Whoa there buddy. Ease off on the coffee. I just said to do what your budget lets you do. If you want something significantly better, get the better suit. I can tell you that the difference is large when using a specific suit. If you want to use a dive suit it will work too, but your experience will be different. Today’s suits are all better. Neilpryde builds suits for Quick Sliver, Hurley, and Billabong. All of these are good suits, but NP and NPX just build suits that are more "suited" for what we do.
Those gimmicks you're speaking of also gave us far lighter and flexible neoprene, better closures, and killer wicking materials that keep the clam off of your skin. If you have been using older suits, you probably wouldn't have tried this stuff, and therefore you don't know what you’re missing. It’s kind of like a dog that has been beaten all of its life. It really doesn't know anything different; it just expects the beating everyday and thinks nothing of it.
It used to be that wetsuits were a commodity, but there is a difference. I dare you to hop into a Neilpryde Elite or 5000 series suits and say they're not far better. Obviously, it is over kill for where we live, but it will weigh less than your thinner suit and feel like it is a part of your skin. Water sheds off the suit like nothing else. The inner liner is awesome and you can stand on the beach all day if you want to without getting all clammy.
In short, get the surf suit if you want. It will be fine, but don't try a 5000 series, a Zealot, or Elite; because you will know that tomorrow beating is coming...
Kent
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