So as our first Wild Swim Cornwall Weekend of the Summer ended, we waved goodbye to an epic bunch of swim happy Swim Sistas & tried to get a good nights sleep before our early o’clock alarms! After 6 weeks of flat sea and a what seemed like an eternal heatwave the first week of July had somehow turned into the onset of Autumn.

Undeterred we drove on through the mizzle, marvelling at the Devonshire countryside (we don’t get out of Cornwall much in Summer!) and arrived a wee bit after the local swim gang. Hele bay was already awash with colourful Speedo cossies, bobble hats & buzzy chat about cute suits and unseasonable air temperatures. Lovely Anna from Speedo dug into her treasure trove for a matching set of Speedo suits for us all, joy! After wriggling into our bikinis and one pieces under the Hele Bay arches (possibly the most perfect beachside changing ever!), we tracked down and tucked into a queens ransome of M&S cake supplies, before melting into the Hele Bay throng, and eventually into the sea itself. Mission complete!

After a big community dip .. check out the video here .. can you see us? We warmed up with hot drinks and breakfast sandwiches and met loads of lovely locals, before chatting to the Speedo team about Surf Sistas & how Swim Sistas came about during lockdown.

Greg Dennis and William Cooper Mitchell were on hand to capture all the visuals for #outsidersclub and had us back in the water for another swim, and rock hopping for some portrait shots. Fortunately this is our natual habitat, so although if you look too closely we may look a little purple, we were still living our best lives!

Massive thanks to the Hele Bay swim community for such a lovely welcome, we fell in love with your local! In fact the whole coastline in Northern Devon is stunning and we will definitely be back for more exploring!

Check out William and Greg’s work for the Outsiders Club instagram below ..

Many thanks to:

Speedo – https://www.speedo.com/
Gung Ho Creative & Kirsty Hind – https://www.gunghoco.com/
Greg Dennis – https://www.gregdennis.co.uk/
William Cooper Mitchell – https://www.coopermitchell.com/

Back in the day, surfers would take the sea in their swimmers, catching waves until they turned blue! Luckily for us lot, wetsuit technology has advanced dramatically in the last few decades, giving us a great deal of choice when it comes to wetsuits.

However with choice of wetsuits, comes more jargon and more confusion.

Which wetsuit? What is technobutter? Which thickness? Built in hood? Limestone neoprene? Yulex? And what even is an insulated firewall?

We’ve simplified it. Wetsuits came into being to keep us warm. Being warmer means more time in the sea doing what we love – SURFING! So in this blog we’ve given the lowdown on what thickness wetsuit you need based on the water temperature and time of year. We’ve also stuck in a few handy tips for buying the right wetsuit.

What does the thickness mean?

It’s not uncommon to hear surfers chatting about their wetsuit thickness amongst other surf related surf small talk in the line-up; “Are you in your 4 3 today?” “Nah it’s balmy in here mate, got the 3 2 on!“

To someone not well versed with surf jargon (consider yourself lucky in some respects) this can be confusing as to what these numbers mean. What is the difference between a 4 3 wetsuit and a 3 2 wetsuit?

These numbers measure the thickness of wetsuits in mm. There are two numbers as some parts of the wetsuit are thicker than others. In the example of a 4/3mm wetsuit, the thicker parts will be 4mm and cover your organs and torso whilst the 3mm parts will be the arms and legs giving better flexibility for all those wonderful surf manoeuvres .

Wetsuits can range from 7mm thick (mostly for divers) to 1mm Springsuits (Springsuits are shorty neoprene suits). The most common wetsuits people use in the UK and the ones you’ll want to consider buying are 5/3mm, a 4/3mm or 3/2mm thick.

Which thickness wetsuit do I need for a given time of year?

These are the average water temperatures for Cornwall! If you spend most of your time surfing in other parts of the UK, check the water temperature in the local area. The NE of England is a lot colder than Cornwall for example.

January – March

During these winter months, the water temperature in Cornwall drops to its coldest, ranging from around 7-10°C.

You’ll need a minimum 5/3mm hooded wetsuit plus boots and gloves (particularly if your fingers get cold easily).

Trust me when I say you’ll need a hood! Brain freeze happens from surfing, not just downing your ice cream too fast.

If you cant get hold of a hooded wetsuit, you can buy a separate hood to wear. This can be good if you want to wear your winter suit further into spring. Having the hood down can sometimes cause more flushing.

April – June

As spring arrives, the water temperature starts to increase, but it’s still cold relative to the air temp. (the sea takes a little longer to warm up.

The sea temperature ranges from around 10-14°C.

For surfing, a 4/3mm wetsuit or a 3/2mm wetsuit is great! And into April and even early May you still might want to opt for boots. So if you’re joining a Surf Sistas course in May, we recommend getting yourself a pair of boots.

Feel the cold? April you may still be in your 5/3mm.

July – September

The last few summers in Cornwall have been extremely hot and dry, making the water all the more inviting for a dip to cool off.

The water temperature in Cornwall can reach up to 18-20°C, so a 3/2mm wetsuit will prevent you melting.

On the warmest of days you may even want to surf in a Springsuit (neoprene swimsuit) or a Long John (sleeveless wetsuit) but if you’re joining us on a course, we recommend a 3/2mm as you’ll be in the water for 2 hours at a time.

Long johns, surf leggings and Springsuits are also a wonderful choice if you decide to join us on one of our global surf retreats in the tropics!

October – December

Autumn brings the start of dropping temperatures. The water is still pretty warm at this time into October, however it’s the windchill that will get you.

The water temperature ranges from 10-14°C.

Time to dust of the 4/3mm wetsuit or 5/3mm wetsuit . And it’ll also be time to whack the boots and gloves back on.

How do I choose a wetsuit thickness?

So you’ve got an idea of the recommended thickness suits for the water temperature, but the wetsuit(s) you decide to buy can depend on a couple of things

How much do you feel the cold?

If you’re someone that clads yourself in a Michelin man insulated jacket, even in mildly cold weather, you might want to consider a thicker wetsuit than the standard recommendations. It’s no fun being cold in the ocean and can put a lot of us off surfing, especially in winter.

Don’t forget boots, a hood and gloves. Absolutely crucial – these are the places you feel the cold first.

And if you need more tips for coldwater surfing – read this blog.

What’s your budget?

If you’re a little tight on cash and can only afford one wetsuit, you want to be getting a suit that you can wear for the maximum amount of time. A 4/3mm suit is good choice. You can get away with it for the spring and summer and come winter you can wear a thermal rashvest and hood for an extra layer of warmth.

Having said that, a lot of companies do now offer a wider range or wetsuits with some pretty good budget wetsuits that still provide the flexibility. You can also look for second hand ones – there’s a Facebook group for this!

How often are you going to surf?

Be honest with yourself. If you’re a busy bee living away from the sea or a beginner surfer, start off with one wetsuit instead of buying the all the gear.

Are you going to be surfing all year round?

Another be honest with yourself situation. Be realistic about how likely you are to get in when it’s cold. Many of us hardy surfers still trade in a coldwater surf for a land based activity in winter. I tend to surf a little less in winter. But having said that, the cold should not be a barrier to getting in.

If you are keen to keep up surfing year round (consistency is key to progression) then having the right gear is important. And finally the wetsuit industry has cottoned on the fact that women do want to surf in winter and have started making the hooded wetsuits for us! Hooray!

If this is the case, get a 5/3 (or 5/4) for winter and a 3/2 for summer.

Buying the right fit wetsuit

If your wetsuit doesn’t fit properly, then it’s not gonna provide you with the much warmth as you’ll soon feel the cold flush of water down your neck.

Keep it on the snug side.

It’s not meant to be easy getting a wetsuit on, although you’ll get used to it the more you wear one. You want your wetsuit to feel slightly tight, especially a new one as they do stretch with time.

Particular under the arms and across the lower back you want it to be snug. It should also we well fitted around your neck, wrists and ankles to avoid flushing. If you have lots of rolls on your arms and legs, it’s probably too long.

Top Tip: Take a plastic bag with your when putting on wetsuits. Put the bag over your feet and ankles. It’ll help you slide into the suit more easily!

Try before you buy

If you’ve not worn a wetsuit before, we strongly recommend going to a surf shop and trying on different brands. Brands really do vary in their size and you want to find a brands that fits you best.

The staff in the surf shop can also help you with advice.

A note on Wetsuit materials: Avoid the Neoprene

Having watched the BigSea Documentary (click here to learn more), we’ve been educated about the devasting effects of Neoprene manufacturing on the Environment and Human Health. Neoprene is the commercial name for chloroprene which is traditionally used to make wetsuits.

However, the main chloroprene manufacturing facility, Denka, located in Louisana, USA – has been linked to the well above average levels of Cancer amongst residents in the local area and causing Louisana to have the most toxic air in the whole of the USA. The region surrounding the area has been named “Cancer Alley” – You can read more here.

With a lot of uncertainty around the wetsuits industry supply chains – it’s hard to know which brands are using Neoprene from the Denka factory and which ones aren’t (even the “eco” neoprene).

Therefore we recommend, if you can, buying a Yulex Wetsuit, made from natural rubber and currently the most environmentally friendly wetsuit material.

The following brands offer Yulex Wetsuits:

• Patagonia
• Finisterre
• Srface
• Billabong – (Eco-Conscious Range)
• Needsessentials

We do however appreciate that Yulex can be more expensive than regular neoprene, in which case buying second hand or buying a Limestone Neoprene Wetsuit (has less neoprene in it) might be a more suitable option. We’re hoping with time, there more wetsuit brands adopt Yulex, the more affordable it’ll become.

If you’re joining us on a course in Cornwall, we also have a range of wetsuits you can hire! So don’t fear if you’re stuck on buying one! Our coaches can give you advice on brands and sizing from their personal experience.

For more info on our Cornwall surf courses – Click here.

Gone are the days of badly sunburnt legs, tears and enforced non-surf days on tropical surf trips.  These days we just pop some leggings in our bag and they serve a multitude of purposes.  Just in case you don’t believe us we have listed them below like the crazy surf leggings evangelists that we are.

1. Sun protection is the biggy!  If you surf in a bikini or boardies and have fair skin, the backs of your legs will burn, burn, burn.  This is super painful and can ruin most of your trip if it happens in the first few days.  Don’t take the risk, start in some leggings and let your skin adjust to the glorious sun exposure slowly. 
2. Surf leggings are the ultimate multi-purpose travel pant ..  great for travelling on planes, strolling around towns, covering up when visiting cultural sights,  a must for Yoga classes and the perfect ‘the AC is making my room too cold’ wardrobe solution.  One pair of surf leggings ticks all these boxes and takes up barely any space in your bag.. amazing huh! These are also perfect if you’re joining us on a Surf & Yoga Retreat in Cornwall.
3. They prevent board rash like a super hero.   We’re talking knees, thighs, inner thighs .. anywhere our delicate lady legs rub against the surfboard and wax.  One important tip we learnt recently, make sure there is no sand inside your leggings or you’re pretty much applying extra sand paper to go – you’re welcome!
4. Protecting our modesty ladies, or at least letting us forget for a session about the dangers of wedgies or full bottom reveals.  Good surf leggings are made to stay put and it’s one less wardrobe adjustment to think about as we pop up and charge down the line. 
5. Which brings us to looking good and feeling comfy.  Yes we know surfing is not about what we look like but we are all human and some days it’s just nice to feel stylish in a pair of comfortable leggings and not have to walk around in a bikini.
6. Reef protection. If you get tumbled around on the reef then a thin pair of lycra leggings is not going to help too much but they will surely ward off some minor scrapes and cushion the blow a bit.  They might also help with sea lice, jelly fish stings etc
7. You will get heaps more photos of you surfing.  Any surf photographer will tell you that in a crowded line up an eye catching piece of clothing will get you loads more shots.   Hurrah!

Our friends at 10 Over Surf Shop are now stocking OLAS Surf & Yoga Leggings. They’re made and designed in the UK from 78% recycled polyester from plastic bottles and 22% lycra. These leggings are 4 way stretch giving you maximum flexibility and comfort whether you’re surfing, SUPing, chilling or getting on the yoga mat. They’re also UPF+ 50 so you can surf all day long with maximum sun protection. 

We’ve also gathered together links to our other favourite leggings below. Find them at the bottom of the page.

OLAS
Salt Gypsy | Tide + Seek | 
Seafoam Collection | Billabong

Fancy a Tropical Surf Trip with Surf Sistas? We’re putting together some brand new surf trips for you, to get exclusive first news and early bird discounts, sign up to our newsletter.

What is clear from exploring the different sustainable swimwear companies is that sustainability stretches beyond merely what your clothes are made from and must also include how they are made, and even how they get to you. Are swimwear brands thinking about human rights and working conditions? Are other materials and energies used in the process of bringing the swimsuit to the consumer also considered?

To narrow our search, we’ve created this guide to celebrate swimwear brands based in Cornwall, who take multiple steps to be as sustainable as possible whilst creating beautifully designed and high quality swimwear products. We feel that supporting local swimwear businesses is a net positive as it promotes resilience and collaboration within our Cornish community.

Tide + Seek

Born out of her love of surfing, Sammy, the owner of  Newquay based brand Tide + Seek,  had a vision of creating a swimwear brand that tackled coean plastic pollution. Her suits are made out of 100% plastic bottles, her products are packed in degradable shipping bags that can be reused and offcuts of swimwear are used to make scrunchies. 

The swimwear is manufactured in a factory in Bali (it took Sammy 3 months of rigorous research to find the one that aligned with her values). The factory pays employees above minimum wage, offers health insurance allowances and provides working conditions in line with UK standards. Sammy provides a great depth of transparency on her site about how the swimwear is made and how it is sourced – read more here.

We love the vibrancy and energy of the collection so much so we’ve teamed up with T+S to offer you all 10% off their swimwear range until 28th November (2022). Simply head to their website and use the code 10SURFSISTA at the checkout.

Finisterre

Cornish surf brand finisterre creates recycled ECONYL® swimwear and wetsuits made from Yulex (natural rubber sourced from FSC certified forest. They’re also a registered B-Corporation, meaning they’re a company meeting high social and environmental standards in the way they do business. We love their practical suits that can be used for surfing and sea swimming both in coldwater and warmer climes. Used by one of our surf coaches, we can recommend their pieces. 

Made of Water

Made of Water was started by a collection of women who wanted to connect other women to the sea in a way that’s inclusive, embodying and empowering. Alongside their own clothing brand they offer three different swimwear brands, handpicked for their sustainability principles and flattering swimwear pieces. We love that they are sourcing some beautiful international brands that we might otherwise not get to see here in Cornwall!

Winki produces small batch neoprene suits to minimise waste created from mass production practices. Winki works with the Blessed Sewing Project, whose aim is to rehabilitate female victims of human trafficking through sewing training as a form of therapy plus building workplace skills. 

OHOY has a mission to create a flattering and long lasting swimsuit with minimal impact. Their suits are made of either ECONYL® or OEKO-TEX® (certified fabrics free from hazardous chemicals) that are chlorine and sunscreen resistant. 

September the Line: Another collection of beautiful swimsuits, these 100% Econyl pieces are made in a female owned factory in Bali that works to the Ethical Trading Initiative base code to ensure fair working conditions for all  employees. 

Warning: If you head to the Made of Water shop (find it in Sunset Surf on Fore Street) in search of one swimsuit, you may end up with 3 or 4, their collection is rather lovely and these girls know their swimwear and what will work for you!  

Sand + Palm

Surfer and Swimwear designer Vicki, created Sand and Palm to create durable artistic swimwear that doesn’t fall off in the surf. Having worked for major surf brands in the past, she noticed that the swimwear market lacked small brands providing well fitting swimwear built on sustainable principles.

Vicki uses the most appropriate materials for the garments so that quality isn’t compromised. Her swimwear is made of ECONYL® (regenerated fishing nets) and she uses Hemp for her clothing lines, for it’s low water footprint, ability to improve soils health and high absorption of C02 making it carbon negative is it’s growing process. (Hemp is amazing, you can find out more here!)

Her swimwear is made in small batches from her studio in Newquay to minimize waste and uses methods of hand dying, natural dying and laser printing to create artistic swimwear without the pollutant chemicals. We’ve tried and tested these swim pieces and can highly recommend!

Figure

Surfer Ellen Caldwell started Figure in 2019 with the aim of creating bespoke surf suits pieces 100% free from single use plastic. She makes small batch lines of swimwear made out of Recycled Nylon Swimsuits manufactured in the UK. 

Based on circular economy principles, Figures neoprene wetsuits and swimsuits are made using Yamamoto Limestone Neoprene manufactured in Japan. Sitting on a hotbed means that the melting down of the limestone happens from renewable energy sources. 

All panels of suits are ergonomically designed to be replaced instead of the whole suit and offcuts are used to create other products and returned suits sent to a wetsuit recycler to be repurposed into other products. 

The end result is flattering one of a kind products built to last and keep you enjoying the sea. 

Finding the most sustainable brand will always be challenging with technology changing and multiple angles to approach the concept of sustainability. However, we hope you find this guide useful and it helps you to indulge in the purchase of beautiful swimwear with the planet in mind. 

Do you know any other great Cornwall based swimwear brands? Please share with us and we can add to our list!

Hurley Women’s Surf Top

The Hurley Women’s Surf Top was designed by Carissa Moore, and she’s regularly seen wearing it in the water (see below!), so you know it can withstand the most radical of surf!

A post shared by hurley (@hurley) on Mar 27, 2017 at 11:02am PDT

Deakin and Blue lily top

Deakin and Blue bikini tops are specifically designed for comfort and dynamic movement in the water, plus they go up to a size HH, in dress sizes up to 16   

Sweaty Betty Offshore Training Top

This bikini top from Sweaty Betty has good coverage and is designed for sports – some reviewers even found it supportive enough for running!

Rhythm high next cross back

Surf Sistas coach and Surfdome surfer Samantha Sunshine recommends a high neck cross back to keep everything contained, like this one from Rhythm or this one from Curms at Seafoam.

Kobe Surf Rainbow tank top

The Rainbow Tank Top has thick straps and an under bust band for extra support, and is available up to a D cup.

Dkoko Roots

Dkoko bikinis are tried and tested by the Surf Sistas team – they’re supportive for bigger boots without digging in like some brands do.  We love that this top combines full coverage at the front with a pretty yet functional design at the back.

Freya Palm Haze Crop top

Freya’s tropical-themed bikini top has a built in bra underneath making it ultra secure and supportive. It’s available in cup sizes D-G.

We have been big fans of Kobe Surf’s colour block swimwear goodness for a while now so we are super happy to announce that when you book a Surf Sistas trip or course you will now receive a 15% discount with Kobe Surf!

Kobe Surf are delivering stunning, functional and super affordable swimwear and have just launched a fantastic new range of styles .. check out our 3 new faves below; the Calypso (£35), the rainbow tank top (£20) & the ballerina one piece (£35):

Head to www.kobesurf.com to check out the full collection and follow all of Kobesurf’s adventures on Instagram here

What you decide to surf in is down to personal preference, how quickly you burn and how much suncream you want to put on before you surf! Here’s some of the main options…

Surf bikinis

Surfing in a bikini is the dream, but if you’re shopping for a bikini to surf in, look for something that’s likely to stay put in a wipe out.

Choose tight fitting bottoms over a looser fit, some people like to go one size smaller so they’re still tight when wet. You can also find some brands with tie up strings to keep them in place.

When it comes to tops, cross backs can help keep things secure, and high necks are also a good bet for preventing fall out!

From left to right: Sweaty Betty, Kobe Surf, Akela at Seafoam.

Rash vest

Although surfing in a bikini is great, rash vests are a godsend for surf sessions in stronger sun, when you’re suffering from rub from your board/wax or if you just find surfing in a bikini too perilous! We always recommend bringing a cover up of some kind as well as a bikini.

There are loads of short sleeved, sleeveless and long-sleeved versions to choose from.

From left to right: The Hidden Way, Rip Curl, Seea.

One piece suits

One pieces are really good for surfing in as they stay put and look super stylish to boot. They offer a bit more coverage than a bikini, especially for the stomach which can be prone to the dreaded surf rash.

From left to right: Sea Folly, Mona Beach Life, Dkoko.

Long sleeved surf suits

These surf specific suits combine the best bits of a one piece and a long-sleeved rash vest – they protect you from the sun and from losing your outfit!

From left to right: Seea, O’Neill, Roxy.

Board shorts

Board shorts are super for a bit of extra coverage/sun protection. Again, the surf-specific ones often have a tie to keep them where they should be during duck dives and wipeouts.

From left to right: Odina at Seafoam, Volcom, Hurley.

Surf leggings

Surf leggings are an awesome for protecting against sunburn on the backs of your legs and also to protect from rub. Look for lyrca (not neoprene) ones for the tropics.

From left to right: Sensi Graves, Salt Gypsy, Roxy.

For more leggings see our dedicated surf leggings blog!

Neoprene tops and suits

Although you don’t often need neoprene in the tropics, there can be the occasional chilly morning where a bit of extra warmth might be appreciated. They also offer a little extra protection against bangs and bumps that your wetsuit normally cushions you from at home.

From left to right: Billabong, Kassia Surf,  Billabong.

Stuck for present ideas for your fave surfer girl?  Here’s what has made our 2016 list for Santa ::

From left – right, top – bottom

Jolie Laide Camera Strap (at Herewith)

2017 Seea Collection

Watershed Surfboards (Captain Pintail pictured)

Backwash Magazine Subscription

Gallivant State Yoga Mat Bag

Original prints by Kara Sparkman

Stance Socks (at Roos Beach)

Original prints by Vicki Turner

salt gypsy leggings (at Seafoam)

Surf Sistas Gift Vouchers

Aveda Sun haircare & body cleanser

Slowtide towels (at Surfdome)

We love how many gorgeous suits are out there for us ladies these days and here’s our summer 2015 edit /wish list.  Click the links below the images for the full lowdown on where to find them all ..

Cynthia Rowley
Kassia Surf | Seea | Billabong (on sale at Wetsuit Outlet)
Kassia Surf | 81 Wetsuits | Kassia Surf | Neon Wetsuits
C Skins | Seea | Roxy | Xcel (shop at PJs Surf Shop)
Slynk Wetsuits

Sorry not sorry for lusting over the Kassia Surf collection, we did say it was a wish list!

Here’s some snaps of Leah and the other finalists, oh and notice that they are all riding without leashes .. we loved watching their little hop and grab’s at the end of each wave!

Taking the drop like a bird

hauling ass round that mahooosive section ..

cheeky barrel .. ok then ..

going going ..

pretty much gone ..

Lewie Dunn airtime

bro time

smiles for miles

power

a wee hang five ..

Jack Norton styling ..

good vibes throughout this contest

signature Leah

LOVE this poster for the ladies expression session that we missed, going to try and get our paws on one of these!

poster credit: Deus Bali