Editor’s Note: Interested in the best wetsuits for surfing? Click here, and learn more about women’s wetsuits here. Cold feet? Check out our guide to the best surf booties. And don’t forget to keep your suit fresh with one of the best wetsuit cleaners.
Sex appeal: If you go with the black-on-black or logo-free colorways you could wear the Vissla 7 Seas wetsuit to brunch in Cardiff. No one would bat an eye — it’s pretty low key and stylish. The 7 Seas line has none of the radioactive hues or flashy designs often found on wetsuit racks, just a clean overall aesthetic.
The thing slides on like a pair of silk boxers. The suit stretches well, a quality the Aliso Viejo-based company says is achieved by “anatomically correct” seam placement. However they do it, the suit has a tailored fit that eliminates weird bunching and moves well with the body. It’s like a pair of warm, full-body yoga pants.
I first tried mine on at home on a cold day and wore it while just sitting on the couch for a while. It was cozy. Then again, I love the smell of new neoprene. Anyone else with me on that?
What the fuzz: The fuzzy inner lining is made with hollow fibers that dry quickly and keep you warm. These linings are becoming a staple in steamers made for cooler climes, a fantastic addition provided they’re not itchy and stay soft for the life of the suit. On the 7 Seas, the fuzz is limited to the upper back, chest and front of the thighs. The lining felt a touch bristly on the first use, but softened considerably with more uses.
The fuzzy inner lining adds warmth and ups the cozy factor. Photo: Vissla.
Seams good to me: All the seams in the 7 Seas are triple glued and double-blind stitched, and the ankle and wrist cuffs are reinforced but not to the point of being constricting. The seams and neoprene come with a one-year warranty.
The angled chest zip is easy to use. Thankfully, unlike some bad designs out there, you don’t need to pull the two ends of the zipper track together and fiddle around to zip it up. In other words, the zipper is always ready to go on the right pectoral. When suiting up, the wearer just pulls the zipper slider to the left.
Zip it: Unlike many wetsuits, there’s no zippered key pocket, only an elastic loop underneath the chest zipper. This design works okay, but it can be awkward to remove the key while wearing the suit. Plus, I’ve found zippered key pockets handy for carrying a small wad of wax to freshen up the coat during long sessions. To me, zippered key pockets just feel really secure, so I found myself wanting one.
Criticisms: Vissla says the 7 Seas is made for 51-to-58-degree water. Depending on whether you run hot or cold, I’d probably put the temperature range at the higher end of that, especially if you want to use it for long sessions on windy or cloudy days. It was plenty of rubber for sunny days in south San Diego during November and December, where I tested it.
The North Seas line, also new from Vissla, is made for slightly colder temps, in the 50-to-56 degree range. Those are made with a different type of neoprene, have external waterproofing on the seams, and much more of the fuzzy inner lining, among other differences. Check those out if you’re looking for a suit you can still wear to brunch but can use for chillier sessions.
Cost: $215 for the 4/3 Seven Seas.
Bottom line: For $215, it’s hard to see how you’d find a better mix of sex appeal, comfort and utility, so long as the suit is warm enough for where you’re surfing. Surfers below Point Conception can find a lot of use for this suit without blowing all their lunch money. Here’s where you can purchase this beast if you’re in the market.
Check out more of our wetsuit reviews here:
Patagonia R1
Isurus Ti Alpha 454 Hooded Wetsuit
