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feedback Thanks for the Titanium Hot Top which arrived in super quick time. I’ve already done a couple of dives with it and its absolutely fantastic. My last Hot Top kept me toasty warm on more than 400 dives and I’m sure this one will see me through my next 400 dives. It's an amazing product and we’ll keep recommending our dive customers get one of their own! Thanks again for the super service.Annie Gray Niue Dive, Niue www.dive.nu  My Seventhwave wetsuit is AWESOME. It fits really good and is totally warm. I love the neck entry design and the detachable hood too. It was pretty cool being out amongst the snow and ice in February here (Hokkaido, Japan), when everyone else was wearing $2000 5mm dry suits, and they just couldn't believe I was wearing a 4/3 wetsuit!Stephen D. McKean hokkaidoshred.   Seventhwave wetsuits are by far the best suits I have ever worn. I travel extensively around the globe on the Women's World Surfing Tour and these suits enable me to stay warm in any water the globe can throw at me. Travelling with my MAX 4x3 and 3x2 short arm I feel ready for all conditions. The suits not only keep me warm but give optimum flexibility!It's great you can tailor your own suits — my red numbers rock. I love the fact that my suits are not mass produced and built on site in New Zealand with the best Japanese neoprene: nothing like supporting local. I can't give these suits enough praise, you really have to try one to know just how good they are! Amee Donohoe World Championship Tour surfer   To say that I am happy about my suit is an understatement, ecstatic would be more appropriate: I have found the solution to a 15 years dilemma. The perfect suit actually exists! I thought it was only a distant dream.I put my MAX to task in the freezing Cape Town conditions over the weekend. For the first time EVER I had to leave the water because of tiredness instead of cold. I have always surfed in a 4/3 and on colder days supplemented this with a jersey, booties, hood and gloves. This was probably the 10th session in my Custom MAX, so far it has almost been too warm to wear. Saturday was cold but I managed to stay in for 3 1/2 hours with my 3/3 interchangeable hood (naked under the suit) while my mates in their top of the range suits [insert any major brand here] could barely manage 2 hours and were bitterly complaining about the water 1/2 an hour after getting wet. Finally got out, rinsed the suit, let it dry in the garage. 4 hours later it was time to meet the crew again. My suit was almost dry (bar the tip of both legs and arms). I arrived a bit late at the end of a 30 minute flat spell that froze their bones off. All were gone an hour later and I almost enjoyed the place to myself while my mates were warming up in the beautiful afternoon sun: no one could believe how warm my body was after coming out, how dry the suit was.... I had told them before but they did not believe me. Now they have witnessed first hand that when the going gets rough Seventhwave is far above anything else available here in South Africa. For those prospective customers that may be considering Seventhwave — you will find yourself in completely unfamiliar territory with this team of dedicated people: don't believe what is written on the website, it is all an understatement! Seventhwave is about under-promise and over-delivery. Warmth: Japanese Yamamoto neoprene is 30% warmer. In reality I would place this value way higher. The reason: custom fit. Since no area of the body is loose, water is not running in anywhere. I always had loose areas around the armpits, forearms and wrist when buying MS, the "only" alternative available for me. On the other hand, since no rubber is stretched because of a "misfit", it stays true in thickness around the body, and does not stretch on the seams to let in any water. Flexibility: unbelievable. The effect is only really felt once one has the suit on, it is not so obvious when feeling it. On, it feels like pajamas. Durability: I cannot yet vouch for this but before ordering I did some extensive research over the net in sailing, triathlon and diving forums: all unanimously vouched for Yamamoto rubber performance in warmth and lifespan. Once again the custom fit is helping here: the seams will never be handling excess pressure due to misfit. And this is something I have noticed on all big brand suits since getting my Seventhwave. As an accountant by trade, I cannot resist my instinct to talk about price. If the most conservative claims on durability are to be believed, then one should not consider the suit as a consumable like you would with the major brands. Buying Seventhwave is an investment, all the more for me in RSA where my Seventhwave has barely cost 10% more than any "you-know-who" top of the range brands. I would have found it more expensive had I not followed Jared's advice and settled for a 3/3 instead of the 4/3 I initially wanted (which after testing the 3/3 would have been absolutely too warm around here). It took me a few years to find "my" shaper, I have now found THE wetsuit maker. I never thought I would write that I now relish the freezing days the South Atlantic can deliver: I have a competitive edge and will stay in the water much longer than anybody else around could ever manage with more rubber. The downside is marital problems: I now have to explain why I spend so much more time in the water!" Guys, you have changed my surfing life: I could never thank you enough. Christophe VEGEZZI CA(SA) cvegezzi@gmail.com   Sorry I have been meaning to write and say how pleased I am with my Custom Max 3/2 Titanium wetsuit purchased back in March 09. Being a windsurfer, I was concerned about cramping in the forearms caused by my previous full arm wetsuits. I need not have been concerned, the suit is so comfortable it is unbelievable.I was also concerned 3/2 was not going to be warm enough, especially at the end of the season in April and early season in Aug/Sept. Again I need not have been concerned, I recall being too warm at Lake Coleridge and lake Clearwater last April!! Technology has obviously moved on somewhat from my old winter wetsuit which incidently was manufactured by a company called Second Skin. I now have a proper second skin, thats exactly what it feels like. Thanks again and copied below is a video of the suit in action. Happy New Year." Regards Neil Walker (check out the video here, taken using a GoPro Camera).   Yes, totally delighted with the new wetsuit, although this 10 pounder fish wasn't so pleased to find me sneaking up, in my new olive and black outfit! Not bad for a first outing, eh? Have had a great summer spearfishing so far, the suit is perfect. Very flexible and comfortable, the custom fit is spot on.Great product, great service, and the rest of the Waterline team are getting themselves measured up for a custom fit now. Thanks heaps, gotta go, the tide awaits. Cheers." Brian Rogers Director Sun Media Ltd.  Like all keen surfers who are fortunate enough to live in the deep south of NZ, if you want to participate and be amongst the best waves on offer (that generally arrive in autumn and throughout winter), you need the best surfing wetsuit available to 'maximise' your surfing pleasure during this cold and sometimes frigid time of the year.Having spent a lifetime dedicated (or preoccupied) with surfing, I have always appreciated any technological developments both in surfboard manufacturing and wetsuit construction. Recently I embarked on an information gathering exercise to learn that Japanese Yamamoto is considered the best alternative neoprene available to leading wetsuit manufacturing. Researching further I soon discovered the Paul and his team at Seventhwave has been utilising this neoprene for many years in the manufacture of top quality surfing wetsuits. I was keen to try something new, so I made contact with Paul and after a short conversation was quickly able to establish what suit would be appropriate to my needs. What followed was a short visit to the factory outlet shop in Christchurch: I had my measurements taken, and within 5 working days I opened my front door to receive my brand new custom MAX 4/3 Hooded wetsuit. Incredible service. I have now owned the wetsuit for over three months and have had plenty of usage during our cold winter of '09. The first thing I noticed is that for a 4/3 it is incredibly warm, lightweight and extremely flexible. The construction of the suit is excellent, with every seam carefully machine stitched, double glued and generously covered in Melco tape. Furthermore the 'dry time' is excellent, which is reassuring to know your wetsuit will be dry for the following winter morning! The attention to detail and usage of the best materials available has resulted in the best wetsuit I have ever owned. I am stoked that I have finally found a wetsuit that is going to last more than just one season which is warm, flexible, lightweight, dries easily and most importantly, is NZ made. Many thanks and congratulations to the Seventhwave team." Stephen Brown sbd369@xtra.co.nz   In the late 1990s, you could drive up directly to Seventhwave's factory in Ferrymead, on the outskirts of Christchurch, and explain to the good folks there that you needed a wetsuit with longer arm and leg-lengths. They'd reset the machines and churn out a better-fitting suit than you could find in the States, one that would be ready the next day. (That suit lasted me until it was unceremoniously left to dry on a shrub at Torquay and no doubt inherited by a lanky local).A decade after that original purchase, living in land-locked Philadelphia, I find that Seventhwave is still the place to buy a westuit, for use now in frigid Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Ordering a custom-made, Yamamoto neoprene suit that, given a favorable exchange rate, is still competitively priced against its American brand counterparts, remains compelling. Now if only my love of cannoli could keep me within the bounds of those initial measurements ... " Best, Ivan Kerbel ivan.kerbel@gmail.com   I spoke to my uncle about our new suits and he said he's already had three surfs in his. He's stoked as, and he said to say thanks heaps for the mint suit and for being so helpful. He lives at Shipwreck Bay, Ninety Mile Beach. He's been surfing for the last 45 years and says it's the best steamer he's owned — flexible, warm and fits perfectly. You might see some orders come in from the far north once he starts raving to his old school surfy mates about how good his new suit is.I would say the same thing as my uncle: I'm stoked with it. I always found other suits restricting when paddling and kiteboarding, but my new suit is mint, way more flexible — REAL WARM TOO. Fast, helpful and a great product. I would recommend your company to anyone looking for a new wetsuit. Once again, thanks heaps, and I will be placing more orders in the future." Regards, James Taylor james@pumpt.co.nz  Surfing and tow surfing between Dunedin and Catlins: quite often when the surf's pumping in winter there's frost on the ground or it's snowing. I've been surfing in Dunedin all my life, I've owned Quicksilver, Rip curl, O'Neill, Bodyline and Xcel wetsuits and none have come close to the comfort and warmth of my 4/3 Hooded Max Titanium Seventhwave suit — its epic!!! Thanks Paul for making those cold pumping winter sessions last so much longer"Jimi Crooks   I love my Seventhwave wetsuits, they are so warm: when I'm out in the water with my mates they are freezing in their 3x2 big name brand suits and I have my 2x2 Seventhwave suit on and so toastie. I've tried a lot of brands of suits and I think the quality of the Seventhwave suits is the best, from the kneepads to the neoprene." Michael van der Klooster, owner and shaper VANDA Surfboards Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia   Surfing in Dunedin is a whole new ball game when it comes to water temperature: the ice cream headaches and cold flushes you endure put you off frozen items for life! A great wetsuit is absolutely essential to play among the polar bears, I just wish I had turned to Seventhwave earlier!I approached Paul at a surf competition a while back and started chatting, then one thing lead to another, and there I was back at home, measuring myself for a brand spanking new 4mm Max Titanium custom with an interchangeable hood!!! The previous winter wetsuits I have used over the 5 years of surfing in the frigid waters of Dunedin have been marginal, but my Seventhwave is a cut above the rest: superior materials, manufacturing and service make it what it is today. I have been wearing my custom Seventhwave wetsuit for over a year now, full on through summer and winter, it's still as warm as ever and I have nothing negative to say about them at all. Thanks Paul and the team at Seventhwave!" Geordi Dearns   It's now mid winter in Wellington and I'm giving the freezing cold water the 'big finger' because I have just taken possession of a Max 3/3 titanium suit. For the last few years I have been getting less than a year 's wear out of my suits, which were an Oneill Psycho 2, Billabong Solution and a mid priced Xcel. These suits were never as warm as they claimed and within six months I had to start wearing a titanium rashie as the cells started to permanently compress in the neoprene. With the Seventhwave suit, I had a two hour session today feeling the warmest I have been in years, and there were still dry patches inside the chest area. My main concern with buying a Kiwi made suit was whether it would be as flexi as the super-flexi suits made in Asia. Due to the Max's clever design and construction, it has EXCELLENT flexibility especially in the shoulders/arms. I bought my suit online and the price included custom fitting and was at my doorstep in a week. The suit is bloody warm and flexible, I could not be happier with my purchase." Muchas Gracias Campbell Read camread@clear.net.nz   Wow! What service! Couriered from Coromandel Thursday morning and back on my doorstep Saturday, repaired and ready for the next swell, impressive!Have been stoked with my custom fitted 3/2 steamer, into my third winter with it now. Ideal for the conditions we have up here. Very little restriction so max time in water. I chose Seventhwave as it is NZ made and I know the temps you surf down in the south so you guys should have figured out how to keep warm. Cheers, "see you in the surf" Tony Keyworth (that's me in the middle). Coromandel   Wetsuit's nice!!! Super warm, light, love it."Cheers, Sam Mathers   I've been surfing for over 35 years, starting out in the freezing waters of Gore Bay, migrating north over time to Auckland via Wellington and the Wairarapa. Prior to buying my first Seventhwave wetsuits around 12 years ago I had tried suits from all the big brands — invariably I was disappointed. Since purchasing my first Seventhwave I have used no other brand — they simply don't match up in terms of warmth, durability and comfort.I must admit the other key feature for me is N.Z. made — I feel good about supporting New Zealanders rather than a factory in Thailand and some American or Australian sponsored surfers." Regards Colin McKay Technical Brand Manager: Novartis New Zealand Limited   I received my 3/3 max custom last week. Fits like a glove and is a really nice leafy green colour too (perfect if there’s veggies in the line-up ‘cause you can blend in and take inside position). Anyway, having gone from Seventhwave to O’Neil and now back to Seventhwave, I am happy to report that this suit is fantastic. It’s super warm and is beautifully constructed. The neoprene is amazingly comfy.Certainly as warm as a 4/3, if not warmer, and warmer than my old Psycho 2. And it’s made in NZ which is ultimately what drove my decision to abandon the Chinese/Thai alternatives and return to a local product. So thanks Seventhwave – a brilliant suit which I will promote in the shop with vigor!"
Kind regards,
John Dance, Wellington  Just a note to say, I’ve been surfing for over 30 years and the Seventhwave Max 3/2 Steamer I bought off you 2 years ago is, by far, the best wetsuit I have ever had. Nothing else comes close! It’s incredibly comfortable and it’s so warm in the Auckland winter I have had to let water in to cool me off.I’m going to need a new spring suit next season and I’ll be back to you for that. Looking forward to seeing how your custom fitting over the internet works. Thank for making my winter surfing so enjoyable" Best regards Campbell Such campbell.such@bidvest.co.nz  I would just like to comment on the proficient service Seventhwave provides! I have just spent a good part of 2 months surfing from Chile to Peru and although it was coming into summer, it still requires a significant piece of rubber... I hammered my suit, surfing up to 3 times a day in some places. This lead to some wear and tear issues and hole around a seam. I managed a self fix until I got home, then sent it to seventh wave expecting a phone call saying this is not something covered under warranty. However to my surprise I just received my Max 3/3 back from repair within 10 days of posting it to Christchurch! I read the note which said "This is the best way we can fix your problem suit, keep an eye on it & let us know if any further problems." From this comment and condition of the suit I expected there was not much they could do other than re-stitch it, however this was not the case.... The suit is like new, the neck has been replaced, the rubber around the problem area has been replaced and they even patched a hole in the leg.All this for no charge. This makes me look forward to the winter here in the naki! Thank you Seventhwave, you went beyond the call of duty and I now have near new suit again!"
Regards,
Andrew Bishop
andrew@findatruckload.co.nz
  Last year you custom-made a great 5mm steamer for me for my field work collecting kelp in the sub-antarctic. I am loving the wetsuit - thanks heaps!"Cheers Crid ceridwen.fraser@gmail.com  These titanium Yamamoto neoprene suits are awesome! I happened to call into the Seventhwave Christchurch factory a few years ago when I was down there from my home town of Raglan and brought the second one these guys had made the first one went to DK who had just been down to Catlins. ( I think this was when he did the paddle in to those monsters?)I surf at least 3 days a week and during daylight saving sometimes every day so it has been hammered. For North Island the 2/3 is great. During the coldest winter sessions a fleecy rashie underneath keeps me real warm. The secret is the really close fit and therefore a thin layer of water that will get warm from body heat quickly . You would have to go up at least another MM to get the same warmth out of an old neoprene suit. One of the best things about these suits if you surf a lot is the flexibility this neoprene is super stretchy so you don't feel like you have had a workout with a rubber band after a long session. The extra cost is absolutely worth it. My original is still going strong and will make a good cut down to a spring suit." Lindsey Baker info@raglansurfshots.co.nz www.raglansurfshots.co.nz  Living in the southern reaches of the Pacific leads any keen surfer to discern the differences in wetsuit technology between gimmicks and real quality. In a market filled with claims and promises that often fall short, I decided to get serious about learning the differences that would give me the best value for money in my next purchase. I was no easy customer to win over when I first walked into the Seventhwave factory in Christchurch, as I’d been doing my research on the internet and had years of experience behind me. But it quickly became apparent that use of the best international materials, produced locally, by a company that stands behind their product is the best way to go. As for performance, my Seventhwave Max has met all my expectations of warmth, comfort, and durability. Out of all the top-of-the-line international brands I have used, none can match those essentials of quality. Add to that Seventhwave’s ability for customization, which is something I put great value on. I’m stoked that this is available in New Zealand so that I can support the development of local quality that matches anything in the world. We’re all going to have just that much richer experience as a result." Matt Waite mattwaite10@gmail.com  You and your people are up against some pretty big opposition in the mega dollars they have for advertising and sponsorship. What your team do have as an advantage is knowledge of and backup for your products. I am impressed with the way you and your people deal with customers. You seem to have a philosophy of trying to give the best advice and point the customer in the direction of the most suitable wetsuit for their needs rather than selling them what you have the most of in stock. You offer a custom suit service which not a lot of wetsuit stores can or do and you seem to go beyond the warranty offer to back your suits up. You also have a large range of suits and sizes which obviously is extended with a custom fit service.On the use side I find the suits given good care outlast most if not all the other brands available and I guess this is due to both workmanship and materials. The wetsuits are warm and flexible and in each passing year seem to get thinner but warmer. Some of the suits currently on the market by other brands seem overcomplicated to me and look like they are designed with too much emphasis on aesthetics and will fall to bits in a short period of time. I think you people make sure your wetsuits are made to be used and last rather than to meet a current trend or be compromised by using cheaper or short life materials." Neill Robb neill.robb@canterbury.ac.nz   I have been a fan of Seventhwave wetsuits for several years now - ever since giving them a true road test whilst filming Great White Sharks off Stewart Island in Winter! I've worn many brands of suits over the years and the warmest one I've ever worn is the one that's made right here in New Zealand - by Seventhwave.There are many marketing gimmicks out there in various magazines and shops - but I can honestly say that when you need to use your wetsuit in anger, and need top of the range performance, then all the other brands seem to talk the talk but fail to walk the walk - i.e. warm, flexible, durable suits in harsh conditions - which my Seventhwave wetsuit delivers everytime. I also have the Seventhwave Summer suit which is like surfing naked ! They are incredibly light, super flexible and streaks ahead of everything else in the water by sheer design excellence and comfort. After buying my first Seventhwave suit I have never bought anything else - and I'm very proud to wear my Kiwi made suit that's a World beater in the water." Cheers Giles E. Pike Television Director craigielea@mac.com  Have had fantastic service, love the product and the custom fit. Wouldn’t change a thing.Maru Pou is a great ambassador for the company." Wayne Foster gowanlea@woosh.co.nz My second to last Seventhwave steamer was so good, some turkey broke into our car in a Wellington Parking building and stole it. Luckily I was able to organize a replacement pronto. That’s lasted me 13 years surfing and windsurfing in Wellington’s gnarly conditions. With windsurfing you have the extra demand of a harness wearing at the suit. By always rinsing it and tending to any chinks caused by fins and the like with wetsuit glue, it’s gone the distance. I figure I’ve now earned a nice new 4/3 Viper Steamer which I hope will not outlast the rest my surfing and windsurfing days."Rob MacIntyre Rob@dpl.co.nz  |
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