I recently came into possession of two Patagonia wetsuits: an R2 front zip full suit and an R3 front zip hooded full. Receiving these suits was a blessing, but how would they work?
The R2: On a cold day in Oxtura, I found out about my 2 mm fullsuit. Amazing. (I've since used it about four times.) The suit isn't too tight anywhere, and feels as if it were custom cut for me. The legs are the right length, the torso fits without binding or pulling down on my shoulders, and the arms don't bind at the pits. I'm not the tallest fellow (5'10"), but my torso is long while my legs are a bit shorter so fitting isn't always easy. By way of example, the Isurus was an amazing suit but the legs were a hair short; same went for the Matuse. Not so with the Patagonia.
On top of this, the neck fit perfectly without binding or leaking. Not too loose, not too tight. Patagonia is using an internal neck gusset liner which worked to create that perfect seal. As I mentioned in my other review, the Isurus had a small issue with leakage at the back of the neck. No water seepage here. The key pocket is also just underneath the neck flap, so no need to de-suit & freeze to get out your car key. Life is good.
My first Patagonia suit was purchased when they first came on the market with wetsuits. It was "nice," but the glue in that suit destroyed me. I sold it after just 3 sessions. I couldn't handle that glue. In these suits, Patagonia has clearly gotten past its early issues (•) and have created a great fitting, comfortable, and apparently durable suit. There is no "smooth skin" on these suits, as this is an unfinished neoprene that breaks down faster and doesn't last. The suits are incredibly warm and never felt heavy. The thinness keeps it extremely flexible without sacrificing warmth from the wool.
Picture of the R2 front zip full:
Now for that R3: I was in Santa Cruz and Monterey last weekend. (*) The water was much colder than here, and my hands quickly turned to blocks of ice. 3 mil booties were the call, although I had the 5 mils at the ready. I had concerns when suiting up that my R3 just wasn't enough suit, but... the surf was firing so I had to go! The air temp was in the 40's, the water temp was 48-50 degrees at best, and the wind was absolutely HOWLING at 25-30 mph, with 35 mph offshore gusts. Guys were getting blown out the back of waves. Again, I had serious reservations about paddling out in a 3mm suit. There was no need for concern. I almost overheated in my R3 suit. Amazing. It was incredibly comfortable, easy to paddle in, and kept me as warm or warmer than I needed/wanted to be!
Picture of the R3 front zip hooded full:
So am I biased here? Maybe just a little, but not much. Truly, the suits feel great and work even better. That said, they're still essentially brand new so I need to work on them some more. I'll report back once I've really put them through the paces. With that said... I'm stoked for this winter! Bring on Jalama!
-Steve S.
Footnotes:
(•) I discussed that glue issue from the original suits with the guys at the factory. They laughed. Apparently, Patagonia heard this complaint from a few people when they first made their wetsuits. So... new glue used, no glue issues!
(*) I surfed my Zamora Resin-X, EPS thruster shortboard while in Santa Cruz/Monterey. Me gusta!
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