Exhaustive Review: Nine Plus Catsuit

After hinting at getting cold in early October, ocean water temps finally dropped off a cliff after a cold front blew through Nor Cal last week; whipping up fierce winds down here in San Diego. The perfect opportunity to put the new Nine Plus Catsuit through its paces!

The most unique characteristics of the catsuit are it's front-zip entry system and full-body smooth skin neoprene. Stylishly speaking, this gives the suit a retro-vintage Bond-Girl sex appeal unrivaled in any other suit. From a functional point of view, the front-zip system moves all the zipper mechanics to the front of the suit and well out of hair tangle range. A subtle point, but one worth noting if you've ever had to battle a Velcro dread lock. Beneath the zipper, Nine Plus utilizes a "Boob Hood" which is attached to the inside of the suit and slides over you head to create a barrier between you and any water that might leak through the zipper or neck.

Sliding into the "Boob Hood"

A better look at the "Boob Hood"

Ready for Action!

The smooth skin neoprene, supplied by world renown rubber innovators Yamamoto, is warmer than anything else available and blocks the wind like no other neoprene can. In the past, you would have to go with the custom made (and therefore really expensive) suits from Japan in order to get a suit with the vastly superior Yamamoto rubber. So being able to get a Yamamoto suit from Nine Plus is a major...Plus. Furthermore, Yamamoto rubber uses a renewable limestone base rather than petroleum, keeping the suit as "Green" as possible.

For me personally, this suit's sleeves and legs are a little short. Luckily, I'm down with the wetsuit Capri look. But if you're on the tall side, be aware that there is no "Tall" size option in their line.

Setting new trends in wetsuit fashion: The Capri Suit

Having owned the first generation Catsuit, circa 2007, I can tell you that the biggest drawback was its susceptibility to tearing--a well known downside to smooth-skin neoprene. By exercising a little care, however, the potential for tearing could be avoided, but who wants to exercise care when they are frothing for a surf? That's why this year Nine Plus is using Yamamoto's new tough skin neoprene with much higher tear resistance. So far so good, but only time will tell....

So to sum it all up....

PROS:

• Extremely warm, light and flexible.
• Updated Yamamoto "Tough Skin" no-tear neoprene (so far so good....)
  
• Front-zip system eliminates hair tangle issues
• Bond-Girl "I just ditched my scuba tanks and now I'm going to pirate your yacht" styling
  

CONS:

• If you're too tall, this suit will leave your wrists and ankles exposed, which could be an issue if you're charging Icelandic barrels. Next season, it would be great to see longer arms and legs so they could be trimmed and hemmed as necessary.
• No key pocket! Tie your key to your bikini-top string and stuff it in front of the boob hood.
  

NinePlus 2009 Cat Suit: Purr-fect?

I was initially drawn to this suit for it's retro front-zip styling, a la the O'Neill Beaver Tail. But after wearing one last season, I was sold on it's warmth and comfort. Word is that NinePlus has updated the Cat Suit for 2009 by making some subtle cut changes and using a new smooth-skin neoprene technology that is supposed to be even more durable than previous versions. I'm excited to have the new version on the way just in time for water temps to be on the decline!

No-holds-barred review forthcoming!

Overdue Wetsuit Review

Even though summer is over, I wanted to give everybody a heads up for next year on what turned out to be one of the best wetsuits we've ever tried, even though it's cut for men. It's made by O'Neill, Santa Cruz's wetsuit icon since 1952, and the depth of their history is evident in this equally iconic Beaver Tail Jacket.


Most of the wetsuits we all wear are built of neoprene that is coated with fabric inside and out to resist tearing, but this fabric layer impedes the uber-stretchiness of the neoprene itself, making the suit less flexible. O'Neill has dispensed with the outer fabric layer on their beaver tail, leaving a super slick, super warm outer shell that seriously feels like butter in your hands! Added benefit: that smooth neoprene outer layer resists the wind much better than its fabric-plied couterpart. At just 1mm thick, you hardly know you're wearing anything, save for the fact that you are toasty warm and well insulated from any chilly evening breezes.


Just like the beaver tails of days past, the O'Neill re-issue zips up the front, and while you might think that laying on the zipper would be uncomfortable, you'll never even notice. In fact, having the zipper in the front saves your hair from getting tangled in the velcro that's always present on back-zip wetsuits.


The cut of the beaver tail portion of the jacket is actually pretty flattering should you decide to actually button it up, but it's equally warm either way, and looks quite dynamic flapping away behind you as you are shredding along. For surfing, this is a summer-time suit. For SUPing, where you aren't as exposed to the water, it's a great winter time buffer against the wind.

A vintage beaver tail, buttoned-up and paired
with long-johns, worn underneath.

Bernie the Beaver says:
Pros:
Very warm
Super flexible
Smooth neoprene outer skin resists the wind
Excellent retro styling from the source
Fits great even though it's a men's cut

Cons:
Careful not to tear the smooth skin with a finger nail!

And this is an actual beaver, Castor Canadensis, clearly scheming.