Staying warm and protecting yourself from the sun are two things that are essential when it comes to making sure your surf sesh the best it can be — no one wants to paddle out shivering or worry the whole time about getting torched.
Luckily, top surf brands are constantly elevating and refining women’s wetsuits, with a comprehensive focus on protection, style, comfort, and flexibility.
Below are some of the most reliable options on the market today, sorted from thinnest to thickest.
The Best Women's Wetsuits
O’Neill: Bahia Front-Zip Long-Sleeve Surf Suit – 2/1
O’Neill’s Bahia series is catered towards a new generation of athletes, promoting both confidence and strength in and out of the water.
The Front-Zip Long-Sleeve is made for cooler weather, providing a layer of warmth a regular rash guard doesn’t offer.
Plus, the full zip entry at the front makes suiting up and undressing a breeze. This suit is offered in Black, Blue/Floral, and Gray/Orange/Floral.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Rip Curl: G-Bomb Front Zip Wetsuit – 2/1
When Rip Curl came out with their notorious G-Bomb collection they pretty much nailed it in every category.
The line includes tops, pants, shorts, bikinis, rash guards, and of course wetsuits. Their G-Bomb Front Zip is a light fullsuit perfect for relatively warm days if it’s windy or overcast. The E5 neoprene makes it extra stretchy for plenty of mobility and is offered in Black/Floral and Plum/Yellow.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Billabong: Synergy Back-Zip Flatlock Fullsuit Wetsuit – 3/2
Billabong’s Synergy Series focuses on quality and elasticity without sacrificing warmth.
The Back-Zip Flatlock is not only a good-looking suit, but one with an abundance of thermal retention due to the combination of seam reinforcement and thin but effective silicon lining.
Each suit is partly created from recycled materials, as part of Billabong’s efforts to help keep the ocean clean. The Back-Zip Flatlock is only offered in all black, but a suit of this caliber doesn’t need any decorating.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Roxy: Prologue BZ FLT Wetsuit – 3/2
The Prologue Collection is Roxy’s wetsuit line that is best fit for performance. This suit is a blend of the brand’s FreeMax neoprene on the torso and thighs as well as their HyperStretch 3.0 technology on the arms and shins.
It also features Supratex pads to prevent the knees from wearing if you’re kneeling down to wax your board on hard ground.
The BZ FLT comes in Black and Gray/Mint Green.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Rip Curl: Dawn Patrol Chest Zip Wetsuit – 4/3
Rip Curl’s Dawn Patrol wetsuits are made for maximum durability in the water so you can get years of use and not have to worry about holes/rips when you get a little banged up.
The Chest Zip is a full suit with soft insulation that will keep you toasty in ocean temps of 50°F or warmer.
It comes with not one but two of Rip Curl’s signature linings: the E5 Flash as well as the E4 thermo.
This suit only comes in all black but if you do purchase be sure to check out the magenta lining inside.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Hurley: Advantage Plus Fullsuit– 4/3
The Advantage Plus Fullsuit by Hurley is another really good-looking suit that’s created for style, comfort, and warmth.
It’s an eco-friendly product that’s made with limestone-based neoprene, dyed yarn, and carbon black recycled from old tires.
Neat right?
This suit is also super flexible thanks to Hurley’s ‘superstretch neospan’ exterior and their out-of-the-way seams.
The Advantage Plus comes in all black with their famous two-line accent in hot pink on the sleeve.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Billabong: Launch Back Zip Wetsuit – 5/4
Billabong’s Launch Back Zip Wetsuit is created with the brand’s durable superflex material, to protect against wear and tear while allowing for limitless movement.
The silicon stretch lining and reinforced taping at high stress points help strengthen the structure of the suit without adding any bulk to the inside.
To add even more lastingness, the exterior seams are triple glued shut – no water gets in and no body heat gets out! The Launch Back Zip comes in Black and Blue/Gray.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Roxy: Syncro GBS Hooded Long Sleeve Fullsuit – 5/4
The Syncro GBS by Roxy is meant to “keep the bite off” in cold water by ensuring thermal retention without forgetting about style.
This suit features Roxy’s WarmFlight fleece lining on the inside to stay toasty and is sealed with their watertight StretchFlight tape at the seams.
The glideskin neck makes an easy entry for your noggin and sits snug but comfortable around the face. The Syncro GBS comes in Black/Blue Gray.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Billabong: Furnace Comp Series Hooded Chest Zip Wetsuit – 6/5
It doesn’t get much warmer than Billabong’s Furnace Comp Series. These suits live up to their name, packing in maximum heat for freezing conditions or lower.
The Hooded Chest Zip is super thick, so you’ll get a good warm up in just trying to get it on.
Luckily, the entry that is featured makes it as painless as possible for a suit of this measurement.
The interior is is Graphene, with is a material known to be tough, flexible, light, and hydrophobic. This suit is offered in Black/White Detailing.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Rip Curl: E6 Flashbomb Hooded Wetsuit – 6/5
The E6 Flashbomb is Rip Curl’s first suit to feature their unique Flash Lining, which provides 20% more warmth, elasticity, and quick drying technology than some of their past models.
Its seams are taped shut with this lining, and in between limbs are mesh skin panels that prevent wind chill by absorbing solar rays.
This suit only comes in Black, but like their Dawn Patrol suit is pink on the interior fleece.
Learn more about this women's wetsuit.
Women’s Wetsuit Guide — FAQs
Q. What is the difference between men’s and women’s wetsuits?
Though there is no one body size or type for men and women, the general rule is that men’s body’s tend to follow a more rectangular shape with broad shoulders and square hips on a long, linear torso that requires a bit more room in the crotch.
Women tend to be gifted with curves of all sizes and slimmer shoulders, and the neoprene patterning and stitching on women’s wetsuit design allows for it.
The most important part about buying a wetsuit is to try it on — for your particular body shape, different sizes in women’s offerings across different brands could leave you with excess fabric bunching on some where others don’t.
If you’re a woman with more petite or athletic features and none of the women’s suits are fitting right, you may just be a unicorn of a size that best fits in a wetsuit marked men’s.
The only wrong wetsuit for you is the one that fails to keep you warm and comfortable out there.
Q. How do you measure yourself for a wetsuit?
Going into the shop with the below measurements is the best way to make your wetsuit hunt faster and more accurate, so grab that soft tape measure:
Chest
Measure around the fullest part of your chest.
Waist
Measure the natural waistline just below your rib cage.
Hip
Measure the fullest part of your booty where it meets the top of your legs.
Height and Weight
It's always helpful when choosing surf equipment so you can give a shop employee the most info to help you get what you need.
Q. How should the wetsuit fit, and is your wetsuit size similar to your clothing size?
Wetsuits are known for their second-skin nature, so squeezing in and out of them isn’t a particularly glamorous task and every inch of your silhouette will be on display, but the result of that tight fit is that the wetsuit will take on the tiniest amount of water once you’re out there, which warms to align with your body temperature and create a sealed insulation against the cold.
If you try on a wetsuit that leaves a pocket for air and excess water to gather under your arms or around your torso, you won’t be as warm as you should be.
At the other extreme, avoid a size that restricts your natural surf motion, and incorporate movement like practice pop-ups, standing arm paddling, and the twists, compressions, and extensions that mimic your surfing.
The long sleeves should end at the wrist and the full leg styles should go to the ankle. As for the similarity to clothing size, it could (and likely will) be completely different because this is a completely different garment meant to fit your whole body in one go.
Look up or ask a shop employee what size would be closest to your measurements and then start trying on across brands and sizing up and down as needed to find that snug, effective fit.
Q. What should you wear under your wetsuit?
To go commando or not to go commando, that is the question — and the choice is yours. Particularly in warm-water regions, feeling like you’re a whisper away from surf streaking could be exhilarating, grounding, and empowering, but it may help to have a changing towel to avoid accidental actual streaking if this is your jam.
However, a common truth to keep in mind about wetsuits is that wet neoprene can be a breeding ground of yeast, and given the sensitive pH balance of a woman’s nether-regions it is generally a smart move to at least wear a bathing suit bottom under your wetty.
Non-tying is best for both the bottom and top of bikinis, or a secure one-piece could help you feel fully secure and comfy in your armor against icy waters.
Q. Back zip vs chest zip, hood vs no hood, which style and thickness?
Now that you’ve determined your approximate size and fit, it’s time to iron out the details to zero in on the best wetsuit for your specific needs.Wetsuits that zip vertically up the spine are without question easier and more elegant to get on and off, but that ease also leaves room for water to get in.
So for cold water and winter surfing, the more challenging (at first) chest zip will ensure that you won’t get surprise ice baths on your duck dives and stay warm throughout your surf.
As for hooded wetsuits for cold water and winter surfs, the hood can make a world of difference in water under 60 F (having your hair is braided or in a low bun will offer the most hood comfort for long-haired ladies), but if you lower the hood it could cause a rash as its bunched behind your neck.
Adding a hooded rash shirt to a thicker wetsuit can offer the best of both worlds. Finally, there’s the style (spring suit vs full suit) and thickness, which should be selected based on where you plan to surf and its conditions (water and air temperature, wind and weather patterns), how long you like to be out, and your personal tolerance for cold.
Spring suits vary widely in looks, but are generally 1 to 2 mm thick and either lack coverage on the arms, legs, or both, making them ideal for colder days in tropical locales or hotter days in places with colder water.
Full suits that cover all appendages and the chest come in varying thicknesses to match different levels of cold.
If the millimeter measurement has two numbers, like a 3/2, 4/3, or 5/4, it’s because the thickness of the neoprene over the chest and torso is slightly thicker than the neoprene over the arms and legs.
The easy 3/2 will support you from water temps in the 60s, and then increase the level of thickness with each ten-degree drop (or less, if your comfort level calls for it), and add a hood, gloves, and booties as needed.
The Bottom Line: The Best Women's Wetsuits for 2024
Preventing frostbite, sunburn, or even just the uneasy feeling of being chilly your entire session are what all these suits above aim to achieve.
And if you ask us, they’ve done exactly that without skimping on comfort and design.
So, if you’re in the market for a new suit, check out some of the options above to get the most bang for your buck – you won’t be disappointed.
If you're looking for something a bit cooler, check out our women's rashguard guide and our women's spring suit guide.
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