Mens Wetsuits

Mens wetsuits from C-Skins, O'Neill, Rip Curl and Mystic, £75 to £309, plus a Mission hybrid drysuit at £350. Summer shorties through to hooded 5/4mm winter suits. In the Whitstable shop and online.

What thickness do I need?

Whitstable sits around 6–7°C in February and 18–19°C in August, so most people here end up with a 3/2mm and a 5/4mm rather than one suit for everything.

What you get at each price

£75–£99 — shorties and entry full suits. O'Neill Reactor-2 2mm shorty £75–£82, Rip Curl Omega 2mm shorty £88, C-Skins Element shorty £79. Full 3/2mm back zip from £99 (O'Neill Reactor-2, C-Skins Element). Flatlock or glued seams, easy to get into, does the job for UK summer.

£149–£189 — the sensible middle. C-Skins Legend 3/2 GBS £149, NuWave Legend £159, Rip Curl Omega £179, O'Neill Epic £189. Sealed seams, better linings. This is where most people should be if they're in the water more than a handful of times a year.

£219–£299 — chest zip and performance. C-Skins ReWired 3/2 £219–£299, O'Neill O'Riginal RG8 £239–£249, Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Performance £239, O'Neill Hyperfreak Fire 4/3+ £285. Chest zip, minimal flush, proper stretch.

£209–£309 — winter. O'Neill Epic 5/4 back zip £209, O'Riginal RG8 5/4 chest zip £219, Mystic Marshall 5/3 front zip £249, C-Skins NuWave ReWired 5/4 £285, or hooded at £309.

£350 — Mission Hybrid Drysuit. For anyone on the water rather than in it — wing foiling, windsurfing, dinghy sailing in winter.

Back zip or chest zip?

Back zip is easier to get into on your own, which matters in a car park in January. Chest zip flushes far less cold water down your back, which matters once you're in it. For summer the difference is small. For winter, chest zip is worth the money.

Natural rubber — the Yulex suits

The O'Neill O'Riginal RG8 range (£219–£249) is made from Yulex natural rubber rather than petroleum-based neoprene. Same warmth, considerably lower carbon footprint. If that matters to you, it's the range to look at — and they're good suits on their own merits, not just on principle.

Layers underneath

C-Skins Session under shorts £18.99, HDi Thermal under shorts £32, ION Neo Top hooded 2/1mm £74, Mystic Star Sweat 2mm hoody £89.50, O'Neill Reactor 1.5mm top £52. A thermal layer under a 3/2 buys you weeks either side of the season for a fraction of the cost of a warmer suit.

Fit

A wetsuit should be tight on land and comfortable in the water. Gaps at the lower back and behind the knees mean cold water flushing through, and that's what makes people cold — not thickness. Sizing varies a lot between brands, so come in and try a few if you can. We'd rather you left with the right one.

Browse by season: mens summer wetsuits · mens shorty wetsuits · mens winter wetsuits

Also: boots · gloves · hoods · rash vests and thermals