What Are The Best Wetsuit Brands For Surfing And BodySurfing?

If you are a beginner Surfer or even an experienced one who is wondering what the best wetsuit brands are, don’t worry. In this article, we will take a look at what the best wetsuit brands are for surfing and bodysurfing. So, let’s jump straight into it.

The best wetsuit brands for surfing and bodysurfing are as follows: Quiksilver, Body Glove, Billabong, Roxy, And Rip Curl. These brands use the best quality materials and the best technologies to give their wetsuits everything that you are looking for if you are serious about surfing.

There is a reason why these brands produce not only the best wetsuits but also the best bodyboards, surfboards, and surfing accessories. In this article, we will focus on why they make the best wetsuits by briefly looking at the technologies and materials they use.

Best Wetsuit Brands

Before we jump into the list, I need to make one important note about the thickness of wetsuits. So this is the structure of what it looks like and what it means when we talk about the thickness in terms of millimeters of a wetsuit. Hood/Legs and body/Arms. In most cases, we use only the last 2.

What makes a wetsuit good for surfers lies in a few key factors. These factors are Flexibility, comfort, and warmth. Now, let’s jump into what the best wetsuits are.

Quiksilver

Quicksilver is one of the most well-known brands in the surfing community. It started out as a small company in Australia all the way back in 1969. Quicksilver quickly became one of the most successful companies within the surfing industry, and in fact, they are a parent company to some of the brands that we will speak about in the article.

Their lineups include spring suits, long suits, and hooded wetsuits for very cold waters. Their thickness ranges from 1mm for warm water and all the way to 5/4/3 for cold water. Their sizes start at XS and go up all the way to XXL. They have a Female, Male, and youth selection.

Through the years, they have revolutionized the surfing industry with their high-performance accessories, and this includes their wetsuits. Their research and development and use of the best quality materials can not only make your surf better, but they can also make you surf more comfortably.

When it comes to surfing, the success of a company can often be judged by the surfers they sponsor or the surfers who make up their team. We can start off with the Legendary Tom Carrol. They also sponsor some of the best surfers across the world, including Jeremy Flores and Marc Lacomare of France.

Lets recap on why Quiksilver is one of the best wetsuit brands:

  • Neoprene material.
  • 9 Panel construction
  • Stitchless and sealed construction
  • EctoFlex Knee Pads offer some of the best knee flexibility that I have felt.

Quiksilver Top End Model And Budget Model Wetsuits

  • Quiksilver top of the range: The Highline: $699
  • Quiksilver budget option: Prologue or Syncro: $99 to $150

Body Glove

Body glove was Founded in 1953. I have to admit that I struggled at first to take to the brand. I think this was influenced by the fact that they made cell phone covers so I struggled to see them as a surfing brand. However, that was until I used some of their wetsuits, and I was blown away.

Body Glove makes some of the best wetsuits I have ever used. The midrange and top-end wetsuits use a Micro-bead seal. However, what really stands out for me though is their Nano-Tritec knee panels. I think for me, the knees of a wetsuit can be a deal maker or a deal-breaker, and with their technology, Body Glove has won me over.

Their wetsuits come in 12 sizes, so whatever size or body shape you are, they will probably have something for you. In terms of the cuts, they have the usual springsuits, fullsuits, and hooded suits.

One of my favorite surfers to watch is Jamie O’brien, and he surfed for Body Glove for many years. If you have never seen Jamie surfing pipeline, I highly recommend that you do. Some of their notable talents include Dane Anderson, Eva Woodland, and more.

Let’s summarize why Body Glove makes some of the best wetsuits for surfing and bodysurfing:

  • Comfortable
  • Nano-Tritec Knee panels
  • Micro-bead seal

Body Glove Top End And Budget Wetsuit Models

  • Body Glove Top End Wetsuit Model: Red Cell: Starting at $479
  • Body Glove Budget Wetsuit Model: Phoenix: Starting at $95

Billabong

Billabong is another Australian company. They were founded in 1973 on the beautiful Gold Coast. Although they are a daughter company of Quiksilver, they are also a parent company to RVCA, Von Zipper, and Element Skateboards. Everyone knows Billabong. Whether you live in a major city like New York or a small coastal town near California, you probably have a Billabong store near you.

Their range includes 1mm all the way to hooded 6/5mm suits. In terms of size, there are literally 25 sizes that you can choose from which is a nice touch.

Billabong’s top-of-the-range wetsuits are made with a Graphene material offering pretty much ultimate durability. One of my favorite things about Billabong wetsuits is the Superflex tape around the knees, it honestly makes doing turns a lot easier and although standing up is second nature, it’s just a lot more comfortable with these knee panels.

If it is comfort that you are after, the mid-range to high-end Billabong wetsuits offer a seamless back for comfort.

What is a surf company without a surfing team, and with a roster like Billabong’s, it’s clear to see why they are one of the surfing industry leaders. With surfers like the legends Shane Dorian, Andy Irons, and rising star Eithan Osborne, Billabong has an incredibly strong lineup of surfers.

Let’s take a look at the positives that we discussed regarding Billabong wetsuits:

  • Graphene material for durability
  • Variety of cuts and sizes
  • Incredible seals
  • SuperFlex tape around the knees

Billabong Top End And Budget Wetsuits.

Roxy

For me, Roxy is not just another surfing brand. They took already incredibly talented female surfers and helped them showcase their talents. They also helped female surfers make a footprint in the surfing community and establish themselves as some of the most talented surfers in the world.

Roxy was founded in 1990 and with headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, United States, they are close to the action and are close enough to keep an eye on what’s happening with upcoming surfing talents.

They have a huge selection of wetsuits ranging from springsuits, fullsuits, and bikini cuts. They have a selection of thicknesses is that range from 1 mm to 3/2mm

Now, let’s talk about the quality of the wetsuit as that is pretty much the point of this article. Roxy’s mid-range to top end wetsuits are made of a Neoprene material. They are ultra-light and durable. They also offer ultimate Flexibility. Their Hydrolock seams are one of the best seams that I have seen, although I obviously haven’t tried it for myself.

Taking a look at Roxy’s lineup of surfers gives you an idea of what the brand’s ambitions and goals are within the competitive surfing world. Some of these surfers include Sage Goldsbury, Zoe Grospiron, Kelia Moniz, and the incredible Stephanie Gilmore.

Recap: Why Roxy Is one of the best wetsuit brands for female surfers and bodysurfers:

  • Durable Neoprene material
  • Ultra-light
  • Flexible
  • Hydrolock seals are some of the best in the world

Roxy Top End And Budget Wetsuits

Rip Curl

Rip Curl was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Australia. It has become one of the most popular surfing brands in all of the major continents, including Africa. They cater to both male and female surfers.

Rip curl tends to have a focus on warmth, comfort, and Flexibility. The wetsuits come in a  wide range of sizes and cuts for male and female surfers, from springsuits to fullsuits and even bikini cuts.

Rip Curl Flashbomb Wetsuit | Men’s Full Suit Chest Zip Wetsuit for Surfing, Watersports, Swimming, Snorkeling | Lightweight, Fast Drying, Design for Durability | 4/3mm

Sticking to the theme of this article, we will take a look at their lineup of surfers. Let’s start off with the legends Tom Curren, Mick Fanning, and Bethany Hamilton. One of their new-age rising stars is Connor Coffin from Santa Barbara, California.

Recap: Why Rip Curl make such good wetsuits

  • Comfort
  • Flexibility
  • Warmth
  • Variety

Rip Curl Top End And Budget Wetsuits

Final Thoughts

A wetsuit is not just there to look cool. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time they do look rather stylish. The main purpose of a wetsuit is to keep you comfortable and warm in the water. So, I wouldn’t try and be too tight with your wetsuit budget. Remember, they do last a long time especially if you take a look at some of the suits that we mentioned in this article. You want a wetsuit that is going to do its job properly.