensive. These the bee’s knees and have all the bells and whistles you’d want. Before everything went tits up cost wise, Premium Wetsuits were priced above $550AUD in our minds. It’s closer to $650AUD and above now. Either way, they’re the best money can buy. A lot of people want the best so here you go, Elon Musk.
Florence3/2 CZ$1150
Is it worth $1k? Yes. Yes, it is. It’s a marvellous piece of neoprene wizardy. And given how other wetsuit brands have increased their prices, $1k (vs 800 at Rip Curl ) is all of sudden looking okkkkkkk. But, you can get suits almost as good for a lot less. If you do have the cash, and want to splash, the 3/2 will keep you so damn toasty (even at Bells I reckon – with boots) and it’s a fantastic cut with lots of flexibility. If you look after it you will get multiple seasons. We reviewed it over here, if you want some in-depth thoughts.
Rip CurlFusion$799
No stitching here, none. No stitches. Rip Curl has implemented their Fusion Dry Seam Tech on a new suit this season and in all honesty, those seams are a great piece of work. If you look at the seam you’ll see what they did, and maybe like me you’ll be like – ahhhhh, that makes so much sense. Lot tighter seals means leakage and shrinkage. You still get all the bells n whistles you expect from Rippy – fit, performance and warmth and so on. It’s just at $800, bit of a squeeze…
PatagoniaR2 CZ$799
I put this in here because it’s an impressive update from Patagonia, and it’s an eco pick as well. Patagonia have delivered a new suit that is much lighter, better performing and easier to wear than their previous ones. If you pick one up you’ll notice the new lining and seam placements along with the lighter overall weight in your hand. Great to see the brand who put us on to non-neoprene wetsuits getting themselves back in the performance ring (which add that to their durable reputation and you’re getting a solid suit!).
BillabongNatural Furnace$750
This suit from Billabong is a fantastic suit – on value, on comfort and on performance. I’m a big fan of the current cut of ‘bongs premium suits. The last few seasons they’ve been really nailing it. We have spoken about their Furance Natural suit a few years ago, it was mind blowing how good it was. Graphene for warmth, power (liquid) seams to keep the water out, and I really like their chest zip system.
O'NeillHyper X$600
$700 for an O’Neill suit ain’t that bad, tbh. Long time fan of their suits, I’ve been calling their entry system as one of the best for a long time. This, their newest addition, the Hyperfire X is union of O’Neill’s best wetsuit technologies superior materials and cutting edge design that creates an top level wetsuit. To keep you warm the Air Fire Wall chest and back panels reduce thermal heat loss with pockets of air to insulate your body. The internal Graphene infused Fire Wall lining keeps you dryer and warmer on the inside and is touch dry in 30 minutes when you hang it up.
XcelComp X$660
The Xcel Comp X falls in the top tier of the performance and warmth categories. It offers a light weight Channel Flex exterior which maximizes stretch, combined with our exclusive Thermo Dry Celliant (TDC) infrared interior that penetrates deeper into the body’s core for added warmth. This suit also offers completely sealed seams, 1 piece front and back panel design as well a cut/fit that is one of the most comfortable on the market. They aren’t (anymore) backed by any of the big dogs, but you should classify them as one given the quality and reputation.
VisslaNew Seas U-Zip$650
Vissla continue to churn out amazing value and great product. Did you know they deliver around 80% of their range in enviro materials? Everyone should do more reading and research into Vissla. This is their latest/greatest with the patented U-Zip (from Axxe) now integrated into their more affordable collections. At $650 this thing isn’t cheap, but it’s pretty good pricing along with a solid warranty. This entry system is top two in my books – I constantly call it out to anyone who asks me about wetsuits, most likely it’s annoying but the entry, the entry is amazing.
Feral3mm2$650
Feral suits are made from 100% Yamamoto and are designed with less panels which means less seams. Out of SFO, and owned/ran by two core surfers you’d be hard pressed to find a brand that is more of the motto of ‘surfer ran’, etc.
I’ve got one, worn it more then a couple of times (and worn their springsuit non-stop) and I can say that this suit feels pretty damn comfy on, but initially it’s a bit of a challenge to get on/off although once you ‘break it in’ it’s easy enough. If you’re cold blooded you might not need to go up in thickness or run a thermal layer underneath as there’s no heat fluff on this.
A little cash, but nothing fancy
A bunch of other options
Normally we’d run through value and middle of the road, but with a recent uptick of wetsuit brands hitting the market I got lost amongst it all. So, instead, here’s a list of other brands whose suit’s we’ve worn and thought they were good/ok, or we’re been meaning too because they are doing something interesting (like the entry at MOON). We have probably missed some brands, feel free to lettuce know who…
MatuseApollo$540
We reviewed this suit last year (here), and can confidently tell you that it’s a winner of a wetsuit. The Matuse Apollo is ideal for surfers chasing durability, minimalism, and a bit of eco-cred without feeling like they’re wearing a full-body cast. It’s not the stretchiest suit straight out of the bag, but it loosens up well with time and has that classic close-cell rubber feel. I’m a fan. The Apollo is the result of feedback from previous wetsuit tests and years of refinements, and that shows. It’s thoughtful, clean, and built to last.
NarvalShane Borland$490
Narval is a brand we haven’t used, reviewed or abused in our journey of wetsuit testing. It’s always been on the radar, from the team riders to some of their styles, but we’ve never pulled the trigger. This suit is a result of working with Shane Borland, who is probably the best surfer/skateboarder around, imo. The suit reeks of 2YK panelling and white stitching, but looks good from a function point of view. Light, minimal and versatile for a very comfortable experience with a 2K-Core aesthetic. 100% Superstretch rubber Taped-reinforced seam junctions Duro stretch knee pads
BLACKDOV32 Steamer$650
We know next to nothing about this brand. It is very new to the market, having only come onto the scene – i think – in the last 18 months. Blacdovwetsuits is a small independent wetsuit brand originating from Kiama on the South Coast of Australia – which, if you’ve ever been to Kiama, you know how amazing the area is. Each suit is curated using the finest Japanese neoprene (widely considered the best neoprene on the market) selected for its superior flexibility, thermal efficiency, and lightweight properties. At 650$ tho, I have no info on whether thats value or expensive. It is, however, in line with current market pricing.
JULYFullsuit$900
Another brand we haven’t tried, but have heard multiple good things about them – along with having a stellar team of surfers. July Wetsuits are a brand we’d like to review, but at $900+ in the Aussie market it’s a bit of a challenge. What you do get, when ordering, though is a nice run of options including choosing your own entry system (zipperless, etc), 3 different rubber materials and more. JULY started in Japan, and anything I’ve learn about wetsuits is that the ones from Japan tend to be damn good, so it’s probably worth a gamble for $900 if you’re up for something new.
MOONSUITSCustom$xxx?
MOONSUITS is another Japanese built wetsuit brand. Based out of Cardiff, they’ve been making really interesting (and by all reports, great) wetsuits for a while. First stumbled across them via Tosh Tudor somewhere on the Instagram world. MOONSUITS offer premium Japanese quality, superior fit, and rapid drying features along with a high cost, but I’d say that is justifiable given you get a custom wetsuit based off 25+ measurements (the last custom suit I had, 7till8, was amazing btw). I’m really interested to hear/see how the entry system works and feels when on, it looks great in images/video. Anyone?
AXXEBohemian$1000
At $1k, I’d say you’re better off looking elsewhere. But… Given I’ve used the AXXE x Vissla suit, and know firsthand how amazing that suit, the cut, materials and fit were, I feel confident in saying this would be money well spent. You’ll end up with a suit that fits amazing, is flexible and warm, and stands out in a sea of same same suits at your local. The suit uses AXXE’s Advanced Isolation System II neck entry, with a higher neck cut designed to reduce flushing. Rolled wrists add a cleaner seal at the cuffs, while DUROWEB ankle cuffs and DUROWEB knee pads bring extra durability in the areas that usually cop the most wear.
BEWET2404$xxx?
The 2404 Series is designed to blend tradition and innovation. Their proprietary, Free Shoulder entry system, allows for complete upper body range of motion and ensures zero flush.
A Kolohe Andino and Industry favourite for non-wetsuit surfing brands to use so their team have branded suits. Beyond that, I don’t know much else. Odds on these suits are pretty damn amazing, if we can get one to review, we will.
WESTLotus$350
Growing up West was a proper core brand with an amazingly strong team. Their suits were bullet proof, and the rep was elite – Josh Palmateer, Matt Branson and more, all giving the brand exposure and reputation. Today, it’s changed hands a few times I think, but it’s still punching out suits that do the job. Neither Tim or I have tested out the latest batch from West, but from people who Tim surfs with over West, the reports are they are good, solid value wetsuits. Nothing super crazy, but you’re not pissing money into the wind either. Grab the Lotus and you’ll get Limestone based rubber, GBS seams with some taping along with quick dry/warm fluff internally.
