Wintermission: The Sports Kit, The GTS, The AMG Of Wetsuits

Nothing particularly excited our crew about testing Rip Curl’s suit.

Why? Expectation. They knew it would be the highest quality suit in our rubber quiver, and it didn’t disappoint.

While some of the warmer suits in the selection felt heavier, or more restrictive, the Flashbomb 3/2 felt elastic, retained heat, and dried super fast – perhaps because the lining doesn’t get wet in the first place (seriously, water just beads off that fantastic orange fur).

Mitchell Crews, far from his Gold Coast safe haven.

Benny and Crewsey both took the Flashbomb for a dance during our time down south. What did they like? While Benny enjoyed feeling like a gardener, partnering the suit with Rippy’s Rubber Soul gloves, he was also impressed by the “rug material,” and fondled with the magnetic key pocket—not that he could be trusted with our beloved Kia Carnival rental.

Mitch let his surfing do the talking. On the last day he slid inside the zip-free entry, paddled out and unleashed the turn of the trip, on a short ride into a typical closeout, jamming on his tail with max applied torque, releasing fins briefly in a crescendo of dispersed water.

Product disclaimer: Suit will not enhance your wave riding abilities, but it will keep your bod toasty with minimal restriction – more so than majority of rubber on the market.

Did it improve his surfing? Probably not. Did he feel cosy and capable on that crisp Tasmanian morning? Absolutely.

You can shop Rip Curl’s Flashbomb 3/2 here, or see more suits from our Tasmanian field study here.