SURF Buyer's Guide

Entries tagged as ‘Elastomax’

Rip Curl’s Power-Heated H-Bomb Wetsuit Hits The Lineup

November 11, 2008 · 4 Comments

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. (more…)

Categories: News
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Rip Curl Men’s Wetsuits 2008

November 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment

The third generation of super-stretchy ElastoMax neoprene (that originally debuted in 2000) makes Rip Curl’s 2008 wetsuits lighter, warmer, and even more flexible than their predecessors. The trick? More air in the neoprene sponge (wetsuit neoprene is comprised of the actual “sponge” and a facing material, or “jersey.”). E3 is a full twenty-percent lighter than E2, and because air also acts as insulation, the new suits are five-percent warmer than previous models. The increased flexibility of E3 is the result of the material that surrounds the neoprene sponge; it now allows the sponge to stretch to its full potential. Check out each suit by clicking on its image below.

Aside from E3, Rip Curl’s big story for 2008 is the release of the H-Bomb power-heated suit. For more on the H-Bomb, click here.—SBG

To view Rip Curl’s women’s wetsuits, click here.

If you’ve tested one of Rip Curl’s new suits in the water, share your experience by commenting on this article.

Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
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Rip Curl Women’s Wetsuits 2008

November 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Check out the 2008–’09 women’s wetsuit offerings from Rip Curl. New for this year is Rip Curl’s lighter, more flexible, and warmer ElastoMax 3 (E3) neoprene. A women’s suit is available in each of Rip Curl’s three lines: Ultimate, Core, and Classic, but female surfers will have to wait (or wear a men’s model) for the power-heated technology of H-Bomb. Check out each of this season’s suits by clicking on the thumbnail images below.—SBG

If you wear one of Rip Curl’s new women’s suits, share your experience by commenting on this article.

Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
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