Outer Banks Boarding Company Wetsuit Information Guide

OBBC Wetsuit Information Guide

Wetsuits are technical products that are essential for a core surfer on the Outer Banks. Price and quality vary widely between brands and the different models within the brands' lines. Generally, though, all brands offer similar products at similar price points.

Wetsuits are comprised of neoprene panels assembled with glue and thread. The manufacturing is that simple. The differences between wetsuits depend on the grade of neoprene used when making suits, and the patterns used to form the neoprene panels.

What is neoprene? Neoprene is a synthetic rubber, invented by a fellow named Wallace (Tony’s cousin) Hume Carothers in 1931 while working in a lab for DuPont Chemical. That same year, Mr. Carothers invented a synthetic silk thread, known as nylon, as a response to deteriorating trade relations between the US and Japan. Both neoprene and nylon are used to make wetsuits today. Neoprene is the “trade name” given to chloroprene, which is the by product of exposing vinylacetylene with hydrochloric acid.

How is neoprene made into a wetsuit? Neoprene is taken from its semi-solid state and dried out to form “loaves” that are then sliced into “sheets” of varying thickness. Nylon fabric is then laminated to the sheets on either side or both sides. The sheets that have nylon on one side are called “smooth skin” or “nylon 1” neoprene, and the sheets that have nylon laminated on both sides are called “double sided nylon” or “nylon 2” neoprene. The nylon gives the neoprene its softness but restricts its flexibility. The nylon can be dyed with pigments allowing the wetsuit manufacturer to apply colors to wetsuits during the laminating process.

After cutting the neoprene sheets to the desired thickness, the sheets are further cut into panels. The panels are assembled by hand, using glue and nylon thread. The areas where neoprene panels are glued and sewn together are called seams. There are many different ways to seam panels together, and they affect the quality and price of a wetsuit.

Most of the wetsuits that we sell are known as “glued and blind stitched” wetsuits, which means that the seams are glued together, and then tightly sewn using a type of stitch known as a blind stitch. A blind stitch is hidden on one side of the panel and disguises the seam stitching to only appear on the inside of the wetsuit. What this means from a practical standpoint is that the stitching does not enter on one side of the suit and exit on the other. The seam is not breached by a needle and thread. The stitch enters and exits on the same side of the seam, which helps keep the seam from leaking. A glued and blind stitched suit is often referred to as a “sealed” or a “sealed seam” wetsuit.

Thinner suits and cheaper suits are sewn together with flatlock or overlock stitches. Flatlock stitches are actually a triple (or more) needle stitch that sews a wide enough pattern to pull two seems together. A flatlock stitch is very durable however it punctures the neoprene on both sides of the seam, and leaks like a sieve. An overlock stitch is rarely used in surfing wetsuits and we do not sell them.

Are there different grades of neoprene? Neoprene is the result of a synthetic, chemical process. The chemistry is constantly being tinkered with to produce certain characteristics. For instance, it is common knowledge that air has a great deal of insulating power, hence the invention of multi pane windows. So, wetsuit chemists are trying to build neoprene with a larger cell structure, so it insulates better, is lighter, and is also more flexible. Therefore, neoprene comes in different grades. Some neoprene is designed to be light weight, some to be warmer, and some to be more durable. Indirectly though, the nylon that is laminated to the neoprene can affect the quality of the neoprene as much as, or more than, the actual neoprene itself. Flexible wetsuits use less stiching and require flexible materials to be laminated to the neoprene. Durable wetsuits require more stitching and ultimately restrict the flexibility of a suit. So, if one is measuring a wetsuit’s quality by its flexibility, a less flexible suit may be assumed to be of poorer quality. Conversely, if one is measuring a westuit's durability, a light weight, super flexible wetsuit may be assumed to be of poorer quality. Consequently, the quality of wetsuits are sometimes arbitrary and based on the needs and interests of the customer.

Why are some wetsuits more expensive than others? As mentioned above, different styles of wetsuits are manufactured with different grades of neoprene using different methods of stitching. When a loaf of neoprene is sliced into sheets, the top and bottom slices are valued higher than slices taken from the middle. These top and bottom slices are saved for the most highly regarded style models within wetsuit companies. Higher valued neoprene results in higher priced wetusits. Wetsuits also differ in their patterns. This can affect the price as well. A wetsuit that has lots of seams has lots of panels. Often times a wetsuit with a lot of panels is made from the smaller leftover pieces used to make higher grade suits. And, lots of neoprene panels usually equates to a less comfortable, lower quality wetsuits.

Usually, a wetsuit manufacturer constructs its premier quality wetsuit with little regard to price. A consumer who wants the warmest, most flexible suit will pay the price for the best materials and the newest technologies. The patterns for premier quality wetsuits use large and oddly shaped panels to minimize the number of seams in the finished product. These oddly shaped panels often leave a lot of excess neoprene from the original sheet from which they were cut. These leftovers are frequently used in less expensive suits to increase the yield from a sheet of neoprene, and lower the cost of the suit. Many lower priced suits throughout the industry are manufactured using this method.

Why are too many seams a bad thing? Seams leak and they use threads which are inflexible. Therefore, a wetsuit with more seams will result in less flexibility and more leakage and subsequent heat loss. All the wetsuit manufacturers that we sell offer guarantees on their seam construction. Torn seams are the number one repair issue that we have at OBBC. Luckily, the consumer can ship their suit back to the manufacturer and have them repaired and returned for little to no cost.

What else could influence the cost of a suit? Materials (the grade of neoprene), workmanship (the type of seam), and the pattern (the fit), are three factors that influence price, which have been discussed. Two more factors which can add to the cost of a suit are thickness tolerances and additional features.

The additional feature most commonly added to a wetsuit is seam taping. When a seam is glued and blind stitched, the process is very labor intensive. Glue is applied to each side of the seam at least twice before the glue is catylized. Then the seams are pressed together, either by hand or by using air nippers. This process is not perfect. By applying a seam tape wetsuit makers can eliminate two problems, seam leakage and seam fragility. Traditionally, wetsuits were made with inflexible seam tape which rendered modern advances in neoprene flexibility almost useless. Now wetsuits are made with flexible seam tape, commonly referred to as “liquid tape”, which covers the seam. Although liquid tape does restrict the flexibility of the neoprene slightly and add a little weight, it is a drastic improvement over previous tapes. Manufacturers will also use neoprene as seam tape, but not as frequently and usually only to reinforce a seam junction.

Other additional features are designed to increase warmth. Wetsuit makers frequently experiment with new internal laminates to increase the insulating power of their products. Polypropylene, or “P2” or polypro as it is often referred to, is one such laminate. Polypro is a synthetic fiber that has great insulating properties. It suspends water molecules in its fibers, rather than absorbing them, so it “dries” quickly and doesn’t gain a great deal of weight when it is wet. Another common insulating material is titanium. Some less common materials have been copper and even wool liners. All of these materials add cost to the suit and generally restrict the flexibility of the suit. In the case of adding warmth, slightly restricting the flexibility of the suit is a trade-off many surfers are willing to accept.

The thickness of the neoprene in a wetsuit greatly influences its insulating capabilities and drastically affects its price. Neoprene thickness is measured in millimeters (mm). Most fullsuits have differentiating thicknesses where the arm panels have thinner neoprene than the chest and leg panels (see side diagram). This is to maximize warmth around the core of the body but allows for flexibility in the arms for paddling. The terminology among surfers to describe wetsuits according to thickness ratio for traditional suits is 3/2 and 4/3. The numbers correspond to the thickness of the neoprene in millimeters. A 3/2 is a wetsuit that is 3mm thick in the chest and legs, and 2mm thick in the arms. The reason for calling a suit a 3/2 as opposed to a 2/3 is simply because the suit is mostly 3mm thick except for the arm panels. There are no such things as 2/3 and 3/4 wetsuits. Below is a guide for selecting the correct thickness for a wetsuit in relation to water temperature.

Because 4/3 wetsuits are thicker, and subsequently demand more materials and labor to make than 3/2 wetsuit, they carry a higher sticker price. 4/3 wetsuits can be anywhere from $10 to $50 more than 3/2 wetsuits depending on the selectivity of the model. High end suits that use only select grades of neoprene will often charge substantially more for thicker suits within the same model.

WHAT SUIT IS BEST FOR ME? The following is a guide to help determine the proper suit according to a person's height, weight, ability and desired water temperature tolerances. This will be a guide based purely on water temperatures and suit features, and will not take into account brands or fits. Above all else the best suit for you is the suit that fits you the best!!! This can not be over emphasized. Wetsuit brands hype their products relentlessly. All wetsuit brands are essentially using the same materials, same factories, same workforce, and the same technology as their competitors. Some companies innovate better than others. But the single biggest factor in a wetsuit purchase should be fit. Wetsuit sizing is never consistent across the industry and can vary dramatically from brand to brand. Unless you are certain about your size in a specific suit from a company it is never a good idea to buy a wetsuit without trying it on. All the new technology in the world can’t help you if the suit does not fit properly. So, with that in mind, here is a guide to help you decide what’s best for you:

H20 TEMP SUIT SEAM EXTRAS SURFER

70 spring flatlock none any

65-70 ss full gbs none any

60-65 3/2 full flatlock none novice

60-65 3/2 full gbs none any

55-65 3/2 full gbs tape/polypro any

<60 3m boot gbs none any

50-55 4/3 full gbs tape/polypro any

<55 gloves gbs tape any

<50 5m boot gbs tape any

<50 hood gbs tape/polypro any

45-50 4/3 full gbs hood/tape/pp any

<45 5/4 full gbs hood/tape/pp any

<45 7m boot gbs tape/polypro any

Remember, this is just a guide. Individual preferences will vary, as will individual tolerances to cold. Most importantly, you do not have to be cold if you want to surf in cold water!!

Billabong Foil 3/2 Fullsuit MSRP $130

Sealed, glued and blind stitched seams. No Tape. Back zip.


OBBC Wetsuit Information Guide Wetsuits are technical products that are essential for a core surfer on the Outer Banks. Price and quality vary widely between brands and the different models within the brands' lines. Generally, though, all brands offer similar products at similar price points. Wetsuits are comprised of neoprene panels assembled with glue and thread. The manufacturing is that simple. The differences between wetsuits depend on the grade of neoprene used when making suits, and the patterns used to form the neoprene panels. What is neoprene? Neoprene is a synthetic rubber, invented by a fellow named Wallace (Tony’s cousin) Hume Carothers in 1931 while working in a lab for DuPont Chemical. That same year, Mr. Carothers invented a synthetic silk thread, known as nylon, as a response to deteriorating trade relations between the US and Japan. Both neoprene and nylon are used to make wetsuits today. Neoprene is the “trade name” given to chloroprene, which is the by product of exposing vinylacetylene with hydrochloric acid. How is neoprene made into a wetsuit? Neoprene is taken from its semi-solid state and dried out to form “loaves” that are then sliced into “sheets” of varying thickness. Nylon fabric is then laminated to the sheets on either side or both sides. The sheets that have nylon on one side are called “smooth skin” or “nylon 1” neoprene, and the sheets that have nylon laminated on both sides are called “double sided nylon” or “nylon 2” neoprene. The nylon gives the neoprene its softness but restricts its flexibility. The nylon can be dyed with pigments allowing the wetsuit manufacturer to apply colors to wetsuits during the laminating process. After cutting the neoprene sheets to the desired thickness, the sheets are further cut into panels. The panels are assembled by hand, using glue and nylon thread. The areas where neoprene panels are glued and sewn together are called seams. There are many different ways to seam panels together, and they affect the quality and price of a wetsuit. Most of the wetsuits that we sell are known as “glued and blind stitched” wetsuits, which means that the seams are glued together, and then tightly sewn using a type of stitch known as a blind stitch. A blind stitch is hidden on one side of the panel and disguises the seam stitching to only appear on the inside of the wetsuit. What this means from a practical standpoint is that the stitching does not enter on one side of the suit and exit on the other. The seam is not breached by a needle and thread. The stitch enters and exits on the same side of the seam, which helps keep the seam from leaking. A glued and blind stitched suit is often referred to as a “sealed” or a “sealed seam” wetsuit. Thinner suits and cheaper suits are sewn together with flatlock or overlock stitches. Flatlock stitches are actually a triple (or more) needle stitch that sews a wide enough pattern to pull two seems together. A flatlock stitch is very durable however it punctures the neoprene on both sides of the seam, and leaks like a sieve. An overlock stitch is rarely used in surfing wetsuits and we do not sell them. Are there different grades of neoprene? Neoprene is the result of a synthetic, chemical process. The chemistry is constantly being tinkered with to produce certain characteristics. For instance, it is common knowledge that air has a great deal of insulating power, hence the invention of multi pane windows. So, wetsuit chemists are trying to build neoprene with a larger cell structure, so it insulates better, is lighter, and is also more flexible. Therefore, neoprene comes in different grades. Some neoprene is designed to be light weight, some to be warmer, and some to be more durable. Indirectly though, the nylon that is laminated to the neoprene can affect the quality of the neoprene as much as, or more than, the actual neoprene itself. Flexible wetsuits use less stiching and require flexible materials to be laminated to the neoprene. Durable wetsuits require more stitching and ultimately restrict the flexibility of a suit. So, if one is measuring a wetsuit’s quality by its flexibility, a less flexible suit may be assumed to be of poorer quality. Conversely, if one is measuring a westuit's durability, a light weight, super flexible wetsuit may be assumed to be of poorer quality. Consequently, the quality of wetsuits are sometimes arbitrary and based on the needs and interests of the customer. Why are some wetsuits more expensive than others? As mentioned above, different styles of wetsuits are manufactured with different grades of neoprene using different methods of stitching. When a loaf of neoprene is sliced into sheets, the top and bottom slices are valued higher than slices taken from the middle. These top and bottom slices are saved for the most highly regarded style models within wetsuit companies. Higher valued neoprene results in higher priced wetusits. Wetsuits also differ in their patterns. This can affect the price as well. A wetsuit that has lots of seams has lots of panels. Often times a wetsuit with a lot of panels is made from the smaller leftover pieces used to make higher grade suits. And, lots of neoprene panels usually equates to a less comfortable, lower quality wetsuits. Usually, a wetsuit manufacturer constructs its premier quality wetsuit with little regard to price. A consumer who wants the warmest, most flexible suit will pay the price for the best materials and the newest technologies. The patterns for premier quality wetsuits use large and oddly shaped panels to minimize the number of seams in the finished product. These oddly shaped panels often leave a lot of excess neoprene from the original sheet from which they were cut. These leftovers are frequently used in less expensive suits to increase the yield from a sheet of neoprene, and lower the cost of the suit. Many lower priced suits throughout the industry are manufactured using this method. Why are too many seams a bad thing? Seams leak and they use threads which are inflexible. Therefore, a wetsuit with more seams will result in less flexibility and more leakage and subsequent heat loss. All the wetsuit manufacturers that we sell offer guarantees on their seam construction. Torn seams are the number one repair issue that we have at OBBC. Luckily, the consumer can ship their suit back to the manufacturer and have them repaired and returned for little to no cost. What else could influence the cost of a suit? Materials (the grade of neoprene), workmanship (the type of seam), and the pattern (the fit), are three factors that influence price, which have been discussed. Two more factors which can add to the cost of a suit are thickness tolerances and additional features. The additional feature most commonly added to a wetsuit is seam taping. When a seam is glued and blind stitched, the process is very labor intensive. Glue is applied to each side of the seam at least twice before the glue is catylized. Then the seams are pressed together, either by hand or by using air nippers. This process is not perfect. By applying a seam tape wetsuit makers can eliminate two problems, seam leakage and seam fragility. Traditionally, wetsuits were made with inflexible seam tape which rendered modern advances in neoprene flexibility almost useless. Now wetsuits are made with flexible seam tape, commonly referred to as “liquid tape”, which covers the seam. Although liquid tape does restrict the flexibility of the neoprene slightly and add a little weight, it is a drastic improvement over previous tapes. Manufacturers will also use neoprene as seam tape, but not as frequently and usually only to reinforce a seam junction. Other additional features are designed to increase warmth. Wetsuit makers frequently experiment with new internal laminates to increase the insulating power of their products. Polypropylene, or “P2” or polypro as it is often referred to, is one such laminate. Polypro is a synthetic fiber that has great insulating properties. It suspends water molecules in its fibers, rather than absorbing them, so it “dries” quickly and doesn’t gain a great deal of weight when it is wet. Another common insulating material is titanium. Some less common materials have been copper and even wool liners. All of these materials add cost to the suit and generally restrict the flexibility of the suit. In the case of adding warmth, slightly restricting the flexibility of the suit is a trade-off many surfers are willing to accept. The thickness of the neoprene in a wetsuit greatly influences its insulating capabilities and drastically affects its price. Neoprene thickness is measured in millimeters (mm). Most fullsuits have differentiating thicknesses where the arm panels have thinner neoprene than the chest and leg panels (see side diagram). This is to maximize warmth around the core of the body but allows for flexibility in the arms for paddling. The terminology among surfers to describe wetsuits according to thickness ratio for traditional suits is 3/2 and 4/3. The numbers correspond to the thickness of the neoprene in millimeters. A 3/2 is a wetsuit that is 3mm thick in the chest and legs, and 2mm thick in the arms. The reason for calling a suit a 3/2 as opposed to a 2/3 is simply because the suit is mostly 3mm thick except for the arm panels. There are no such things as 2/3 and 3/4 wetsuits. Below is a guide for selecting the correct thickness for a wetsuit in relation to water temperature. Because 4/3 wetsuits are thicker, and subsequently demand more materials and labor to make than 3/2 wetsuit, they carry a higher sticker price. 4/3 wetsuits can be anywhere from $10 to $50 more than 3/2 wetsuits depending on the selectivity of the model. High end suits that use only select grades of neoprene will often charge substantially more for thicker suits within the same model. WHAT SUIT IS BEST FOR ME? The following is a guide to help determine the proper suit according to a person's height, weight, ability and desired water temperature tolerances. This will be a guide based purely on water temperatures and suit features, and will not take into account brands or fits. Above all else the best suit for you is the suit that fits you the best!!! This can not be over emphasized. Wetsuit brands hype their products relentlessly. All wetsuit brands are essentially using the same materials, same factories, same workforce, and the same technology as their competitors. Some companies innovate better than others. But the single biggest factor in a wetsuit purchase should be fit. Wetsuit sizing is never consistent across the industry and can vary dramatically from brand to brand. Unless you are certain about your size in a specific suit from a company it is never a good idea to buy a wetsuit without trying it on. All the new technology in the world can’t help you if the suit does not fit properly. So, with that in mind, here is a guide to help you decide what’s best for you: H20 TEMP SUIT SEAM EXTRAS SURFER 70 spring flatlock none any 65-70 ss full gbs none any 60-65 3/2 full flatlock none novice 60-65 3/2 full gbs none any 55-65 3/2 full gbs tape/polypro any <60 3m boot gbs none any 50-55 4/3 full gbs tape/polypro any <55 gloves gbs tape any <50 5m boot gbs tape any <50 hood gbs tape/polypro any 45-50 4/3 full gbs hood/tape/pp any <45 5/4 full gbs hood/tape/pp any <45 7m boot gbs tape/polypro any Remember, this is just a guide. Individual preferences will vary, as will individual tolerances to cold. Most importantly, you do not have to be cold if you want to surf in cold water!!

		Billabong Foil 3/2 Fullsuit MSRP $130 Sealed, glued and blind stitched seams. No Tape. Back zip.