|
|
|
|
FAQ
What wetsuit for me?We get asked this question several times a day. It depends entirely on your answers to the following questions: What? Where? When and How? What activities are you doing? Where are you doing it? Are you in the water or on the water? What is the water temperature? When are you doing it? Summer? Winter? How do you feel the cold? How long do you want to stay out? The best wetsuit for you comes down to three main criteria:
RubberChinese vs Japanese: What kind of rubber your wetsuit is made from is really important. Chinese rubber is made from Petroleum and has less thermal properties. We use Japanese Yamamoto neoprene exclusively in our wetsuits. Made from Limestone and filled with nitrogen air, it's warmer, lighter and more durable. [Read more about the different kinds of rubber]Standard or superstretch: What you do in the water usually indicates how strechy you will need your suit to be. Standard neoprene is durable and great for all kinds of watersports where flexibility isn't as essential. Superstretch rubber is less durable but perfect for sports where ease of movement, comfort and performance is important. StyleCoverage: Steamer, a term coined from Steamer Lane, a famous surfing location in Santa Cruz, California, is used to describe a full length wetsuit - long sleeve and long legs — this gives you a full body cover and the warmest option.A Spring wetsuit also known as a 'shortie' has short sleeves and legs and is usually better for warmer temperature waters. A Long John style is like a singlet top with long legs. And Short John style with short legs. Thickness: Our wetsuits come in a number of thicknesses and are measured in millimeters, such as 2/2, 3/2 or 4/3. The first number indicates the core thickness of the suit (the body), with the second number for the extremities (arms/legs). For example a 3/2 suit is 3mm in the body, 2mm in the arms and legs. Generally, the thicker the suit the warmer you will be, while thinner suits are more flexible. Construction: The way a suit is constructed really effects warmth. With advances in wetsuit technology, we can now make thinner but warmer suits. For example, a glued & sealed 2/2 is warmer than a flatlocked 3/2 — so thickness isn't everything. Make sure you think about how a suit is constructed and what kind of seams it has. [Read more about wetsuit construction] FitFirm or Loose: The firmer the fit, the warmer the suit. If you're in the water, a firm fit is essential. A bad or loose fit will flush/ let in water and 'pool' at any air pockets inside your wetsuit. However, if you are out of the water (on a jetski, kayak etc) then you can get away with a looser fit than, say, a surfer or swimmer.Standard: Seventhwave make a full range of standard sizes in men's, women's and youth. Custom-fit: We've found approximately a third of people don't fit a standard sized wetsuit. Tailored to your specific colour, size and body shape and hand-crafted on site — the warmest, best fitting and most flexible wetsuit is one that is custom made. Now that you've had a browse, why not try our Interactive Product Finder? [Back to Top] How do your wetsuits compare to other brands?Our suits really are different to other brands. Basically it comes down to the rubber we use — other brands use a Chinese or Taiwanese made rubber (Seamate, Sheico etc) which has an air count of 60% and is petroleum-based, meaning the longer you are in the water the more water it absorbs and the less warmth it holds. It is also made using a highly chemical process involving messy and hazardous petro-chemicals. Only a handful of companies around the world use the premier rubber we use — Japanese Yamamoto — which is made from limestone and has a closed-cell content of 92% Nitrogen air, is better for the environment, and is longer lasting. What this means in simple terms is that our suits have a lot more air bubbles inside the rubber than other brands (30% to be exact), don't soak up the water, weigh nearly identical wet or dry, and are quick drying. All this makes for a really warm, light suit great for surfing and other sports. Our 3mm rubber would be as warm as Chinese 4mm, simply because of the thermal properties of the air inside our rubber. Add Titanium and you really are cooking! [Back to Top] What is the difference between flatlocked and glued & sealed (G&S) seams?There is a big difference — flatlocked seams are breathable, whereas glued and sealed seams are water tight. Flatlocked seams are achieved by lapping the neoprene together in order to create a flat, comfortable and breathable seam perfect for spring, summer and autumn waters in New Zealand (or water temperatures around 15˚ upwards). The breathable seam allows a thin layer of water inside the suit, which is trapped and heated between the rubber and your body. This is not really suitable for cold, winter waters. Glued and stitched (G&S) seams are glued, blindstitched and/or taped, making a totally sealed seam that will not let water pass through. Apart from the extremities of your body (wrists, ankles, neck etc) a glued suit is basically like a dry suit — most of the time you will take the suit off and find that you are still dry inside. Therefore G&S seams are perfect for colder waters, and when combined with the right neoprene thickness can ensure comfortable activity in 6-8˚ waters. [Check your local water temperature here] Our sealed seams are created by a double coating of glue, butted together and then blindstitched on each side. Blindstitch is created with a curved needle and does not penetrate through to the other side of the neoprene, meaning a complete, watertight seal. A glued seam is flat, supple, watertight and flexible. [Watch a video of a blindstitched wetsuit being made] [Back to Top] How stretchy are your suits?Stretchy! Being a lighter material also means performance and stretch is increased. Our Viper model has a superstretch rubber in the shoulder, arm and underarm panels, while our MAX model is 100% superstretch rubber — giving our suits amazing elasticity, memory, and multi-directional stretch capacity. While Chinese rubber can be made to feel super soft, it often stretches after a few seasons and ends up being a size or two larger than when you purchased it. Our superstretch rubber is both soft AND has what is called 'memory' — meaning our wetsuits mold to your body shape and doesn't get loose over time. It also has an elongation of 480-580%. Compare that to the elongation of the human skin under the arm, which is 60-70%, and you get an idea of how stretchy the MAX model is. And if you get a custom fit, your performance is maximised! [Back to Top] What's the lifespan of your suits?Our wetsuits are made to perform. Another advantage of Japanese rubber is its lifespan. Because of Yamamoto's independent closed-cell content, cell walls aren't connected and will not tear as easily as standard rubber — meaning our wetsuits are a lot more durable, harder wearing and longer lasting. Most people find our wetsuits last twice as long as their other suits. We find if you use them a lot and take good care of them between surfs' you should get 2-3 seasons from a Max, 3-6 seasons from a Viper and even longer from a Vortex. All our wetsuits are made in New Zealand and are covered by our limited warranty on materials and construction. [Back to Top] What are those zipless suits all about?Unfortunately, zips can let in water and don't stretch. That's why we also make zipless wetsuits. A zipless wetsuit really is warmer, simply because of the complete seal around the neck and the elimination of the cold, metal object (zip) down your back. Also having no back zip means greater freedom of movement in the back panel, allowing more stretch and a wetsuit that feels like a second skin. Zipless suits are entered through a super stretchy and durable neck panel. You then stretch the 'bib' over your head from the back shoulders, which then seals and zips into place high on your chest. With good technique a zipless suit is easy to get in and out of, and adds a number of benefits back zip suits don't have. [Watch a how to video] [Back to Top] What's your policy on deliveries, returns and privacy?We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service. Without customers we are nothing! zilch! nada! walla-isshi! So we've made sure all your delivery, returns, and privacy concerns are covered. Feel free to browse our policies here: [Delivery Policy] [Returns Policy] [Privacy Policy]. [Back to Top]
What happens if my custom-fit wetsuit doesn't fit?Most of us after finally doing the measuring thing and ordering a new wetsuit, can't wait for it to arrive. Once it does, we dash home to try the wetsuit on. "Great, fantastic, awesome!" are the usual replies we get but for a small percentage of you we have had small problems affect you getting your perfect fit first time round. Well the good news is we are very keen to get any sizing issues corrected and as soon as possible. This helpful guide shows what we do in that unlikely scenario. [Back to Top] |
 |
|