With the two reigning world champions, Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore, Rip Curl is either very lucky, or has been providing team riders with a competitive edge, squeezing the utmost performance out of team equipment. Innovators in wetsuits, Rip Curl have again led the pack with their recent Elastomax3 technology release: 30% more flex, 20% lighter and 5% warmer than previous Rip Curl suits.

E3 Development

Over 4 years in development, the new Rip Curl Elastomax3 (E3) range hit stores in February, with quite a stir arising with the release. Rip Curl promises a fair bit; 30% more flex, 20% weight reduction and a 5-8% increase in warmth (when compared to the Elastomax2, or E2 range). With high expectations, Rip Curl provided a pro team demo E3Bomb 3/2mm suit for this review; full E3 in construction, minus the aquaban liquid tape seals that are standard with most suits in the E3 range.

The Rip Curl E3Bomb chest zip Pro model

Peter Coles, Rip Curl wetsuits Global Research and Development Manager described the goal of ongoing wetsuit development at Rip Curl over the last 12-18 months was to “..drop the weight per m2 of the material, increase thermal insulation and the stretch of the neoprene and jersey..” A key in the development of E3 rubber, was an enhanced foaming agent introduced during the neoprene creation. This agent increased the number of air cells trapped in the rubber, dropping density and weight. Alongside the rubber development, Rip Curl’s R&D wing has also been on the search for a softer, lighter, fluffier feeling (lower denier yarn) and less absorbent external jersey. With these dual development achievements together comes the 30% increase to stretch, 20% decrease to weight and 5-8% increase in heat retention when compared to the previous E2 suits. To get objective feedback, Rip Curl commissioned external independent textile laboratories to undertake thermal conductivity tests.

Along with these major improvements, Rip Curl has also managed to develop new S-Flex knees, replacing the older K-Tron II rubber knee shields with the toughest available high density nylon yarn, providing again more flex whilst retaining hard wearing durability. They’ve also relocated the stash pocket away from the knee joint to the middle calf, and incorporated drain holes in the base of the chest zip sleeve to drain any excess water away from the closure system.

How does the E3 feel in the water?

First impressions were very positive; the suit is significantly lighter when compared to its E2 counterpart. It has a softer and fluffier feel to touch, is more comfortable to wear and feels far less inhibitive in the water, with less resistance whilst paddling; and in my case has lead to more waves and longer sessions in the water.

The addition of the S-Flex knees has removed any limitations that were apparent with the older K-Tron II versions, and the stash pocket comes complete with a wax comb, which is great to roughen up your neglected wax job when you’re slip-sliding on hardened wax. A colleague who grabbed herself a female E3Bomb off the racks was amazed at the fit and flexibility of the suit, and she’s been really happy with her new purchase. The addition of the drain holes in the chest zip is a really simple improvement, and did ensure that any excess water quickly drained away after duck driving. I really consider that everything has been thought of with these suits.

Many comments have been raised about the new E3 wetsuit range, however the most memorable was from a Lauderdale local, acknowledging the “sexiness” of the new suits.. An interesting observation..

Durability

Does increased flex come at the cost of reduced rubber life? Peter Coles indicated that test pilots have been giving the E3 rubber a real workout, with current test suits having braved 500+ hours of surf time and still going strong. He indicated a key factor in the new material development was to ensure that a minimal impact on durability and life of new suits was required, so that repair jobs posted back to the Torquay HQ were kept to an absolute minimum. New more durable aquaban liquid tape is another achievement. This new tech was developed with a new supplier, and has provided far better durability, greatly reducing cracking experienced with the earlier material.

The E3 Product Range

The E3 range includes all the usual suspects, 4x3 full steamers (including a chest zip), 3x2 full steamers (including a chest zip), 3x2 Short sleeve steamer, 3x2 flatlock steamer, Spring suit (including a chest zip) and short and long-sleeved vests.

To mark the release of E3 wetsuits to Tasmanian stores, Red Herring is giving away a free wetsuit bag with every new Rip Curl E3 wetsuit purchase.. Hurry, stocks are limited.. Tell them CoastView sent you..

Changes to the F-Bomb

While the E-Bomb has had a workout, Rip Curl has also been busy under the hood working on the F-Bomb. The new release of 2008 winter suits (along with E3 rubber in the extremities; arms and legs of suits, and new S-Flex knees) come complete with AirE3, a new tri-ply (three layered) neoprene, which includes exaggerated air-cavities within the neoprene core, leading to reduced weight and enhanced thermal insulation. This is coupled to the new E3 hydrophobic outer jersey in main panels, and a single-lined smoothy chest panel, combined with the red plush polypropylene internal jersey. The AirE3 tech has already seen a winter in the Northern Hemisphere, with test pilots in the south of France, Spain and Portugal giving a heap of positive feedback.

Rip Curl’s new AirE3 neoprene

And what about the H-Bomb?

So what about the Rip Curl H-Bomb.. The suits have been undergoing continued rigorous testing, with two of Rip Curl’s many global undercover test pilots located in Tasmania.

Scheduled for limited release this year, these suits will showcase the latest developments coming out of the Rip Curl R&D division, from heat conducting adhesives, to heat reflective jersey linings. Alongside the new E3 technology, the H-Bomb wetsuits are set to make a big splash around August, when they’re expected to be hitting Australian shelves. These suits promise to take the edge off cold water winter surfing, with extreme warmth plus the extreme flex and comfort of a 3x2mm E3 suit.

The suits will have 3 heat settings, a cool setting outputting 42 degrees (celcius), a warm setting at 47 degrees and the hot setting outputting an incredible 52 degrees. The heating element is located in the back panel of the suit, with thermal material providing a framework through which heat is conducted around the body core. The battery life associated with these settings is 2.45, 2.05 and 1.40hrs of in-water use, and has a 2-3hr recharge time, similar to those of the lithium ion batteries in your mobile phone. These suits will make the 5 degree temperatures experienced around Canada, Santa Cruz and Scotland quite bearable, and will certainly take the edge off the sub-10 degree water experienced in the harshest of Tasmanian winters.

Rip Curl has been very serious when testing these suits for functionality, durability and also the threat of sharks. Professionals from Queencliff Marine Science centre and the Melbourne Aquarium have been assisting in marine biological testing and the effects of the H-Bomb heating technology on marine creatures. More recently a test pilot has worn the suit in and around sharks in the warm waters of the coral sea – there’s been no apparent affect on shark interest during testing, although the test pilot has been having trouble keeping his temperature down in the tropical waters. Rip Curl is currently in the process of undertaking further rigorous in-surf testing of the H-Bomb in shark infested locales, partnering up with the most reputable shark testing authority on the planet.

Stay tuned for more info on the H-Bomb as we get closer to the August release..

Thanks to Rip Curl, CoastView is giving site members a chance to win a new E3Bomb wetsuit - for info, click here