Cheap, high quality wetsuit, just one thing missing… (I’ll tell you in a second)

Another wetsuit review!

It’s fun to try new wetsuits, and this Imperial Motion Lux Premier 4/3 fullsuit is a winner.

I actually got this wetsuit in January, but I’ve had to wear it in August and September because San Diego water temperatures are fluctuating like crazy.

So I’ve put it through probably 5 months total of almost daily use. And guess what… the Lux Premier wetsuit still looks brand new.

No holes, rips, or deteriorating seams.

And the best part? The price.

I think this Lux Premier 4/3 wetsuit was around $200 when I got it.

Currently it’s $120 on Imperial Motion’s website, but it’s also sold out, and I don’t know if that’s some sort of promotional price.

I talked to JJ at Imperial Motion, and he said
“new models drop in like 2 weeks.  We will have an updated 3/2 and 4/3.”

So we’ll see what the price is for the new models of wetsuits.

The new wetsuits still don’t come with a key pocket / key loop, my only complaint about the Imperial Motion Lux Premier wetsuit.

It can’t cost that much to add a key pocket, right!?

Almost all wetsuits have a key loop in the neck area, or a key pocket somewhere on the leg.

It makes it really inconvenient if you have to drive to your surf spot… and then figure out where to put your key.

So I usually just wear the Lux Premier wetsuit when I surf by my house.

(JJ did say they might make this revision in their next run of wetsuits, because other people have requested it as well)

Everything else about this wetsuit is perfect!

It keeps me warm, and I’m a baby with cold water. Water temps in San Diego are mid to upper 50’s in winter.

Easy enough to get on and off (it’s a 4/3, so obviously it’s more difficult than a 3/2 wetsuit).

They use a limestone based neoprene (instead of petroleum based) which is apparently better for the environment, and I’m all about that.

The Lux Premier wetsuit honestly feels just as good as my $500 Xcel wetsuit, for half the price.

So I’m happy to say, I won’t need to buy a new wetsuit this winter ?

I’m keeping the Lux Premier hanging up and ready for action ?‍♂️

UPDATE: We now produce our very own Ho Stevie! wetsuits… after years of testing other brands’ wetsuits like this Hurley Advantage Plus, we have crafted a premium wetsuit that is WARM, STRETCHY, and DURABLE. (And only $199.97)
Keep reading to see Hurley’s flaws, which we make sure to avoid.

“What wetsuit should I try next?”

It’s always hard to decide.

Luckily I won this Hurley Advantage Plus 3/2mm fullsuit from a video contest, so the decision was made for me ?

(If you’re curious, my winning video was Pokemon Go, remember that one?)

It was perfect timing to get this wetsuit, because the water temps were dropping in San Diego, and I was getting chilly! My Xcel 3/2 is a couple years old and letting in some water, and even my 1-year-old 7TILL8 4/3 wetsuit is pretty ragged.

So I put the Hurley Advantage Plus to the test, to see if this 3/2mm was warmer than my year-old 4/3 from 7TILL8.

FIT: 10/10

LOVE the fit on this wetsuit!

I’m 6’1″, 155lbs, and the Medium Tall size fits me perfectly.

Good length on the ankles and wrists, and it hugs the jewels nicely ? (Unlike the baggy-ness on my 7TILL8).

Really easy to get on and off. PS… do yourself a favor and cop a changing poncho.

WARMTH: ?

I’ve gotta say, I think this 3/2 Hurley Advantage Plus is just as warm as last year’s 4/3 from 7TILL8.

I was surprised!

It’s really easy to move in, and of course it has a key loop pocket in the leg (some wetsuits don’t, for whatever reason)
Ho Stevie! leashes have a key pocket in the ankle cuff, but I prefer to keep my key in my wetsuit.

BUT WAIT ✋

It was all going so well…

But after surfing in this wetsuit for about a month, I noticed that the stitching on one of the knees is starting to unravel.

I’ve contacted Hurley about this, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet.

?‍♂️

Besides that problem, I really like the Advantage Plus.

Oh, and the white stripes on the leg are subtle, yet help your friend on the beach pick you out from the crowd.

I’ll update this post if I hear back from Hurley about the knee stitching.

Who’s on the Hurley bandwagon?

*** UPDATE 2/22/19 ***
So Back in December, I DM’d Hurley on Instagram and Facebook, and they gave me an email address to contact (hurley_store@hurley.com if you need it yourself).

I emailed them December 7th explaining this situation, with a link to my video.

And waited…

Finally, 5 weeks later (January 15th) I received a response.

After a little back and forth (they needed more pictures, model number, etc) they agreed to replace the wetsuit.

I sent the damaged Advantage Plus back to them (they paid for the return shipping label after I asked them to) and my brand new wetsuit arrived about a week later, with no loose threads this time ?

Now, did they only give me this treatment because of my Youtube channel and blog? Quite possibly. I always wonder in situations like this.

Either way, I have a fresh wetsuit for spring, so I’m stoked! ?

Surfing wetsuits can be expensive.

Earlier this year I reviewed my O’Neill Psychofreak, Xcel Drylock, and Need Essentials fullsuit:

The first two suits cost around $500. The Need Essentials is around $200, but I didn’t like the fact that it doesn’t have a key loop. What am I just supposed to hide my key somewhere while I surf?!

So this fall/winter I got a wetsuit from a new company 7till8, and I put it to the test:

I’ve been wearing this suit almost every day for a few weeks now, and I like it!

It’s warm (I got the 4/3 version), easy to get in and out of (even with the front-zip), AND it has the key loop!
(I could just use the key pocket in my leash, but I prefer to keep it in my wetsuit)

No rips or seams/threads coming undone in the short time I’ve had it, and hopefully it stays that way.

My only complaint is about the sizing.
I got size MT (I’m 6’1″, 165lbs) and my other MT wetsuits fit me great. This one was maybe a tiny bit short around the ankles, and pretty baggy in my “junk area”.
Not a huge deal though, as I mainly noticed it when walking up and down my stairs, not when I was actually surfing.

Overall I’m super stoked on the suit, and would recommend to anyone! (Actually my neighbor bought one just a few days after he saw me with mine)

For $225 you get a nice warm wetsuit delivered to your door. Click here to check out the wetsuit that I got.

Oh, and 7till8 are great people with excellent customer support, so that’s always nice 🙂

There has been a lot of hype building up to this movie, but a lot of people predicted disappointment.

That didn’t stop me from seeing it though. If you’re a surfer, you probably feel obligated to see the new Point Break, even if you know it’s going to be painful to watch. And if you thought Keanu’s acting was painful to watch in the original, you better set your expectations very, very low for this one.

There’s really no point in taking your phone surfing when GoPros exist, right?

That’s what I thought… until Periscope.

If you haven’t heard of Periscope yet, it’s a fairly new mobile app for live streaming.

It hasn’t quite blown up yet, but there’s a lot of buzz around it, so I wanted to get in early.
(Follow me @hostevie if you have Periscope)

I upgraded my phone from a Samsung Galaxy S4, to an S6. So I can have the highest quality stream possible.

After doing some research, the Lifeproof case is pretty much the only high-quality option for a waterproof case for my Galaxy S6.

(After upgrading my phone and seeing the poor results with my Lifeproof case, someone recommended a Watershot case. Unfortunately they don’t have a Galaxy S6 version, only iPhone 6. Hopefully they will make one for the S6 soon)

Back to the story…
So I threw down $80 for the Lifeproof case. Other options were water resistant, but not waterproof. It’s a somewhat clunky case, and apparently the audio is greatly affected, but I am only using it when I surf.

I attached a GoPro backdoor floaty to the back of the Lifeproof case, so I could hold it in my mouth while paddling out.

I took it out on a small day, when the waves were probably only 2 feet.

I started the Periscope broadcast on the sand, and paddled out with the phone in my mouth. As soon as water started to splash on it, things got funky.

The phone thought the water was my fingers, so random things would get “tapped” by the water splashes. Very annoying, and honestly I don’t think I even submerged the phone all the way.

At the end of my first wave, some water splashes made the Periscope app close, and my broadcast was ended. Sad times.

So I didn’t try using the regular photo or video functions on the phone, but I can’t imagine it works any better with those.

Of course I emailed Lifeproof and told them this story, and asked if they had any recommendations.
They replied with the following canned message:
“Thank you for contacting LifeProof. We are excited for the opportunity to assist with your request, and we look forward to exceeding your expectations.

All we need in order to process your replacement is a photo of your LifeProof product. Please follow all directions to prevent any processing delays.”

I did not request a replacement, nor did I say anything was damaged (nothing was). I just asked if they had any suggestions.

So if anyone from Lifeproof is reading this, please leave a comment or email me if you can help! I would love to do some live Periscope broadcasts while surfing every week.

I’ll keep trying to do broadcasts (usually weekends with small waves are when I will try this) and maybe Watershot will make a case for the S6 soon.

Please share any advice you might have!