I'm contemplating a few wetsuit excursions this year and was wondering what people feel the biggest advantages are. What are some of you guys using for suits, either new or pissed in, and what would you recommend for additional gear? Do you feel you catch more fish with the suit because of the range gained, or is it all about safety?

http://www.amronintl.com/ItemImages/dui-gz1000_1.jpg
:musc:

Few things to consider.
Do you need a wetsuit for the areas you fish? I see guys fishin wetsuits that aren't going any farther then they used to, if thats the case you'll proably get more comfort in breathables.
Are you in shape? You need upper body strength and endurance. Its not like standing on a rock, fish, then walk off to the next spot. Just getting to and from weed covered rocks takes alot of energy not to mention constant waves.
Do you have buddie who is on your level? I can't say enough how when I fished with CH one night changed my whole out look on wetsuiting. What may take you 1 season to discover in the areas you fish may be done in less then half the time. All about confidence!
Buy good gear. Vs or a packed 704. Aggressive korkers that don't fall off. I use a 3mm 1pc henderson.
Even though I have not caught more then I did before wetsuits there is a huge personel satisfaction just being able to get on rocks never thought possible. Certain spots allow you to fish places that boats wouldn't dare. I beleive with common sense its totally safe if not safer. Start by fishing low tides, during the day, in familar ares that you know, you'll be surprized how much you'll discover that first trip.

Goose I agree with everything youre saying except the 3mm suit. 3mm (in my exoerience anyway) is only good in the summer, and early fall, and definitely NOT at night in the fall. Its a pretty fast switch to a 5,and then 7mm. As Goose said, spend the $ and get a Henderson, the hyperstretch are the best,because you can confortably cast and get on and off rocks etc.
Unless you have snorkeling or scuba experience already, go with an experienced buddy for at least the first season.Dont go alone at night under any circumstances.Even experts get caught in the currents.
A buddy can show you a lot more than just reading the info. Like the technique for letting a wave wash you onto a rock& then quickly snap up & plant the Korkers(very similar to surfing) so you exert minimal effort.Little tricks that will make it so much more enjoyable.
You wouldnt go skiing without any experience or lessons would you?
You mentioned safey,yes i feel much safer in my suit than in any waders. I can walk/swim out up to 100 yards on and over the rocks on an incoming, fish as long as I want, and then swim back. Sometimes the fish are behind me.

The only thing I often forget to mention to people when I talk about wetsuits is over confidence.

Think about swimming out to a rock and then breaking an ankle or leg while you're climbing around out there. Swimming back suddenly is a whole lot tougher.

But overall, if you fish in areas where you get knocked down a lot, a wetsuit is FAR safer.

Here is a post of mine from a while back...

Last year I started to use my suit for fishing applications. Since then, many people have asked me what I use. Well, here is a quick outline of how I got started.

Disclaimer: Wetsuiting adds a bit of danger to your normal surf fishing. Please, if you decide to take the plunge, use your head. Go at it slow, make sure you fish with someone, and remember to always have a retreat plan.

I started off with the most important of gear, a suit. The suit I use is a 5mm two piece suit. The bottom half is basically a pair of neoprene pants, and the top has a connected hood, long sleeves, and a strap that goes from your backside between your legs and connects in the front. This locks the pants in. I like the 5mm for all around use. you will be standing stil a lot, so i feel a heavier suit is a little better. You can always fill up with sea water to cool down, but it's hard to add warmth while in the surf.

For safety gear, I run my normal surf belt with Boga, pliers, and water jug. I use a head light, and also keep a back up waterproof super bright LED light around my neck in case of emergencies. If I ever get swept out, I want something very bright to be able to signal with. I keep a quality dive knife in my surf bag in case I get tangled in a lobster buoy or fishing line. I had a bit of a run in with a lobster buoy rope last year while snorkeling. I did not have a knife on me at the time, and it could have cost me big. I was able to keep my head straight and freed myself with only a mild scare. Light neoprene dive gloves or the new Aquaskinz gloves come in handy when climbing up on barnacle covered rocks. For footwear, I wear 2mm neoprene dive socks under my Cabela's Guide tech wading boots. Thes are by far the best wading boots I have ever used. They are very comfortable, supportive, and highly durable. Mine are on the second season, and aside froma ll the laces I go through, they show little wear. Over my boots I use a pair of my modified Korkers. Normal korkers or some sort of spikes are HIGHLY recommended.

As far as gear, you want a small wading bag with a very secure latch or velcro. The medium single row Aquaskins is great for this. You will get knocked off the ocasional rock, so a securely closed bag can save your plugs! I found that a smaller bag is better as it cause a little less drag in the water and fills up with less water. For a reel, you want something either waterproof such as a Van Staal or Saltiga, or be prepared to do a lot of service on your reels. The reel WILL get dunked as you get more comfortable and begin to "swim" to outter rocks.

From my research, wetsuiting began in the late 60's out on Montauk. As the crowds got bigger, guys needed a way to fish other water. The wetsuit seemed like the perfect way. From that point, it developed and was refined into an art form. Some guys such as Paul Melnyk have even taken it to the extreme and began "skishing". This is basically a method of floating out in the current with an eel dangling below you. This method become so deadly, that it was eventually banned from many shore fishing tournaments.

Whether you take wetsuiting to the extreme, or just add it to your arsenal, I am sure you will fall in love with it as I have. Good luck, and be safe!

OK...
I'm going to chime in from the other end...
I use a wetsuit probably 10-20% of the time... I rarely swim far out to other rocks or ledges, but what I do use if for is in rough water in some of the shallow spots I fish... lets me wade alot farther comfortably then with waders, and if I take waves over my head, no biggie... so for me its more a safety thing...

as far as a suit... I have a ripcurl 3/2 with the 2mm being the hyper stretch or whatever they call it... good to ~55deg water... when it is cold I add a 1mm top under my suit, and wear extra booties.. as it is I use 2mm bootties with a 3mm pair of boots.. when I need korkers I use wading books with korkers strapped on...

if it gets real cold, wear a wool (100% wool) sweater under it all.. it gets wet but keeps you warm... picked that up from a M native living in Rhody now...

http://www.amronintl.com/ItemImages/dui-gz1000_1.jpg
:musc:

Krispy,you menitoned the dry suit the other night to me, and I like the idea. Also, Toby mentioned that even if you don't go for the extra range, the safety issue plays into it. I would primarily use the suit to gain a few extra feet, and access those spots that were just out of reach with waders last year. I had a few nights where one more step would get me where I wanted to be, but lacked the balls, or better yet, had the brains to know better.:think: If I need to get way out, the boat is gonna get the nod over the frogman approach. In close though, this might be the season to give it a try. Maybe we can swing a darter/bottle/wetsuit instructional trip into one. One more question, does the dry suit float on its own like a wet, or do you need to blow it up?

BB, the drysuit, even after doing crunches, has air in it to give it bouyancy. I believe divers purge all the remaining air after they go underwater.
Another benefit of the suit is its MUCH warmer in than any wetsuit could be and you can always add/subtract clothes underneath. And your not freezing when your standing half out the water on a perch or walking back to the truck
Also, you'll find you get more use from it in the long run, since ya just wear regular clothes, its easy in/out or switch back to waders when hopping spots for a night.
I hate to think what I'd would have to do putting a wetsuit on or driving to the usual 3-4 spots a night I hit with a w/s on.
For me, just getting out farther onto rocks, bars and beaches, without really swimming, the d/s gets the nod.
Your welcome to give the drysuit a try, and I recommend it before you drop $ for a wetsuit

We use drysuits for work (I'll be in one in about 2 hours).
We use these in place of waders, some swimming out to retrieve gear etc..
They are warmer than wetsuits and block the wind, and yes the have alot of bouancy...
wad out a ways, say waist high, squat down and crack open the neck seal. the water pressure will drive out the air and you wont be nearly as bouyant..
they downside... any tear, puncture or pin hole and you are no longer dry.
Geta quality suit with good cuffs.
We have Gill sailing drysuits.. decent quality, 4-5bills, but the rubber cuff start to wear after a while, even with care.
these see use 1x a week sometimes more, and have a lifespan of a few years, with heavy use they wouldnt last as long.

The Gill drysuits are lightweight sailing stuff. You want the military spec types. Amron, Whites, DUI, etc. THese are HEAVY cordura material, many many times tougher than typical wader fabric. Your not gonna wear a hole in it from reg. rough use, thats for sure
Cuffs do wear, and need replacement every few years. Not very expensive and any competent dive shop willl do it

hey guys, what about neoprene waders with a good dry top to keep everything sealed up? a lot of kayak guys use that setup in cold water conditions. Of course you need to wear a wading belt just in case. I would imagine that would work well for everything short of actually swimming out to rocks and would be cheaper than a dry suit.

hey guys, what about neoprene waders with a good dry top to keep everything sealed up? a lot of kayak guys use that setup in cold water conditions. Of course you need to wear a wading belt just in case. I would imagine that would work well for everything short of actually swimming out to rocks and would be cheaper than a dry suit.

That's what I am using now,(neos and evo2) and it isn't enough, thus the quest for different gear. I can't get that last few yards I need/want. Took a dive at the squib last fall and it sucked real bad.:usd: I was afraid to go more than knee deep after that.

I was thinking of getting a dry top, so could you explain why that isn't enough? did the water get through somehow when you were fully submersed? I guess dry tops really aren't made for swimming...

With a wetsuit water is never an issue, pee included.:D Warm summer night taking a dip from rock to rock is refreshing, can you do that with a wader/top? Few extra yrds/sometimes more in comfort is what your after with a wetsuit...in stinky fish waters.

I'm on the conservative side when I wade.The neos are a little clumsy for swimming and being in the water. I am thinking that in the event I go in what gives you the best chance to come out. The evo keeps you dry from most splashes and submersions, but I wouldn't plan on swimming with the evo/wader combo unless it was by accident. Farmer john/evo combo maybe.

I have a wetsuit that I use for swimming and snorkeling (shorty) but I never haved used it for surfcasting. I was thinking about getting a full 5mm suit last year when they were on sale but decided against it. While there are some rocks I want to get out to, I tend to surf fish alone most of the time. (like 90% of the time) and figured it would be a death wish for me, so I passed on it.
As you all know, I am an old man now and probably could not pass the boy scout mile swim anymore as I did when I was 12yo. So, I figured I will stay on land with the waders and be safe.

I would like to try it though when someone is nearby, in the daylight.

I know wet suits provide some bouancy, but...do you have a pfd too?

BB, the drysuit, even after doing crunches, has air in it to give it bouyancy. I believe divers purge all the remaining air after they go underwater.
Another benefit of the suit is its MUCH warmer in than any wetsuit could be and you can always add/subtract clothes underneath. And your not freezing when your standing half out the water on a perch or walking back to the truck
Also, you'll find you get more use from it in the long run, since ya just wear regular clothes, its easy in/out or switch back to waders when hopping spots for a night.
I hate to think what I'd would have to do putting a wetsuit on or driving to the usual 3-4 spots a night I hit with a w/s on.
For me, just getting out farther onto rocks, bars and beaches, without really swimming, the d/s gets the nod.
Your welcome to give the drysuit a try, and I recommend it before you drop $ for a wetsuit

Yes, I like the sound of the d/s. Is that you in the picture sans the glasses?

Nah, heres a picture of me in the suit, Im a little skinnier there :eek: I gotta get rid of this winter blubber
http://www.dinofish.com/wmgallery/images/seal%20furc.jpg

thats funny