Stab Magazine | Wintermission: The Sports Kit, The GTS, The AMG Of Wetsuits

Now Live: Best Surfing I've Ever Seen With Nate Lawrence

677 Views

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

All the mod cons for those with a little fiscal freedom.

style // May 15, 2018
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

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).

Crews hero ripcurl

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.

crews Ripcurl1

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.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

The Best Surfing I’ve Ever Seen: Nate Lawrence

Kolohe, Cola Bros, Luke Davis, Crane, and "the most magical 3 weeks ever had in…

Apr 25, 2024

Snapper To Return To The CT In 2025(!) + WSL Announces Season Wildcards

Next year is looking up. Here's what we know...

Apr 25, 2024

Kelly Slater Will Surf In Tahiti And Fiji CT Events — And He’s Bringing A Secret Weapon With Him

What's it like to coach an 11x champ? We asked Glenn "Micro" Hall.

Apr 24, 2024

Watch: A Masterclass In Belated Drops At The Teepee Capital Of The World

And the rest of the O’Neill team sticks the landing in Hawaii.

Apr 24, 2024

How Sophie McCulloch Broke Her Back At The Box Three Days After Being Cut From The CT

The untold brutal side story of finals day in WA.

Apr 24, 2024

The Cut Wasn’t The Surf Fans’ Idea — But It Might Be Our Fault

Psychoanalyzing surfing’s highly sadistic audience (us!).

Apr 23, 2024

How Surfers (And Skiers/Snowboarders) Could Be Using Buoys Better

Snow in Japan = waves at Pipe = snow in Utah, @PowderBuoy told us.

Apr 22, 2024

How Did Sydney’s Hottest Landscape Architect Stack So Many Clips Less Than 10Kms From Centrepoint Tower? 

Fraser Dovell is a man of culture, taste and jabbing North Av lefts in the…

Apr 22, 2024

Full Frame: The Other Side Of Nazaré

The death of a wave, and the birth of an entire genre of surf. 

Apr 21, 2024

Jack Robbo Double Beats Double John At Margies, Gabriela Bryan Dodges Dolphins For Maiden Win

The cut is finished - WA finals recap.

Apr 21, 2024

Watch: A Leisurely Day With Fingal’s-Most-Wanted Foamball Wrangler

Lungi Slabb and filmmaker Beren Hall offer insight into the exact specs which bring GoPro…

Apr 20, 2024

The Stab Interview: Chippa Wilson

On childhood bullies, surfing bigger waves, the making of 'Zipper', and what's on the horizon…

Apr 19, 2024

Medina Cooked at WSL Judges’ BBQ, George Pittar Flares En Route To Finals Day

Four heats, a nine point ride, and some brotherly tears.

Apr 19, 2024

Ferrari Boyz: Harry Bryant (Redux)

A Land Cruiser, a shitting collie, a tank of petrol, and a wild Haz in…

Apr 18, 2024

Surprise! Margies Ran At Southside Today

No rest for the wicked - day 5 WA recap.

Apr 18, 2024

A Dispatch From The Best Run Of Swell Northwest Australia May Ever See

Three weeks of pumping surf, two decades ago, that changed this writer's life.

Apr 17, 2024

Nichols, Silva + Spencer Cut, Robinson Lives To Fight Another Day

Waiting: a polite term for slowly losing your mind - here's what happened in WA…

Apr 17, 2024

The Pupo Brothers Will Face Off At Margs, And Only The Winner Can Stay On Tour

Let's look at every match-up that will seal a CT surfer's fate.

Apr 16, 2024
Advertisement