O'Neill HyperFreak Fire Chest Zip 5/4+mm wetsuit - Black/Black

Had the chance to test the new hyperfreak fire 5/4 and what can I say excellent. Really comfortable and so warm really impressed. The TB4 drys so quick within 20 mins. That’s not the rest of it mind. Draws the water away from the body really well. Amazing suit.

Just received my wetsuit yesterday, took just over 2 weeks to arrive in the Canary Islands, which is about par for the course here (I really appreciate the free shipping BOARDSHOP!). Went for a first surf today and the suit felt great, absolutely no flushing, toasty warm for over 3 hours with quite a strong wind, air and water both approximately 21C. I know that probably sounds like a pretty warm day if you live in the UK, but I've been absolutely freezing lately, cutting my last few sessions short in my older wetsuits, and it's the cold wind that does it.

The fit and finish of the suit really seems quite good, all the seams are carefully taped with neoprene on the inside, and I can't see any weak points like I have in my current wetsuit (Quiksilver Syncro), which has developed holes in a number of poorly designed joins. The O'Neill suit isn't nearly as stretchy as the Quiksilver, but I can't say that I actually notice the difference in the water, I suspect that the importance of how flexible a neoprene is is over-rated in a 3/2, at my level of surfing anyway.

The suit's very comfortable. I really like the design of the overlapping flaps underneath the chest/head opening on the suit, they form a kind of close-fitting secondary collar that prevents any water from flushing into your suit. The zipper is also a standout for me: it's placed a touch higher up than on other suits I've worn, closer to your neck, which keeps it nicely out of the way, instead of running right across your chest. The actual zipping mechanism itself is also a good deal smaller, lighter, and less chunky than on any other wetsuit I've worn, making it less noticeable when paddling.

In terms of fit, if I were to order another, I think I'd go with an MS instead of an M. I've lost a few pounds recently and there's a bit of extra material in the biceps and armpit region, it's very subtle and not noticeable in the water, but still. In case it helps, I'm 5ft9/175cm 158.5 pounds/71.9kilos, 35 athletic build with fairly broad shoulders and back.

For the money, the suit's very good value.