Patagonia R4 Yulex 5.5/4 Hooded Chest Zip Wetsuit

I've been surfing 50 years and, hands down, this is the best wetsuit I've ever owned. It is comfortable, super warm, which is key, and the easiest front zip entry and exit I've ever experienced. Tack on the sustainability, durability, and warranty that Patagonia provides and the purchase of this suit is a no-brainer.

Very happy with the suit and the Cleanline service. The wetsuit arrived very fast for free. I've been wearing a LT for years and decided to try an XL. This suit fits like a glove. Probably closer to my true size than the LT. The suit is super warm and has a very soft, plush lining. I haven't been cold in any sessions since the purchase in 47-50 degree water. The hood has a lot of room unlike the Buell and Vissla suits I had just before. The material is very durable and has been able to handle our rocky rigid terrain. This suit reminds me comfort wise like an Excel, but better. The cons are the weight. The 5.5 does make this the heaviest suit I've ever worn. The other negative has been the shoulders. The main reason I go with LT's is the shoulder width. This suit is a little restrictive on my left shoulder. I'm thinking as the suit gets broken in the flexibility in the shoulders will increase. I do like how the suit fits really snug and perfect with my build besides the shoulders. I'm around 6' 1" and 180-190 pounds depending on the time of year. I surf literally everyday and like yesterday many times twice a day. I rinse the suit and hang it to dry after each session. I can already tell this suit is going to last better than my Buell or Vissla. I was surfing with the boys a couple of days ago and I got hit in the knee by the nose of one of the kids pointy fiberglass boards. Surprisingly the fabric held up and I don't see a hole inside or out, but unfortunately there's a microscopic hole in the middle of the fabric, because I've noticed a little water getting in. Sucks, because I literally just bought the suit. I would highly recommend this suit to anyone surfing in cold water. I got lucky and bought the suit on sale for about 40% off. It would be tough for me to buy this suit at full price, because it's out of my price range. If you can score this suit for under $400 it's a steal. Thank you Cleanline! You guys rock

It’s warm, flexible, and dependable. I’ve used mine for 2 years. The only wear and tear is interior taping near one ankle which is easy to heat tape over. I got a second suit for the sale price. It has increased my water time which has continued past social distancing. I’ve said out for 3 hours in 44° F water, 45° air and I was toasty. It’s an advantage to get out there in the water.

It’s a great suit. Keeps him warm while doing paddle boarding and surfing.

Overall this is a great suit for most PNW surfers; however, it could use improvements. First, the good. The Yulex rubber is not as stiff as I expected, and range of motion is fine. The interior is fully taped, and there is a quality thermo liner from the torso through the legs. The build quality appears good, though I haven’t had the suit long. I normally give some time to assess durability before I write a review, but there are some improvement areas that might be important to those that are cold sensitive. The zipper has to be connected and zipped inward (versus the outward chest zip of most other cold water suits) . This makes it a little harder to zip on cold days. I think the idea is to prevent the zipper from blowing open. I’ve never had that happen on bigger days with my other suits. While a slight annoyance, I can live with that. The next features make the suit not quite work for me. There is a stretchy band around the lower shins. It seems like a good idea, but this band comes up too high; cold water constantly seeps in above the booty. While the thermo liner is pretty good, there is no thermal liner on upper chest through the arms. These two things kept me a little cold on my first session in the suit. A brand new suit should be a little hot. My 3 year old suit (competitor brand) that is nearly 100 % thermally lined is warmer. I’m not sure what to do with a new suit that isn’t warm enough. That said, I am very cold sensitive, so it’s probably great for the average surfer’s cold tolerance.