Checked out a few steamers at lunchtime today. Biggest cost difference is for sealed seems to stop cold water leaking through the flatlock stitching. That's the marketing hype anyway. Do they make a noticable difference? Worth the extra cost?

Thanks, Harrow.

It does make a difference. I bought the super model last year. I never feel a cold trickle coming into the suit, sometimes it's almost dry when I take it off, but I don't fall off much.

However, I've had to wear the really old crappy one a few times, because the new one has been too hot.

A tip, buy one that has a good seal on the ankle, prevents the odd spray of water shooting up your leg. Some of the specific WS suits from Neil Pryde are pretty good for that.

Have a look here
http://www.gul.com/public/products/index.php?cat_id=2&subcat_id=181

www.gul.com/public/products/index.php?cat_id=2&subcat_id=182&subcat_id2=&prod_id=690

Cheapest place to buy them is here
www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/index.php?cPath=22&sort=3a&filter_id=12

If your out in winter you need to be toasty, not just warm. The warmest wetsuits IMO are made in the northern hemisphere as they know what a real winter is all about. I've had Gul suits in the past and they are well made, reliable and toasty warm. Used one when it was snowing once so can heartly recommend them
Another worth a look is

www.sola.co.uk/

Some good info here
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7908&SearchTerms=wetsuit

and to answer your initial question. Yep do it. Spend as much as you can afford. IMHO most important part of kit.
Good luck

That explains it's name then!

If your in the water heaps then it does make a difference. As a surfer I wouldnt dream of buying a steamer that wasnt sealed, they are so much warmer than a standard flatlock sticked suit. Its well worth the extra in cash. The more expensive suits are because surfers need extra flexability in the sholders and the rubber is super flexi, so they charge a permium.

Booties also help heaps by keeping you feet warm, they are well worth it if you suffer from cold toes.

Pissing in your wetty is no big deal, every surfer and diver does this , it warms you up and is flushed out the next time you fall into the water.

Hey Laurie

There are some common threads on the windsurfing forum and the surfing forum. Is there a way you can link a thread between the two. A surfer who stumbles on a good common thread over the windsurfing forum could request a link to the surfing forum and vice versa. Then the thread could be accessed by both forums transparently.

There do appear to be a lot of surfers participating in the windsurfing forum (good on yah) and this could generate a little more activity in the surfing forum.

I know - the more you give us the more we want.

sealed keeps the number 3's in and so u stay warmer, but the wife will complain about the smell later

Yeah number 3's doesn't happen in my wettie a lot, only if Miss Universe walks down the beach and I am in a dry patch with the ladies ;-)

Well I dunno about the above replies.... I just bought a steamer and researched it to the max cos I'm a tightarse. I found out (1) the guy in the shop (who thought I was going to buy elsewhere so had no vested interest) told me the sealed seams are nothing more than a $100 addition of very little value. I agree.... Put it this way: a $400 3/2 steamer is exactly the same as a $500 3/2 steamer of the same brand .... 'cept they stick some gluey **** on the seams of the $500 suit. IF you surf and the water washing over u is constant it MAY make a coupla degrees difference inside the suit. If you windsurf you will not notice any warmth difference... BUT you will notice the sealed suit is less flexy, as the gluey stip on the seams doesn't stretch as much as neoprene

(2) the titanium stuff is wickedly warm as it reflects heat back inwards.

(3) a base model garden variety suit (of reputable brand) is warmer and has better flex than the same brand's suit of a few years ago. I agree, I paid $300 for a base model 3/2 steamer 6 yrs ago, and the same money ($300) nowadays gets a much warmer and flexy suit.

SERIOUSLY think about a Radiator (brand) suit (made in Fremantle WA) Their 1.5mm all over steamer is as warm as a 3/2 steamer of any other brand. NO I DO NOT work for them......... they are just bloody good. Else buy a non sealed base model 3/2 steamer of any brand, and a 0.5mm Radiator vest (a kinda thick rashie). You can wear vest and boardies in summer, steamer in winter, and if it is ultra cold u wear the 0.5 vest under your 3/2 steamer. That combo is cheaper than a top line "glued seams, titanium, ultra fex, zipperless, attracts-the-chicks wettie" and also more versatile.
One thing I did note... RipCurl are tight in the forearms and give windsurfers a really bad arm pump pain.... I bought WestSuits, Billabong and O'Neill are right up there.

Just my 20c

Seems I don't need to spend any money at all. Dug out my old 1980's steamer. Actually still in pretty good nick, so long as I'm game to wear it. And I can still remember wishing that the one with the flouro pink arms fitted me when I bought it. Oh well, flouro orange arms and flouro pink legs is still a great retro fashion statement.

Bought my first steamer today (must be getting old) cause now I feel the cold. Supposed to be some westerlies around tomorrow and my loyal west springsuit of 10 years is not looking after me any more. Damo at Goodtime talked me into a O'neill psycho and if the threads here are anything to go by it should be ok... I'll let you know after tomorrow

Seems like that time of year. Just bought a steamer myself. Ended up going with the Oneill Epic II (4/3), glued/taped/blind stiched seams etc. Took it for a test drive today, mm toasty :) The water isn't really that cold down here yet on the south cost but it kept me dry as. Even after a few wipeouts when I took it off on the beach the inside was pretty much dry. Such an improvement over my old suit.

I also went up one size than if I was using it for pure surfing. Wasn't sure whether this was a good idea but it payed off, I reckon I would have got mega arm pump with the smaller one. I can still notice it a little, but it's not too bad and still seals like a champ around the legs/arms.

Arm pump is definitely something to think about. I reckon the newer steamers are a lot tighter due to their stretchy neoprene etc. If you look at the windsurfing specific ones such as the Gaastra or NP suits they either have short arms or the arms are really big. Just keep it in mind, arm pump is a killer.