Is battery-powered heat the future of surfing wetsuits?
Rip Curl’s groundbreaking H-Bomb wetsuit hit the market on November 1, 2008, after three years of development. With a retail price tag of $1,000 (3/2mm) in the United States, the verdict is still out on this first-generation power-heated suit.
A Japanese-made lithium-ion battery is the energy source behind a series of carbon-fiber coils in the back panel of the E3 neoprene suit (with FireSkin). By concentrating the heating unit on the back, the elements warm the core of the body without getting in the way of the action.
Three temperature levels (indicated by blue, purple, and red lights on the switch), allow the surfer to control how much heat the suit puts out. Depending on its setting, the batteries should last from 2.5 hours (max) to about 1.5 hours—pretty well within the range of a normal winter session.
It’s too early to comment on the suit’s durability. The batteries are said to take a minimum of 500 recharges (a couple of dedicated surf seasons), and only time will tell if the rest of the unit holds up as long.
The location of the switch, coils (elements), and batteries in Rip Curl's H-Bomb wetsuit.
The takeaway? If you’ve got the money and the patience to care for it, the H–Bomb could mean longer sessions and more comfortable surfing in cold water. It could also mean better performance, because surfers will be able to step down their wetsuits by a millimeter. Meaning, you’ll probably get the same level of warmth out of a 3/2mm H-Bomb as you would a conventional 4/3mm wetsuit. And less rubber equals more flexibility (especially when it’s Rip Curl’s E3 neoprene).
On the other hand, surfers who rarely venture into water below the mid-fifties mark may have a hard time justifying the price. Instead of an H-Bomb, you could outfit yourself with a Rip Curl F- or E-Bomb, and have enough money left over for a spring suit and a jacket (or a Rawson Hyper Classic).
The H-Bomb is currently available in very limited numbers, and only through select surf shops in the United States, Australia, and Western Europe. It comes in one color (black), and is available in both 3/2mm and 4/3mm (US$1,100 w/attached hood) thicknesses. Ladies, you’ll have to wait up to a year for H-Bomb technology. For now, it’s all about the G-Bomb.—SBG
Note: The H-Bomb isn’t your everyday wetsuit, and it requires a little extra know-how. Check this video for a sort of H-Bomb tutorial.
Have you surfed in the H–Bomb? Share your experience by leaving a comment on this article.
Related Links: RipCurl.com
4 responses so far ↓
Rippa // November 23, 2008 at 10:00 pm |
Looks cool. Maybe when I start surfing in Oregon I will get one. But will it prevent my ice cream headaches? Does Rip Curl make a heated cap? LOL
Editor // November 24, 2008 at 5:54 pm |
Rippa, the H-Bomb 4/3mm comes with a hood, but it’s not power-heated. The heating elements on the H-Bomb are all on the back of the suit.
Elkinator // November 27, 2008 at 1:30 pm |
dang, not like when I started out surfing… lathering up with Crisco under a wool sweater.
this has to be the future of cold water surfing. i’m sure some day it will all be integrated with all our other electronic gadgits, cell phone, internet, video. How do you charge this puppy up when your in the far reaches of the Artic?
Editor // December 13, 2008 at 4:06 am |
Elkinator, your best bet for charging the H-Bomb in the “far reaches” is to use the car charger (sold separately). If you’re really off the grid, and without a car, you could probably figure out a way to charge the suit’s batteries with a solar panel and converter. Of course, we can’t say we’ve tried it! Good luck.