An Honest Review: The Vissla 7 Seas Wetsuit

After a couple of years of running in shitty old Nike Frees, I recently bought a pair of top of the range Asics Gel Nimbus 19s (lol).

There’s no end of cliches to describe replacing something with a better version, but my overwhelming sentiment was “you’re an idiot.” It’s all good trying to be resourceful and avoid waste, but when it comes to physical activity, you’re (I was) mad not to utilise the amazing design and technology we have available to us in 2019, for relatively little cost. The runners (all black, naturally) are a revelation: the material breathes, they support my ankles and the pain that plagues me when I run a lot has more or less vanished. Exactly a week after the trainers arrived I received a package from Vissla with a shiny new, top of the range 7 Seas suit inside, and the transition from my old suit (the brand of which will remain nameless) to the new has been as big a revelation as the runners. 

Im not overly superstitious, but I like books and believe in chapters. The chapter just prior to the wetsuit arriving was pretty average: a break up, a robbery forcing the end of a trip that was supposed to last the rest of the year, and ending back at Mum’s on the mid north coast of New South Wales (“Maybe this will become, like, a cool thing, living with your parents…” No George, it won’t).

To top it off, the usually consistent banks had kindly arranged themselves into whatever formation yields thumping, un-surfable closeouts an hour north or south. And then the wetsuit showed up.

I’ve always believed that picking things up and having a feel is the only way to get a true gage on quality. The 7 Seas was light and soft to the touch on first feel. Further Stretch Armstrong-style probing suggested that it was as flexible and durable a suit as any I’d owned up until this point. As an added bonus it was black, with minimal blacked-out logos. I prefer incognito mode in the surf, and having a huge logo on my back/front/wherever makes me feel like a floating billboard. The mentality of paying good money for a top of the line product with big logos to let everyone know that you’re the one with the best gear, only to then advertise it back to the masses for free is, to me, a puzzling, very American way of going about your business.

The 7 Seas fits perfectly. I’m a true medium tall, and Vissla have got their sizes down, so fear not the dreaded online order – excitement of something coming in the post, shortly followed by the bitter disappointment of not being able to use it and having to go through the arduous process of sending it back. One of the immediately noticeable things about the suit is that there’s no gimmicks. No quick dry, fast release, silly named inner lining, just a no frills, well designed suit that fits and doesn’t restrict the wearer a bit.

Quality, highly recommended rubber.

Everyone (including the surf industry) drones on endlessly about how good surfing in trunks is, but I’d rather wear a wetsuit. If it’s a 3/2 then the water’s not cold, and it’s like wearing an all-over body support; I feel far less likely to tweak or break something, especially when the surf is like it was when I tested the Vissla suit. For three days the direction shifted and waves went from beach-long closeouts to thumping, wedging peaks, as round and blue as I’ve seen on a stretch of coastline known for hollow beachbreaks. What ensued was 72 hours of drops, visions and comical wipeouts. By the end I was sore, but injury free, and I refuse to believe that a well-fitting, high quality wetsuit had nothing to do with that. I was a little apprehensive about being tossed a suit to try with the instruction of honesty as I’m a bit of a neoprene snob. However, I can honestly say that the 7 Seas is one of, if not the best suit I’ve worn, and I’ve burnt a bit of rubber along the way.

Try one for yourself, we’d be highly surprised if you’re disappointed.