Wetsuits ... 5/3 E-Bomb or 4/3 F-Bomb

Which is the warmer Rip Curl wetsuit for windsurfing ...

5/3 E-Bomb vs 4/3 F-Bomb

3/4 liquid taping vs full liquid taping
single sided liquid taping vs double sided liquid taping
no smoothskin vs smoothskin chest panel
no fireskin lining vs chest fireskin lining

I reckon that the better the seams seal the warmer you stay...I am therefore going to vote that a 4/3 awesomely sealed suit would be more pleasant than a leakier 5/4.

my double taped phsyco 2 leaks, they all ffn leak!!! its just a matter of time.... I love my phsyco 2 but eventually it will be a siv... they all do. double taped shoould take longer i guess

Good morning, Dism.

Re glues. You might try Aquaseal Seal Cement, a neoprene cement. Absolutely do not use Aquaseal Urethane cement, which dries as hard as a rock and quickly chafes skin if in contact. Here is a link to the Aquaseal site: http://www.mcnett.com/Sporting-Goods-C15.aspx. I noted that they do not list the Seal Cement, but don't know why.

Have also used Picasso Neoprene Glue, which is the same as the Aquaseal Seal Cement.

I generally buy the products from dive shops.

Also, I no longer attempt bigger repairs on my wetsuits. Have found that a professional repairer does it better than me, albeit taking longer and costing more.

Hope this helps.

I've got a 4/3 Fireskin and it is as warm as toast. I live in Melbourne. I couldn't imagine needing a 5/4 suit for windsurfing unless you really feel the cold or you're in Tasmania.

I've had a heap of Rip Curl suits over the years and they are excellent. The warranty service is outstanding.

The only problem with the thick suits is they takes days to dry. I spin mine in the washing machine and that helps.

In the past year I have been using a Radiator 3/2 steamer with a rubber rashie underneath. www.radiator.net . It is adequate for Melbourne winter conditions. The best thing is that it has smooth skin on the inside. It dries very very quickly. In an emergency you could wipe it dry with a towel. It's a bit cold on the skin when you first put it on but it warms up in seconds. They're cheap too.

I said it was "adequate". This past winter I used my 4/3 suit once and the 3/2 all the time. The Radiator would not be good enough if you're surfing and doing a lot of duck diving. It's fine for SUP and kiting etc.

Just to close out this thread with my comparison ... I finally got my 5/3 e-bomb into the water so I can do a direct comparison with the 4/3 f-bomb.

Other differences other than those listed above:
- both the neck & zip is higher on the f-bomb compared to an e-bomb hence definitely a better seal around the neck.

After using my F-Bomb I am primarily dry underneath the wettie.
After using the E-Bomb I was soaked underneath the wettie.

The 4/3 F-Bomb is definately warmer than a 5/3 E-Bomb (obviously with the trade-offs of flexibility & weight).