Best 'all-round' wetsuit? I am prepared to pay £££ for The One :-)

[PacificDogwood]

I am looking for a full-length wetsuit to have and to hold until it or I die - whichever comes first

I need it to keep me warm in and around Scottish Lochs in all weathers.

I don't want different suits for different purposes, but if somebody had a recommendation for a triathlon suit that would also keep me warm when messing around on boats, or a wake boarding/surfing suit that is suitable for swimming, or something that might even allow for a bit of gentle kayaking, that might just be a match made in heaven.

Anything cheaper than a dry suit will be considered.
Looks not really an issue - last seasons (or the sesaon's before) models will be considered.

Any ideas where to start looking??

The newer O'Neill suits go on about how stretchy they are three-dimensionally? Surely they would allow for a bit of open water swimming??

Am I deluded? Ack. Too much choice is putting me off. Again. I might not bother but then I might freeze to death this summer

Help!!

You need to be fit in person, there's no one right best suit for every body shape. I would try to find a specialist retailer in my area.

Yep what Holiday Crimininal said. You need to go in and try different brands and sizes. I went to a specialist triathlon shop tried lots of different ones. I had no idea how they should fit. I thought the first one seemed fine but then the man tugged at it and pulled it this way and that and deemed it way too big. Once I was reassuringly definitely feeling like an overstuffed pork sausage I was told it was the right one - having exhausted all the girls wet suits I ended up in a men's small! Triathlon wet suits or open water swimming wet suits have much more give and mobility in the shoulder than a surfers wet suit so I would plump for an open water one for more flexibility? - Orca/Blue Seventy/X something... there are lots to choose from.

Oh, thank you both

My concern with a triathlon wetsuits is warmth - there will be a fair bit of surface messing about going on (I wouldn't call what I do 'wake boarding' - it's more 'get on the board and fall off and get on again - repeat until shaking' )

Fitting, eh? That sounds excruciating.
The rental suits I've been in all seem 'fine' - they have been women's suits which I presume I'll need with my 34G norkage...

Def get fitted - DH bought twice offline now and they don't fit so keep being returned...

Could you get a good open water swimming one and then buy a cheaper shortie to wear over for extra warmth when on the surface? I know divers who double up for colder dives so reckon this would work in your situation.

If money not a problem why not have a chat to someone like Snugg www.snuggwetsuits.co.uk who custom-make to your measurements? Plus they make suits for triathlon as well as surfing, kite-surfing, etc so could probably advise on what is best to use for both? I haven't tried a Snugg suit but have seen them positively rated on tri forums.

I have an Xterra Vector Pro for triathlon, but when I did a 1.5 hour open water swimming course the other week in a 13 degree lake (a fair amount of treading water not moving much rather than full-on swimming) I was definitely getting cold by the end. Unsure how different I'd have been in a thicker suit. I do find my thicker surfing wetsuit a lot harder to do proper swimming in though.

Guys, you are great - thank you so much for all the advice and sharing your experiences .

Doubling up - hm. I had not considered that. I am of a somewhat voluptuous nature and fear I'd not be able to move at all if I tried that.

So far my only wetsuit experience is a shorty/cheapy one from Decathlon which was fine messing about in the water when abroad, but is quite useless in Scottish lochs (I have no idea what the water temperature is - must find out, actually).

I would not say that money is NO problem, but I'd rather spend a bit more and then be happy with it, than skimp and regret it. Thanks for the link to snug - I'll have a look.

Pacific - me too on the body shape inc bust! But I'm still in a men's one. Go to a proper store, it's worth it.

Where do you live, PacificDogwood? I have a terrific watersports fitter 20 minute drive from me, but I live arse end of nowhere.