THE SUIT
Hurley have been an innovator in the surfing world for quite a while, pushing the envelope with stretch fabrics like the Phantom Boardshort and also partnering with researchers to test wetsuit performance. The Hurley Advantage Plus 3/2MM is their middle of the road option (despite the top sounding name). It offers a value option for those wanting to buy into the brand, without going the super tech price tag. This is what they say about the wetsuit:
The Hurley Advantage Plus 3/2mm Fullsuit Wetsuit gets you in the water when the temperature takes a dip. A streamlined silhouette, insulating interior and updated construction make this suit ready for those cooler morning surfs.
They also have a pretty neat spiel on what the suit does, keeping nice and straight forward for the customer, without trying too hard to sound tech. Things like Dependable Warmth, Easy In and Out, Stay Warm & Flexible, are the major call outs. Let’s see how it stacked after Jim from Lipped and I surfed in it.
Performance Materials
Seams are strategically positioned for more flexibility. Exoflex neoprene fabric is lightweight and stretchy.
Easy In and Out
Watertight and contoured to the body, the chest zip is connected so you can zip it across with one hand, fasten and go.
Stay Warm and Flexible
The chest and back lining features fuzzy hollow-fibre fleece that helps wick away water and works to trap heat inside the suit.
WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR
This wetsuit is basically aimed at cool (not cold) water, for people wanting a nice looking option that doesn’t cost the world. It has sealed seams and some lining, so will keep you warm in around 14+ degree celsius water. Think Northern NSW, WA or Qld if you’re in Australia. For Victoria, South Oz and Tassie, this could be a spring/summer option, but it’s not going to have you toasty on those icicle forming mornings.
There are no crazy bells and whistles on this wetsuit, so if you’re looking for a taste of Hurley’s lab innovations, you’ll have to go their top-end offering. Again, cool water, mid price, solid brand steez.
THE IMPORTANT STUFF
FIT & COMFORT
For me, the fit of this could have been better. I found it too tight in the neck and also poorly cut around the armpit to shoulder area. It formed this weird batwing while paddling and not in a way that let me leap from tall buildings and take on the villains of Gotham City.
Jim from Lipped did think the fit was ‘refined’, but he’s shorter and skinnier than I am. Maybe I just need to face facts and test a large instead of a medium. However, I’m not ready to admit defeat yet, so am rating this a 7 out of 10 here.
PERFORMANCE
Good, considering the Hurley Advantage Plus is a middle-price wetsuit. I found this suit nice and stretchy, letting me whirl my arms around like a manic windmill, only facing resistance from people throwing shade on my weird way of testing. It probably helped that there’s no taping on the seams, hence keeping things free and loose (while letting water in too). Not wild stretchy like the Billabong Pro Series suit I tested, but plenty of give to keep you loose like a teenager on their first adult-free trip. 8.5 out of 10 here.
WARMTH
I roasted. BUT, I tested this suit on the Gold Coast in May while there for a week. It was definitely too warm for that climate and had my face looking like a beetroot dipped in strawberry jam. Jim, however, felt it was too cold to surf in at Bells in June, so that’s a good indication it’s not a furnace.
More like, it’s great for warmer places when they get cold, rather than cold places when they get freezing. I’d stand by saying Qld, WA and Northern NSW and you’re cruising. Otherwise, look elsewhere. 7 out of 10.
VALUE
The value option for Hurley, but not the value option for the overall market. If I stack this up against the Vissla Seven Seas it’s an inferior suit for $70 more at retail. It’s not as warm, not as comfortable and about the same level of flexibility. It’s better value than the Quiksilver Highline though and similar to the O’neill Psycho One. So, not totally out of the ballpark, but if value is the number one thing you’re looking for, there is better to buy. 7 out of 10 here.
VERDICT
The Hurley Advantage Plus Wetsuit is great for those who love Hurley as a brand and want to be part of that feeling without having to go their full tech options. It’s a sturdy suit, flexible, warm enough and looks really nice. However, if you’re not set on Hurley as a brand and simply want the best suit out there for the best price, it’s not for you. Think Rip Curl Heatseeker as the best all round suit, Patagonia as the warmest and enviro friendly, Billabong Pro Series for the most flexible and Vissla Seven Seas as the best value. That for sure will cover you as the top options to buy. This wetsuit is ‘fine’, but it’s no Phantom Boardshort level of epicness.
Overall Rating
- Looks great
- Flexible to surf in
- There's better options available for the price
WHERE TO BUY
If you’ve got $400 Australian spare and we’ve convinced to get a Hurley Advantage Plus Wetsuit, then hit the below links and spend up. Like we said, this suit is great for those who love Hurley as a brand and want to be part of that feeling without having to go their full tech options.
Buy an Hurley Advantage Plus Wetsuit from :
⋅ Hurley Australia
⋅ Hurley USA
Alternatively, we’ve pulled together three Winter Wetsuit Buyers Guides if you’re still a little undecided on what to buy:
*Above $500
*$300-$500
*Below $300
Submit your review | |
I had the 2019 model. The fit was perfect, I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately a stitch under the armpit came loose, and I could return it under warranty (2 weeks before warranty void). One of the shop assistants where I bought it if I had problems in the calf area, and now that I come to think of it, kind of. Sometimes water accumulated in the calf area and I had to release it every now and then.
12 months old and seams are separating, appear to be glued and not stitched. 2 weeks out of the 12 month warranty. Even though in covid stay at home time, Hurley would not stand by their warranty. Rubbish quality, rubbish customer service from Hurley.
LIPPED PODCAST
If you’re driving, or reading isn’t your thing, then hit the below episode of Lipped where we talk all things wetsuits 2019 with industry experts from Xcel, Rip Curl, O’Neill and Need Essentials. And you’ll also get treated to listening to Tim and Jim take an in-depth look at suits from Rip Curl, Billabong, Xcel, O’Neill, Quiksilver, Need Essentials, Vissla, Patagonia and Hurley.
