Wetsuit Thickness NZ: 2mm, 3/2 Or 4/3 For West Coast Water?
, by Michelle Griffin , 5 min reading time
The wetsuit mistake we see most often gets made in summer. Someone comes in on a warm February afternoon, the water off Cobden is sitting close to 19 degrees, and a thin suit feels like plenty. Then October rolls round, the sea has dropped to 14, and that same suit has them shaking in the carpark after forty minutes.
Buy for the water you will be surfing in most often.
O'Neill wetsuits run from 2mm spring suits through to 4/3 steamers, and each one suits a different stretch of the West Coast year.
What The Numbers Mean
Thickness is measured in millimetres of neoprene. A 4/3 has 4mm through the torso and 3mm through the arms and legs, so your core stays warm while your shoulders still move freely. A single number, like a 2mm spring, means the same thickness all over.
West Coast Water Through The Year
The Tasman on our side of the island runs colder than most visitors expect. As a rough guide:
|
Months |
Water temperature (approx.) |
What we would wear |
|
May to November |
13 to 15°C |
4/3 steamer, with boots on the coldest mornings |
|
December and April |
16 to 17°C |
3/2 steamer, or a 4/3 if you feel the cold |
|
January to March |
18 to 19°C |
3/2 steamer, or a 2mm spring on warm days |
Those figures leave out the wind. A southerly change can make summer water feel like winter once you are sitting still between sets at Rapahoe.
The 4/3 Does Most Of The Work Here
If you only own one suit and surf through the cooler months, start with a 4/3. It covers about seven months of the year here, and with boots it handles a July dawn session.
The O'Neill Defender 4/3mm back zip wetsuit is the one we recommend most for that job. It pairs UltraFlex DS neoprene with an UltraFibre thermal liner, and the seams are glued, blind stitched and 50% taped. The Defender range also comes in tall and short sizes, which fixes the gap at the wrists and ankles plenty of surfers put up with.
3/2 Steamers For Summer And Early Autumn
From December to about April, a 4/3 starts to feel heavy on the paddle out. A 3/2 steamer is the Coast's summer suit: full length to keep the wind off, thinner through the shoulders so you are not worn out after an hour.
For women, the O'Neill Bahia 3/2mm chest zip wetsuit pairs UltraFlex DS neoprene with glued and taped seams, an UltraFlex Firewall lining and no seams under the arms where you paddle. The men's Defender also comes as a 3/2.
2mm Spring Suits For Warm Days And Groms
A spring suit has short legs and short or long sleeves. It suits the warmest weeks: a February afternoon session, or a beach day with kids in and out of the water for hours.
The O'Neill Reactor 2 spring suit uses flatlock seams, which let a little water through and are fine once the sea warms up. Here, a spring works best as a second suit alongside a 3/2 or 4/3. Kids and youth sizes run through the Reactor 2 and Factor ranges.
Chest Zip Or Back Zip
A back zip is easier to get into, which counts for a lot with cold fingers in a wet carpark. The catch is a long zip down the spine, where water can flush in when you duck dive.
A chest zip closes across the shoulders. There is less opening for water and the back flexes better when you paddle, but getting in takes practice.
For a first steamer, we usually suggest a back zip. Most regular surfers end up in a chest zip.
Where The Extra Money Goes
Two suits with the same thickness can sit a few hundred dollars apart. Most of that gap is neoprene stretch, seams and lining.
Flatlock seams are stitched straight through the neoprene: light, cheap and fine in warm water. Glued and blind stitched (GBS) seams are glued first, then stitched only part way through, so far less water gets in. Taped seams add a sealing strip over each join on the inside. Thermal linings like O'Neill's Firewall hold warmth around your core.
On a cold Coast morning, sealed seams and a lining often make as much difference as an extra millimetre of rubber.
Getting The Fit Right
A wetsuit only works when it sits close. Any gap at the lower back, armpits or behind the knees fills with water that keeps getting replaced before it warms up.
When you try one on, reach both arms overhead and run through a few paddle strokes. If the shoulders pull hard or the collar chokes, try the next size or a tall or short cut.
Still unsure? We hire wetsuits in store, so a couple of sessions in a hired 4/3 or 3/2 is an easy way to find out what you need.
What you wear once the suit comes off matters too, especially on a road trip up to Punakaiki or down to Hokitika. Our guide on what to wear on a NZ surf trip covers the layers that work between sessions.
Find Your Wetsuit At Westside Surf & Street
If you can get to Greymouth, come in and try two thicknesses back to back. Ten minutes in the changing room settles it. Ordering from further away? Check the size chart on each suit against your height and weight, and choose the thickness with the colder months in mind.
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