Get Dressed With Me: The Wetsuit Edition

The season is upon us for wetsuits. The water is cooling, and I have officially broken out my full wetsuit wardrobe. Early this summer I reached out the the best wet suit company on the market, Matuse, to pull some bikinis for a special segment I did for a local news show. Soon enough I was in their super cool store known as the Black Spot in North County San Diego exchanging ideas with their CEO John Campbell. And of course, I ended up buying the Matuse entire wet suit line up for myself. I purchased the Geometry Bikini many years ago at Mitch’s La Jolla. The Geometry bikini is still my favorite bikini to surf and swim. The bikini top makes my boobs look awesome with the perfect amount of support and exposure while the cut of the bottoms is perfectly shaped for a decent tan line.

Now, when the water starts to get a little chilly, I will throw on the Sophia Jacket with the Siren Shorts. Now what makes Matuse wetsuits and gear different is the fact that their material is made of GEOprene versus neoprene. Neoprene is made of petroleum, while geoprene is made of limestone. Geoprene is 95% water impermeable and neoprene is only 65%. So I choose Geoprene and Matuse. The Geoprene also stretches with your muscles better and allows paddling and swimming to be WAAAYYYYYY easier. The fit is a little bit tighter so I recommend upsizing by one size if you are going to go Matuse. The other reason I like Matuse and Geoprene is because it dries way faster than neoprene. So if I want to go for a morning surf and an evening surf, I don;t have to put back on a damp, cold wetsuit. Major bonus!

When the water starts to dip below, 70 degrees, I like to throw on a jacket like the Sophia (2mm) and keep my legs bare. I like a short with my jacket, like the Siren because it keeps my booty from being fully exposed if I get a wedgie while surfing. Which I do get the wedgie attacks in a regular bikini bottom because I do have a bit of a booty. The Siren short is also made of thin Geoprene so it dries quick.

Once the ocean turns down the temp to a cool 65 degrees I go spring suit! Spring suits have the shorts, instead of the full legs, with a long sleeve. Matuse’s Artemis Long Sleeve Spring (2mm). Other than being Geoprene, I also love this suit because it has a special tank style seal at the top of the suit to keep the water from rushing in the neck and making me freeze. I like the cut of the legs on this spring suit because the length is perfect, not too long or too short. And too short of legs on a spring suit is annoying because I get sausage legs.

And as we dip into 50 degree water, I go 4/3 with Matuse’s Artemis full suit. This is the cadillac of wetsuits. Heavy enough to keep me warm, light enough to move my limbs to swim, paddle and pop up. The fit is really tight and take mega patience, but it is totally worth it to be able to stay out in the aqua for longer.

The latest addition to my surf/swim/beach wardrobe is the Surf Fur Waterproof Parka (also avails at the Matuse Black Spot in Del Mar). OBSESSED. This is my coat for the winter whether I am going to the beach or not. In the morning or evening to surf, it’s so easy to get super chilly before and especially after the water. This parka is basically a giant awesome snuggie for water people. It has open slits hidden next to the pockets so you can get your hands under the parka and put on or take off your wet suit and swimwear. It’s long enough to bend over and not show the goods to the entire beach or parking lot when you are peeling off your suit. And I love it’s made of fleece so you can fully machine wash it and it’s quick dry. It’s my go to for balmy evenings or dawn patrol.

So if you are a mermaid water babe who only wants the best for the beach, check out Matuse and Surf Fur. I have tested a TON of the gear on the market in the past two years, and these two brands are my absolute faves.