Price: €374
Flex/Comfort: 9/10
Warmth: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Test date: 16/04/14
Tested at: Estagnots, Seignosse France
Air: 17
Water: 14
Dry Weight: 880g
Surf: 5ft stormy as, hell rip
Tested by: AJ

In brief: Pretty state-of-the-art rubber, the ideal mid-season suit when it ain’t quite summer yet… if your pockets are deep enough

Brand overview

Rip Curl Europe has its headquarters in Hossegor, France and has always kept a wetsuit department on the premises, a tribute to its heritage as a brand born ‘at Bells’ from wetsuit technology back in 1969. RC claim to be the only wetsuit brand with their own factory in Asia for in house R&D and quality control… and although we haven’t been to Asia to verify that, given the general blend of quality and innovation, we have no real reason to doubt it either.

The Test

In general, Rip Curl wetsuits have often focused on their great stretch properties, and sometimes in the past I have felt like warmth (and sometimes durability) are slightly sacrificed for elasticity. But with the ‘E4 Flash Lining’ (two layers that funnel the water rapidly out of the suit) inside the front and back mesh panels, warmth is not an issue, this 3/2 could handle colder temps easily.

I tested the front zip Flashbomb (it comes with back zip and zip-less) which in general I’m not a big fan of, I kept getting annoyed by the little cord and toggle flying a bit around when I was up and riding. That might be because I’m a regularfoot so it’s flapping in my face (they’re always on the left shoulder so you can use your right hand to do em up).

Otherwise, the ‘hydro-loc’ collar worked well enough, even if it kind of strangled me a bit in the first few minutes of putting the wettie on. But out in the water it did its job, no sign of flushing of any kind and I got my ass handed to me a couple of times in the shorebreak. If you’d have seen it, you would’ve chuckled. One area that got more moist than I would’ve liked were the arms, the wrists seals could be a bit tighter. I felt H2O seeping up to my elbows which wasn’t a massive discomfort, but definitely worth mentioning.

In terms of the look, I’ll credit the Flashbomb wetsuit for a more subtle design edge than some previous, fairly loud numbers I’ve sported. Probably thanks to the black mesh panels, and a notable reduction in the size of both front and back logos. You don’t want to wear an advert, do you? I know I don’t.

In summary

The Rip Curl Flashbomb will hold its own with anything on the market today, with the lightness and flexibility that you’ve come to associate with the brand, but with added warmth needed for a great mid-season suit. It’s pricey, but makes a good case for being so.

Rip Curl Wetsuits