Circle One Wetsuits

Author's product rating:   

Value for money	Good
Durability	OK
How does it compare to similar products?	Big

Advantages:	Keeps you warm
Disadvantages:	A bit thin for winter surfing

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Over all I was pleased with this wetsuit, its does the job and was redeemably priced.

COMFORT AND PARCTICALITY

A wetsuits comfort, whatever make it is will depend on wither it is a short summer suit or a long winter one. A short suit would be more comfortable when the water is warmer and you are spending more time on the beach itself, however if a short suit is too larger it tends to shift around much more giving you're a very sour neck. Most Circle One longies make good summer and winter suits because they are thin enough that you will not get too hot in the summer but it is still bearable in January/ February, however it is still important to get one the right size because wearing one which is too small will restrict your movement and one which is too large will rub on your neck and chest. If you do own one which is only slightly too large and feel that you will grow into it, the best thing to do is to wear a rash-vest underneath. This will stop the rubber parts of the suit rubbing your neck and chest, its also provides a little extra warmth in the winter. They tend to look ok, normally just black and have different coloured bit under the arms, but style really isn't the point.

The zip system on these wetsuits is simple and easy to use even in the winter when you can't feel your hands, and I have never found that it has started to come undone during a session.

PRICE

I live in the West Country so I don't really know how they are priced in northern or Irish surf areas. But here the price of a wet suit is very high in the summer when there are a lot of tourists around. The best time to buy them in my opinion around Devon and Cornwall is at the end of the summer when all the tourists have gone and the small shops try to sell off their stock. Although be careful as wetsuits have a limited life and some of the cheaper ones may have been there for a while. I found that mine has started to wear down quite heavily around the back leg and neck (probably not a problem if you only surf once or twice a year). A Circle One suit would be a good buy if you planed to spend a lot of time in the water and do not wand to pay too much for an overpriced trendy suit. A lot of people who surf for the image pay a lot of money to get an overpriced Quicksilver or O'Neil suit which are just as warm and often do not last as long.