My old 3/2 wesuit is getting old and leaky so when I got a chance to test the Ho Stevie! 3/2 wetsuit I was hyped. While waiting for the package to arrive I scrolled through customer reviews on their website and when I kept seeing: “This wetsuit feels as good as ones twice the price.” the hype intensified haha. Ho Stevie! wetsuit came packed in a flat cardboard box that reminded me of pizza delivery just in time for our November trip to Tuscany and Elba. It was a mountain biking trip, but down in the depths of our camper van two surfboards were resting and waiting for their chance. I threw my new wetsuit in the top of the pile of gear and off we went.
Ho Stevie! that makes high quality yet affordable products for surfers. Established by a surfer from California, I think that their wetsuits have to be their biggest hit. Warmth, flexibility, and durability—without breaking the bank. Limestone-based SuperStretch neoprene, glued and blind stitched seams throughout the wetsuit (check our wetsuit guide on what that means), internal lining… and all that for $200. Before we get to Elba, lets go over the wetsuits features.
Ho Stevie! Wetsuit Features
SuperStretch limestone-based neoprene
Soft, comfortable and super stretchy neoprene that is also friendlier to the environment than petroleum based neoprene. More stretch means less strain on your arms when paddling and longer sessions.
Glued and blindstitched
When putting a wetsuit together stitches make holes into the material and through these holes water will get into your wetsuit which translates into less warmth. This is why better wetsuits are put together with a special stitch called a blindstitch. With this stitch the needle never fully penetrates the neoprene. When these stitches are then also glued (taped) you get the best and most waterproof stich possible.
Internal lining
Internal lining makes the wetsuit a little bit warmer and it dries very fast, much faster than neoprene. This means that the most annoying part of putting on a wet wetsuit in winter, pulling the wet part over your body, will be a little bit easier when instead of wet neoprene your will be touching dry internal lining.
Chest Zip
Ho Stevie! wetsuits have a chest zip which is pretty standard these days. Chest zip is shorter that back zip – less leaking and one neoprene panel over your back makes neoprene there stretchier – easier paddling. They use YKK zipper that means it should work for a long time without any problems.
Reinforced Knee Pads, Key Loop
Not much to say here, but don’t buy a wetsuit without these two:).
Ho Stevie! Wetsuit Thickness
Ho Stevie! wetsuits come in three different thicknesses:
- 3/2 mm wetsuit – this is the one I got, good for temperatures down to 56°F / 14C
- 4/3 mm wetsuit – good for water temperatures down to 51°F / 11C
- 5/4 mm hooded wetsuit – when it get really cold get a hooded wetsuits, way warmer than getting a separate hood, this one should be good for water temperatures down to 44°F / 7C
Now in my experience the bottom temperature for each model and for wetsuits in general is only acceptable in nice sunny weather without wind and when there are plenty of waves so you stay active. If there is wind, clouds, cold air and longer lulls you will feel better in a thicker wetsuit.
Snorkeling in Elba
Surf forecast for Elba was not very promising, but the mtb riding was sick! So the first chance to test the Ho Stevie! 3/2 wetsuit was snorkeling to the shipwreck just of the coast of Elba. If you are ever there you have to check it out. This huge ship sunk maybe 10-15m deep, and 15m the bottom, the top of the shipwreck is only few meters underwater. The wetsuit worked great. Here is how it went:
XXS Surf
Towards the end of the trip a small ripple appeared in the forecast. It took lots of driving over Elba (it’s a small island but the roards are narrow and winding) to find a beachbreak that worked on maybe 0.7m of waves. I suited up and caught a few waves.
Wetsuit was warm and comfortable, easy to paddle in, MT size fits perfectly (182cm, 70kg). The surf was shit though haha. But I surfed a new island so that’s good. Anyway – if you’re looking for a wetsuit that delivers on quality without the big-brand markup, Ho Stevie! is the way to go!