Ok, so the time has come to think about buying a new wetsuit. It’s been a couple of years since you bought your last suit – but it looks like things have moved on in the wetsuit industry quite a bit. But which wetsuit should you choose? Which wetsuit is the best?

We have pulled together great page full of Wetsuit Advice and you can always checkout the Wetsuit Centre YouTube Channel.

The Best Wetsuit of 2011

However,  if you are looking to buy the ultimate wetsuit of the season, we do have a winner! The best wetsuit of 2011 is Rip Curl Flash Bomb.This title of best wetsuit was awarded to Rip Curl at the 2011 SIMA Image Awards. The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the organisation that all the surf manufacturers look to at the end of every year – a bit like the Oscars. So winning a SIMA really matters!

The “Wetsuit of the Year” award went to the Flash Bomb wetsuit from Rip Curl. The coveted award confirms that this wetsuit “featured the most exciting design, appeal, or innovation”. The Flash Bomb was up against a great list of contenders including:-

• Cypher Fuseflex by Quiksilver
• Drylock by Xcel
• Psycho by O’Neill Wetsuits
• Solution Xero by Billabong

So What Makes the Rip Curl Flash Bomb so special?

It is the Worlds fastest drying wetsuit. The innovative Flash Lining used in this wetsuit wicks water from the interior of the suit within seconds of being exposed to the air. So the Flash Bomb is dry to the touch in roughly 15 minutes after surfing when hung up – hence, “Dry In A Flash”.

Congratulations to Rip Curl Wetsuits.

Click here to read our full wetsuit review of the Rip Curl Flash Bomb

You have probably heard of the man that started it all – Jack O’Neill. Well, here’s a short video that spans 6o years of innovation. From the first neoprene tests were carried out by Jack in 1952 in Santa Cruz, California – right throught to present day where technology and iinovation can be seen in every aspect of the clothing and wetsuits developed by O’Neill.

 

More Surfing Videos

So when thinking about buying a Wetsuit apart from which wetsuit will fit your needs best, sizing is the key factor. So the Wetsuit Centre has produced a video to help you make the right choice, which you can view on this link Wetsuit Advice

Helpful Wetsuit Sizing Tips

Here are some helpful tips for buying a wetsuit and you are unsure of whether you have a good fit.

1. If its tight around the legs or arms, don’t worry this will loosen after a few uses and is not a sign of an ill fitting wetsuit.

2. For the ladies if it feels tight around the neck fear not as this will also loosen after a few uses, most women don’t like the feeling a wetsuit creates around the neck.

3. If there is excess material around the back and above the bum this is a sign that the wetsuit is too big and will fill with water around the kidneys which will make you cold.

4.If the material is pulling down on your shoulders and you can see the silver showing through the wetsuit is too small – so you will need to increase in size.

5. If the wetsuit is over sized in length on the arms and legs but you have the perfect fit in the body then you may need to try a short model in that wetsuit for a perfect fit. If the brand does not make a short version then don’t worry it will not effect the warmth of the wetsuit at all.

Hope this small article has been of some help.

Need more advice for buying a wetsuit?

Check out our page full of videos and tips for buying your next wetsuit.

Wetsuit Advice from the Wetsuit Centre

The chaps from the Wave Garden have been causing quite a stir for a couple of years now since thay showed off there fun venture. There is talk of the Basque boys bringing a Wave Garden to the UK sometime in the near future and rumour has it that it will be somewhere near Brsitol.

Will have to wait and see when it does arrive – but here are a few images and video clip to check out now.

Consistent Wave

Oh to have one of these in the back garden

Riding a Wave - Garden Style

Wave Garden

Wavegarden (Short) from wavegarden on Vimeo.

It looks like Kelly Slater could be on target for an 11th world surfing title after triumphing at feared Teahupoo in Tahiti.

The American great went into the Billabong Pro ranked No.6 but came out the new No.1 after triumphing over Australian young gun Owen Wright in the final on Monday (Tuesday AEST).

Kelly Slater wins the Billabong Pro Tahiti

He capitalised as Joel Parkinson, Jordy Smith, Adriano De Souza, Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow all failed to reach the quarter-final stage.

Slater won the Billabong Pro Tahiti in clean double overhead waves that produced one of the greatest surf contests in competitive surfing history.

If you were watching the live streaming you will have seen how masive the waves were – and at one point on Saturday the contest was called off because the swell was too big, a reason for not running a contest unheard of in the ASP World Tour.

An impromptu tow-in surf event was called that caused a bit of a stir on Billabong’s Facebook page as the media team struggled to set up the live streaming – but amidst massive waves the Billabong team pulled it out of the bag to record some of the most amazing surfing at Teahupo’o ever.

Bruce Irons Expression Session

In a moving tribute to his brother, Bruce Irons surfed a 30 minute expression session in between the semis and the final.

Bruce Irons Expression Session in memory of Andy Irons

Kelly Wins

Kelly Slater wins in Tahiti

Kelly defeated Josh Kerr in the semifinals before taking down Australian goofy footer Owen Wright 18.43 to 17.10 in a thrilling final that left Wright disappointed and Slater yet again a winner at an ASP World Tour Event, covering over two decades of sheer dominance.

“I felt like I finally hit my stride in the Semifinals this morning,” said Slater. “In the Final, I fell on a couple of waves that were maybe better than what I ended up getting scored on. It put the pressure on me, and took the pressure off him (Wright). He got that really big one at the end that could have gotten pretty close to the score. These are the best conditions this event has ever run in. It’s been a phenomenal week.”

Slater takes over the mantle previously held by the late Andy Irons, who won the event last year.

“You know Andy won last year, and I had my last heat here with him, ” said a choked up Slater. “There’s a lot of things that are really meaningful in it for me. Kind of a bookend for me and Andy. To win these events back-to-back is really nice.”

The win catapulted Slater to the top of the ASP World Tour Rankings, as the previous top five were all eliminated in the first three rounds of the contest. The defending 10-Time World Champion is now in the driver’s seat for an unprecedented 11th World Title.

Jeremy Flores Biggest Wave at Billabong Pro Tahiti

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, put in some of the most inspiring performances of the event, bagging the biggest waves and even surfing a Perfect 20 heat in yesterday’s idyllic conditions. For his heroics, Flores was awarded the Andy Irons Award for most committed performance of the event. This is the inaugural year for the award, honoring the late ASP and Billabong Pro Tahiti Champion Andy Irons.

“Andy (Irons) meant everything to me,” Flores said. “He has been the guy I’ve looked up to my whole life. In heavy waves, in all waves, he was the best and to earn this award is so special for me. He inspired everyone on tour and he’s been my inspiration in Tahiti. I know he was smiling on this event. Thank you Andy.”

Kelly Rides a Quad Set up

And what of Kelly’s board set up than won him the final….

Looking confident from his opening heat Kelly was convinced riding a quad was the right decision at the infamous Tahitian reef pass.

“I rode my K2.1 Quad set-up for the entire event, it felt really fast and comfortable in the tube. The quad set-up seems to provide a little more security especially in the barrel, it also gives you more control when you’re riding a shorter board”.

Kelly Slater Quiver Decks for the Billabong Pro Tahiti

The innovative new V1 wetsuit from Billabong

Earlier this year a surfer in Hawaii set a world record paddling into a 57-foot wave off Maui, and his secret weapon was something straight out of a James Bond movie – a self-inflating wetsuit!

The surfer was Shane Dorian and the wetsuit was the new Billabong V1. It’s been described by experts as a total game changer, and it’s easy to see why! For a long time we’ve heard about the dangers of being pushed under by a huge wave, and what this wetsuit does is offer an element of safety to big-wave surfers like Dorian.

Billabong V1 Inflatable Wetsuit

So what’s the secret? When a surfer finds themselves deep underwater, they simply pull the shoulder-mounted ripcord, which inflates the back-mounted air bladder with a small carbon dioxide cartridge. You don’t even need to swim, just let the wetsuit take you back to the surface.

Dorian’s idea for the wetsuit came about last year after he experienced one of the worst wipeouts of his life, and only narrowly escaped drowning. He wanted a wetsuit which would improve safety for the big wave surfers, and took his suggestion to Billabong.

They went away and got a bit of know-how from a team of military equipment manufacturers, who were able to offer advice on designing the underwater air bladder. A prototype of the Billabong V1 wetsuit was created and then tested by Dorian , first in calm waters, then the real test – the Cortes Bank, an open ocean surf-break 100 miles off the coast of California.

The test went exactly as hoped. After being pulled underwater following a bad wipeout, Dorian would have been in big trouble without the V1 wetsuit. He yanked the cord, and it inflated and carried him swiftly up to the surface. Success!

V1 Wetsuit Release

Billabong is still waiting for the patent for the V1 technology, and hasn’t announced when the suit will be available on the market yet. It looks like a winner though, so hats off to Billabong for a genuinely groundbreaking piece of innovation!

Billabong V1 Wetsuit Video

Here is Shane Dorian himself, introducing the Billabong V1 big wave floatation wetsuit:

Visit the Wetsuit Centre for the latest Billabong wetsuits

Billabong XXL Awards

FMG surfer Benjamin Sanchis from Hossegor, France, has won the BIGGEST WAVE category at the Billabong XXL Awards, which took place at the famous Grove Theatre in Los Angeles on April 29th. Benjamin rode the wave at the spot of Belharra in the French Basque Country on February 16th 2011.

Check out Benjamin’s wave with the other Billabong XXL nominees:-

To see more from this session check out this little clip:

Says Benjamin: “This is so amazing and I think I need to sleep over it and let it all sink in! I have worked so much over the last few years, chasing swells, trying to surf big waves. I work really hard to stay fit, to be on the ball. Now I rode the biggest wave over the last year. That’s pretty crazy. This is what I love to do, this is what I strive for, so to succeed and get recognized for all your hard word and endeavors is a huge bonus. I will try to push the envelope even further in the future that’s for sure. I’m so happy right now and want to thank my girlfriend Luna, all my friends and family at home, my sponsors and my management FMG!”

Follow Benjamin Sanchis on his blog http://bensanchis.tumblr.com/

Benjamin is sponsored by Billabong, Monster Energy, Electric Sunglasses, Nixon watches, Kustom, Eastpak and FCS.