Buyers Guide Xcel Wetsuit Review And Size Chart Back to blog Xcel wetsuits have come a long way since 1982 when the business was founded by Ed D’Ascoli from the humble beginnings of the bedroom of his house on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The North Shore with over 7 miles of beaches and towering, glassy waves was, and still is, no stranger to pro surfers. D’Ascoli was ultimately inspired by the surfers facing these challenging breaks to create innovative, high performance wetsuits for the athletes who surfed there. After infiltrating the surf market, Xcel focused heavily on product development and the brand began to grow rapidly, resulting in the opening of their current HQ in Halewia and a warehouse in California. Xcel wetsuits are now one of the World’s leading wetsuit brands with a well-earned reputation for their outstanding quality which can be attributed to many years of research development and product innovation. Offering something suitable for everyone, in all conditions; their ranges include tropical to cold-water products for men, women, and kids, the brand stresses performance: maximum flexibility and durability, sealed-seam construction, and a that perfect fit every time. Xcel Wetsuit Technology With 3 Wetsuit of The Year wins behind them, Xcel are not showing any signs of slowing down and are constantly releasing new innovative wetsuit technologies to further improve their products. Scroll down to read about their latest technologies and how they will keep you warm this winter. Celliant Black: This next generation thermo dry celliant (TDC) retains maximum warmth as the brushed hollow fibres, with woven in heat retaining elements, enhance the air particles trapped between the suit and your body. Channel Flex: Thanks to Xcel’s newest technology, a lightweight, tension reducing exterior, even the thickest of their winter suits offer weightless unrestricted movement. Gone are the days of having to trade range of movement for warmth. Thermolite IR: This infrared infused fibre is lightweight, stretchy, and quick drying, working to both create and conserve body heat at the same time. Radiant Rebound: By implementing a METAL lining underneath the textiles, this technology ensures that heat that would normally be lost through your suit when radiated from your body is instead rebounded back to you, conserving your body heat within the wetsuit. Thermo Dry Celliant (TDC): This innovative warming technology which works by temporarily increasing localised blood flow which supports heat generation. Not only is this said to increase warmth, but it is also said to result in increased endurance, stamina, and strength when out in the water. Xcel’s Eco Initiatives One of the reasons we chose to stock Xcel’s wetsuits is due to their eco conscious approach to making their wetsuits. Striving to minimise their environmental impact, in a sport that unfortunately has a reputation for not being the most environmentally friendly, Xcel are making waves in the increasingly eco conscious surf industry. With solar powered headquarters and several eco initiatives on the go they are working hard to try and reduce their impact on the environment. If, like us, you are trying to opt for more environmentally friendly options where you can, including when purchasing new surf gear, we highly recommend Xcel’s products for their eco conscious approach. Check out Xcel’s Eco Initiatives below: Dope Dyed Yarn – An innovative and more efficient dyeing process which uses significantly less energy and water than traditional methods. Limestone Neoprene – Instead of using traditional methods to make their neoprene, which involve the use of petrochemicals, Xcel have switched to earth mined Limestone. This switch means their suits do not contribute to the harmful environmental impacts caused by processing these petrochemicals. Eco Carbon Black - A long used, key ingredient of neoprene, with a twist. Xcel further reduce their carbon footprint as their Carbon Black is pyrolyzed from scrap rubber tyres. Not only reusing waste products, this process cuts CO2 emissions by an incredible 200g for each wetsuit they manufacture. Water Based Glue – Instead of using solvent based laminating glue, they have switched to a water-based alternative, free of nasty volatile organic compounds. Neoprene Recycling Process – Xcel actively recycle as much of their waste neoprene offcuts as possible, aiming to minimise the amount of scrap material landfill contributions. PAHS Minimised Formulation – The use of neoprene rubber foam eliminates nearly all the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon substances (PAHs) in their suits. Xcel Winter 2020 Wetsuits The Xcel wetsuit range is growing all the time, read on to discover their latest suits and the innovative technologies they are using to help keep you warm this winter. Xcel Infiniti X2 This winter wetsuit is without doubt one of the very best cold-water wetsuits available. The Infiniti X2 has been updated with the very latest technologies. The entire wetsuit is now constructed using the new Channel Flex neoprene which apart from being even more stretchy, dries faster than ever before. Celliant Black High Pile with hollow fibre lining from chest to knees and High Pile Celliant Black jacquard sleeves and lower leg lining make this wetsuit incredibly comfortable and toasty warm. Other key features include; the 100% waterproof zipper with magnetic closure, triple glued Stitchless Power seams with Fusion X internal seam tape and external welding, nanoprene lite Japanese limestone bsaed neoprene (lighter, softer, warmer) Drylock wrist seals, Nexskin ankle seals prevent flush and water based glues. This range combines the Channel Flex, Radiant Rebound and Thermolite IR technologies to create the one of the best winter wetsuits of 2020. We offer this in two different thicknesses, a 5/4mm available with and without a hood and a 6/5mm hooded suit for ultimate warmth. Click here to shop the Infiniti X2 Wetsuit. Xcel Infiniti Ltd Designed as an upgraded version of the Infiniti X2, with Channel Flex and chest to ankle Radiant Rebound technology, we highly rate this incredibly warm winter suit. Xcel’s metallic technology literally reflects your body heat back onto you and this suit has the plush radiant rebound layer all the way from your ankles to your chest for maximum heat conservation, allowing you to rip in those cold winter swells for longer than ever. The Xcel Infiniti Ltd 5/4mm wetsuit 2021 is without a doubt one of the warmest winter suits on the market and a must have for serious cold-water surfers. Click here to shop the Infiniti Ltd Wetsuit. Xcel Drylock The Winter 2020 Drylock wetsuit is a cold-water wetsuit designed to keep you surfing when the water temperature is at its lowest in December, January, February and March. The Drylock has triple glued and blindstitched seams, a semi dry zipper and Channel Flex on the upper body of the suit for increased flexibility. Drylock X The Drylock X has been updated with the very latest technology including the all new Channel Flex exterior and a one-piece sleeve design. The Drylock X sits right at the very top of the Xcel wetsuit collection and has been treated to every concevable feature and the very latest high-tech neoprenes. The main difference between the Drylock X and the Drylock is on the inside of the suits. They are both lined with Celiant Black however the Drylock X is lined with more of the white, thicker pile from the chest to the knees whereas this thick pile lining is just on the chest of the Drylock, providing you with that extra warmth. The Drylock X has Channel Flex on the full exterior of the suit for maximum flexibility as well as stitch-free power seams and a 100% water resistant zipper providing ultimate water resistance. Sizing is always the trickiest part of buying a wetsuit so we’ve put together a super detailed size chart in conjunction with Xcel. Xcel Wetsuit Size Chart Click here to shop Xcel Wetsuits. Wetsuit Accessories If you are looking for a pair of gloves or boots, look no further. Xcel have a wide range of wetsuit essentials; scroll down to see what we have in stock this Winter: Hoods Unless you like the feeling of brain freeze, we would highly recommend investing in a high-quality wetsuit hood for those cold-water winter surfs. We currently have the Xcel Axis 2mm and Infiniti Ltd 2mm hoods available. The Axis provides that essential warmth for everyday surfing whilst the Infiniti Ltd, with full Radiant Rebound lining, provides that extra warmth needed for those bitter, icy winter dawnies and enables you to stay warm in the surf for longer than ever before. Click here to shop Xcel Wetsuit Hoods. Boots Xcel’s boots offer ultimate warmth, comfort and durability. They are constructed using 100% super-stretch neoprene with a Plush Thermo Lite lining which keeps your feet toasty and allows the boots to drip-dry faster in-between surfs. We offer these boots in round toe and split toe options and in varying thicknesses to suit your needs; from a cosy 5mm boot to a super toasty 7mm. All boots feature a pull-up look located at the heel, contoured fit, single piece rubber outsole for better board feel and durability and internally taped seams for durability and warmth. Click here to shop Xcel Boots. Gloves Whether you prefer gloves or mittens, Xcel have a wide range of options available to keep you paddling for longer than ever. We have 5 finger Infiniti gloves in 1.5 and 3mm thicknesses which are made in 100% UltraStretch neoprene with glued and blind stitched seams sealed with outer Taitex to keep heat in. Silicone grip palms offer great traction and improve board handling and the wrists are tapered for a better fit. We also stock the Xcel Infiniti 4mm Glide Skin wetsuit gloves which are constructed using Xcel’s latest technologies – glide skin and Thermo Dry Celiant, Xcel's warmest inner lining ever. These insanely warm and comfortable gloves are a must have for any regular cold-water surfer. Mitts, renowned for being super warm, can help to retain the heat even more than 5 finger gloves as your fingers are wrapped up cosily together. This style of glove can limit dexterity slightly but what you lose in this, you gain in warmth and extra paddle power! We have the Infiniti Mittens, with 100% UltraStretch neoprene with Fleecy Quick Dry lining, available in a toasty 5mm thickness. Click here to Shop Xcel Wetsuit gloves & mittens. Caring for your Xcel wetsuit Treat with special care! Rinse wetsuit thoroughly inside and out with fresh water Hang to dry in a cool shaded area, avoid hanging in direct sun light Use a wide armed coat hanger, a narrow hanger will stress the suits, especially a heavier winter wetsuit when just out of the sea When changing, avoid standing on the wetsuit. Wetsuit Warranty Xcel give a 1-year neoprene & lifetime seams warranty for wetsuits for manufacturing failures or seam issues, tears in neoprene panels caused by fingers nails are not covered. Wetsuit boots and gloves have a 90-day warranty for manufacturing related defects At Boardshop we are too nice for our own good so when you buy a Xcel wetsuit from us you’ll get an extra 1 year on your warranty totally free of charge. We are stoked to be stocking these high-quality suits and we can’t wait to see what amazing technologies Xcel come out with next! So, what are you waiting for? Click here to check out our full range of Xcel Wetsuits. Still stuck on what winter suit to go for? We have over 100 years of combined wetsuit experience here at Boardshop, we love talking about all things surf related and are happy to offer our advice! Drop us an email at info@boardshop.co.uk or give us a call on 01243 674250. Back to blog