Fact is that surfing and other water sports are on the rise. This might not be what you want if you hate crowds but on the other hand the equipment is getting cheaper and better! The wetsuit market is expanding with all sorts of good, bad, expensive or cheap wetsuits from a different wetsuit manufacturers. More choice, more chances for scoring a really good yet still affordable wetsuit. How to do it? As far as we see it, there are three ways to get a cheap wetsuit. Two of them are right and one of them is wrong :).
What do we mean by wrong?
The Wrong Way To Get a Cheap Wetsuit
Some wetsuits are plain and simple cheap because they plain and simple suck. They are made using poor materials like crappy neoprene which contains a lot of rubber and using bad stitches that will tear as soon as we flex our muscles. Ok, this might be an overstatement, but you get the point:). What’s wrong with neoprene that contains a high amount of rubber? Rubber is used because it is really cheap, but it does not contain any air bubbles. Neoprene with lots of rubber will have really bad isolation capabilities. If you are interested in why lots of air bubbles is a good thing and how neoprene insulation works check out our complete wetsuits guide.
The first right way to get your hands on a good cheap wetsuit
As we said it – bigger wetsuit market, more opportunities for companies and bigger selection for us shivering surfers. A good way to buy a cheap wetsuit is to go for some of the less known wetsuit companies. Their wetsuits might not be right on the cutting edge, like between 5 top wetsuits out there, but their top models can compare to all the big ones. Plus there is a price benefit. Some companies also eliminate all unnecessary cost from the production and sale process. No marketing, no team, no middle man… selling only through their website. So, how to spot a good cheap wetsuit? A good way to start would be to read our wetsuits guide that I have linked to in previous paragraph. This way you will learn a few things about wetsuits and better know what to look for.
If we keep it short – look for stretchy neoprene and double blind stitched and liquid sealed seams. Internal lining that offers quicker drying and/or added insulation is a plus. And look for warranty. If “cheap wetsuits” starts falling apart you can return them. Now these cheap wetsuits might be a bit more expensive than cheap wetsuits from the first method (the wrong one, remember :) ) but you will be thankful later.
The second right way to get your hands on a good cheap wetsuit
This one is more obvious, but it requires some planning and thinking ahead (which is not what us surfers are know for :) ). A simple way to get your hands on a cheap wetsuit of top quality is to wait for sales and/or buy last years models. If it was a top alien technology wetsuit that ads 5 inches to your airs last year, how bad can it be this year :)? You can visit factory outlets, wait for after winter sales, or what is especially popular these days – use the internet! There are some really good deals for cheap wetsuits online almost at any time of the year! Just keep in mind you might not get exactly what you wanted. Maybe your model will not be available at all or (tough luck) you won’t be able to get the right wetsuit size. But if you do you will be frothing for the next winter to come :).
These were a few ideas how to get a cheap wetsuit, if you got any more – post them in the comments. And in the end, even if your wetsuit is not the cheapest, it’s cool to support your local surf shop and smaller wetsuit brands.