Buy A Crap Wetsuit
On the face of it, this is terrible, terrible advice. But there’s a caveat – and I mean this with every bone in my body – DO NOT BUY A NEW WETSUIT. Go second-hand.
Wetsuits are expensive. With travel and gear, surfing as a whole isn’t exactly a cheap sport, but it doesn’t have to stop you.
Start simple
1. For your first try, on a lesson or with an experienced guide, rent a suit.
2. After a handful of lessons, if you’re hooked, think about wetsuits.
3. Go cheap… WAIT! Not from a supermarket! A used wetsuit will give you what you need (and bring an otherwise disposable product back from the brink of the landfill).
Cheap new wetsuits aren’t worth the materials they’re made of. A decent second hand one – even if it’s riddled with holes – will always serve you better.
My first suit was a bad suit. It really was a bad suit. It was hardly better than a t-shirt, but it was great for my early surfing ability. And, as a bonus, I looked like I’d flopped out of the 80s.
Give yourself a fighting chance
It won’t take long to realise how useless a rubbish wetsuit is. They can seep, flush with water and drag when you’re trying to move around.
But if you have a suit to call own, it could give you the impetus and confidence to start getting out there.
My wet flannel of a wetsuit did nothing for the cold. But it did stare at me, goading me to go surfing. Which I did.
Once you commit to surfing more regularly you can allow yourself to spend more money. You’ll also never forget the feeling of true cold.
Especially if you get anything like the wetsuit I had.
Wetsuits are incredible
It’s hard to come to terms with just how amazing modern wetsuits are. When you’re 100% sure you want in, it’s time to do some research.
So you’re on the far side of a crap wetsuit. You’ve had your share of cold and cursed my name for advising you to go out and get a worn-out one.
Welcome back, sorry for putting you through that.
Stay tuned for my complete guide to researching, testing and buying a wetsuit.
Becoming good at something isn’t necessarily about natural talent or amount of investment – it’s about being motivated to go out and commit to getting better. I’d certainly agree that owning your own kit is by far one of the best ways of getting out there and having a go. And similarly, having to buy super expensive kit is a huge hindrance to taking the plunge, and makes surfing a financial burden when it should feel like the total opposite. Altogether, fantastic advice; I can guarantee you’ll actively WANT to spend good money on a proper wetsuit once you become totally hooked.
So true. A good wetsuit means more time in the water and more waves. Wetsuits have come a long way in the last 20 years, even the cheap ones now are still pretty good. Most importantly, make sure it’s comfortable when you try it on, it’s flexible and there’s no little bits sticking into you. These will become more irritating when you’re out in the surf. If you want to save some coin, buy your wetsuit at the end of winter, as the shops usually have sales.