We may be heading into a southern winter,
but one thing's for sure - the surf never stops - and your surfing doesn't need
to stop either.
In fact, as those in the know will tell
you, getting out in the cooler waters of autumn/winter - with the cleaner, uncrowded waves, and
crisper air - can bring a whole
different level of stoke to your surfing experience. In fact its been described as “a more profound
stoke”.
“There’s nothing on earth like scoring epic
uncrowded waves with friends, putting on warm clothes, cranking up the car
heater, and then sitting in a wind-protected backyard with the sun warming your
face.” In the Thaw - Rob Gilley, Surfer Magazine
Exactly. However to seek out that cold water stoke in comfort you are
definitely going to need to have the right gear for the job.
Hood, booties and gloves on top of a good
westuit are the minimum requirements to have in your surfwear quiver.
But which wetsuit for which conditions?
At Seventhwave that choice has been made much easier with
the Interchangeable Hood Option now available on our
top-line Max and Viper model wetsuits, for both men and women.
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| Steve McKean, keeping warm in his hooded Max in Japan |
The Interchangeable Hood Option suit
is a “natural extension” of
our popular neck entry, or zipperless wetsuit. If you choose the interchangeable hood option you
will receive a neck entry bib with an attached hood and a standard neck entry
bib. This allows you to change the type of bib depending on the conditions,
using the hood for mid-Winter sessions and the standard bib for Spring and
Autumn. A versatile option to cover most of the year.
How does the Interchangeable Hood Option
work?
The bibs can simply be swapped around
depending on the conditions on the day, giving you the level of warmth you need
in the water.
With our original neck-entry wetsuit the pullover bib was sewn onto the back
of the suit.
With the Interchangeable Hood Option
the bib is attached at the back with a small zipper. This means it can be taken
off and swapped with the
bib that has the full Arctic Hood.
The hooded bib panel has the same zipper at
the back and the front, and once attached to the back and pulled over the head
is done up in the same way at the chest. Couldn't be easier!
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| Interchangeable option with collar attached |
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| Interchangeable option with hood attached |
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| The detachable bib is connected to the suit with a zip and secured with domes. |
What are the benefits?
Versatility
and Comfort in the water are the two big pluses of the Interchangeable Hood Option.
Versatilty:
this is really like having a 3-season wetsuit that can effectively cover most of the
year. Put the hood on for Winter
and just the collar for Autumn and Spring. Titaniun hot top/shorts underneath
for added warmth in the Winter months.
Ultimately, whatever makes you feel right in the water on the day this
gives you the flexibility
to decide what to use depending on the conditions you are about to surf
in.
As one satisfied surfer says “the fact that
it's so easily interchangeable means that if I'm feeling a bit to hot with it
on, it's so easily swapped.”
Comfort: As anyone will tell you one layer of neoprene is always going to be
more comfortable than two! Not only is the attached hood better sealed at the
back, but with one less layer of neoprene around the neck area – compared to
say using a wetsuit and separate hood or wetsuit/Hooded Hot Top - there is
less rubber therefore less constriction, and more comfort, more enjoyment.
Who's it for?
Surfers, kiteboarders, bodyboarders – men,
women - anyone who wants to keep on going throughout the year. The Interchangeable
Hood Option gives you the performance you need across the entire year and
within each season.
And it's not just for those dealing with
the cold in the South.
Jaimie from Tribal Surf in Whangarei says
his 3/2 Max with detachable hood “is my favourite suit and gives me the best range
for surfing and kitesurfing in Northland”.
“April-June - no hood, for when it gets a
bit cold early and late surfing and for wind chill kiting... “July-September
- hood on for surfing cold
offshores and stormy onshores kiting. Then September/October - hood on for
duckdiving as the water temperature drops, and for those long Naki bar
sessions.
“I can also have the hood attached but
flipped back for enjoyng the sun's heat when its shining but flip it back on
for paddle outs when it's bigger, and for cold southeast kiting sessions.”
“Back full circle to April and I'm back
into the Max again... its my second skin and my best
suit!”
Why have it?
If you are keen to score some of that
“winter stoke” then this is the suit
for you.
Let's face it - a hood is essential when it's cold if you want to
enjoy your time in the water and
spend more time out there. But on some days a hood may be a step too
far.
The versatility of the
Interchangeable Hood Option means one suit can help get you through the coldest
Winter months while you'll also have a suit for the border zones of Spring and Autumn - when water temperatures
and windchill can vary considerably on the day.
The initial outlay maybe more expensive upfront, but for that
you get a suit - with Custom-Fit also an option – that will bring you the maximum in versatility
and comfort for 3 seasons of the year.
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| Learn more about Custom-Fit wetsuits [here] |
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