THE SUIT
The Vissla 7 Seas 3/2 is their value option steamer at $330AUD. Funnily enough, the marketing spiel on the site sounds like it could come from direct-to-market supplier Need Essentials:
“Everything you need in a wetsuit, nothing you don’t. Based on the premise of less is more, we stripped away the irrelevant knick-knacks and designed a suit to give you what you need – warmth in the ocean. Super stretch light neoprene, sealed seams, quick dry lining, a superb tailored fit, and a minimal bulk chest-zip closure system we’ve built for you a top of the line wetsuit at an approachable price without all the bullshit marketing gimmicks. Whether you like to set your line and trim on your single fin or get your fins above the lip on your thruster, we’ve built a catalogue of wetsuits in colourways and cuts to match your water intentions.”
Let’s stack it up and see how the Vissla 7 Seas lives up to expectation.
Brian Fuzz
Thermal Brain Fuzz lining insulates heat (keeping you warmer!) and dries fast.
Limestone Neoprene
Made from earth mined limestone to replace petrochemicals in our neoprene. It comes from nature and has less environmental impact.
Dope Dyed Fabric
Dope-dying infuses dye pigments into a molten plastic solution to produce coloured yarns without the dying process, saving tremendous amounts of water
WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR
The Vissla 7 Seas suit is epic for those wanting a warm, stretchy suit without having to drop all their well-earned salt. It’s well priced, keeps up with high-end suits in the flexibility stakes and has plenty of warmth to keep your rig toasty. Vissla lists the temp range for this suit at 56 – 65° F / 13 – 18° C. I agree. That means you’re looking at mid-winter comfort for places like WA, NSW (north of Sydney) and Queensland. If you’re in Vicco and are a tough cunt, you’d probably get away with one in winter too.
THE IMPORTANT STUFF
FIT & COMFORT
Fits like seaweed on a sushi roll. It’s snug in all the right spots, the fur is soft against the skin and the rubber is supple on the outside as well. Definitely a changeroom winner in this department. There is a pretty weird seam on this though that goes across your gooch. You know, your notcha. It’s not uncomfortable per se, but is definitely an unusual feeling. So, if you don’t enjoy unusual sensations around your anal to balls region, you might be put off with the cut. Me though, I’m down for that stuff. 8.5 out of 10 here.
PERFORMANCE
Flexible and fancy-free. The super stretch neoprene moves well with you as you paddle or twist your torso on incredible top-down carves. The fact that the seams aren’t liquid tapes gives it a freer run in this department, but as usual it’s worth thinking about how durable that will make the seal. Performance-wise this is a proper ripper though. Flexible enough you’re never worried about not being able to do what you need, with enough support that everything holds together well. A very respectable 8.5 out of 10 here.
WARMTH
If you have a kitten near you, pick it up and hold it against your cheek. Feel that warmth? Probably not. Who has a kitten on standby? This is nice and warm and soft though. Not a proper baker, it’s more like a pastry chef – enough in the cookbook to keep you happy, but doesn’t get all fancy with artisan nut toast. If you stack it up against the Need Essentials Ultra Premium Thermal Steamer, it’s not as warm, but beats out full performance suits like the Billabong Pro Series and Rip Curl E Bomb. 8 out of 10 here.
VALUE
A suit this good for $330? Get in the back of the wagon. It has a really great balance of flexibility and warmth, has great attention to detail like taping around the cuffs and has a full 1-year warranty to back it up as well. As an all-rounder, it’s hard to beat. If you listened to the Lipped Podcast wetsuit review (see bottom of post), you’ll know both Jim and I rated this as the best value suit for 2019. It costs more than the Need Essentials offering, which is a close second, but with the warranty and comfort factor is worth the extra bills. 9.5 out 10.
VERDICT
The Vissla 7 Seas 3/2 Steamer surprised the shit out of me. At $330 it surfs like a high-end wetsuit. Warm, flexible, comfortable, it’s all you’re after in a wetty at a steal of a price. There are some nitpicks I have with it through. The gooch seam is a little off-putting, plus I had a small leak at the base of the spin, which in really cold water could literally have been spine chilling. Still, for overall value, it’s really hard to go past the 7 Seas. It has a full one year warranty, so you know you’re getting a full season from it at least. The fact there are no liquid taped seams does raise the question of how long the seal with hold tight, but the finish of the suit overall makes me think the neoprene with at least last the distance. If money isn’t an issue, I’d recommend the Rip Curl Heat Seeker this year as the best overall option, but when you factor in cost, this is probably your go-to suit for WA, NSW or QLD surfers.
Overall Rating
- Great balance of flex & warmth
- Comfortable to wear
- Epic value
- Gooch seam weirdness
- Some small leaks in seams
WHERE TO BUY
If you’ve got $320 Australian spare and we’ve convinced to get a Vissla 7 Seas Wetsuit, then hit the below links and spend up. Like we said, at $320 it’s a steal for the value you get from it.
Buy a Vissla 7 Seas Wetsuit from :
⋅ Vissla Australia
⋅ Vissla USA
⋅ Vissla Stockists
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 | |
About 10 months after purchase I noticed a white mark on the right shoulder that looks a bit like threads coming from the neoprene. This has continued to expand and now I notice it has appeared on the other shoulder. I took it to my local surf shop to see if this is considered normal wear and tear. In their opinion, this is not normal for a suit purchased less than a year ago and they recommended I reach out to you.
I use the suit an average of twice per week in Northern California waters. After each use I’ve rinsed in in cold water and hung it over a Landry rack inside out until dry, then right side out until dry. After then, the suit would be folded over a hanger at the waist the same way you would hang up a pair of dress pants. It has never been hung up by the shoulders in the way you would hang a jacket on a hanger.
Contacted Vissla to inquire about the 1 year warranty. They said after a “ further look at the photos and information provided and unfortunately the photos are showing elastic wear. This is from constant pressure/pulling/stretching in those areas.”
If this is normal for a wetsuit to break apart after 10 months, then this company needs to find another line of work.
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.
