Winter is coming ! and the MANERA Fall / Winter Wetsuits too ! BAKS staff member Vincent Nicolas could not wait to put his new X10D 5/4/3 to use in cold Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
MANERA makes basically 2 x models, the MAGMA and the X10D. Both use the same patterns and the same neoprene foam. The difference is that the MAGMA is very warm with fleece inside and use the Square Flex skin on the outside, where the X10D inside layer is a more traditional jersey ad Re-Flex skin, an extremely stretchy outside layer. You can summarize the two with the MAGMA being our premium wetsuit, the warmest of all with the best outside skin on the market, and the X10D being the most flexible of all at a very competitive price.
Here is what Vincent has to say about his new X10D 5/4/3
Yesterday was for me the official kick-off of the Fall season: dreamy surfing conditions at Ocean Beach here in San Francisco as head high waves were rolling in with sunny and glassy conditions.
What a better time to try on my spanking new 2017 Manera wetsuit? I opted for the 5/4/3 in X10D in slate-black/orange since the water gets cold here in January.
First thing I noticed when putting it on is how stretchy and comfortable the X10D jersey material is. The fit is also quite nice thanks to the “3D design”: no awkward gaps at the back of my knees nor on my lower back. The colors are also sweet: the orange pops really well next to the slate-black (which to me is more like a dark shade of blue).
But enough with the fitting: sunscreen is on, so is the wax, so let’s hit those waves shall we?
After almost 4 hours in the water (2 hours before lunch and 2 hours after) I can say with confidence that this is my favorite suit to date: the stretch of the X10D jersey allows for effortless paddling to the point I forgot the suit was there. At no point was I ever thinking how cold the water was, in fact, I even had to dip myself in the water in between sets on several occasions just to cool off a bit: a good sign for the winter to come!
Another perk I discovered this morning: the material dries fast! As I left the wetsuit to dry in the shade yesterday it is already ready to go for more sessions.
What’s even more is that after owning another Manera suit (a 4/3 Magma) for almost 2 years with not a single stich failing me, I already know that this new suit is going to last me forever.
Time to get back in the water!
~Vincent
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