Gone are the days when surfers needed a woolly jumper under their wetsuit – or to wear two wetsuits – to stay warm. Wetties have come a long way in recent years and now offer far greater protection against the cold. This shift has meant more of us are surfing all year round, even in the chilliest of British winters.
But such innovation has come at a cost, as explained in The Big Sea, a documentary made by two surfers from the north-east of England. The film shows the effects of producing neoprene, the synthetic rubber used to make most surf wetsuits, on the predominantly black and low-income residents of Reserve in Louisiana, where cancer rates are alarmingly high.
When an early edit of the film was shown in 2022 it sent shock waves through the global surf community, not to mention my local surf WhatsApp group, where we all scrambled to find wetsuits made from natural alternatives to petroleum-based neoprene. This is my pick of the best of these natural rubber wetsuits.
However, I’d like to stress that the wetsuit with the lowest environmental and social impact is the one you already have. It’s understandable not wanting to wear neoprene again after watching The Big Sea, but throwing a perfectly functional wetsuit into landfill won’t help anyone. If you already have a winter wetsuit keep wearing it and keep having it repaired (Bodyline in Newquay is the best!) When it eventually can’t be repaired any longer, find a wetsuit recycling scheme (such as the one at Boardshop) and buy yourself a new natural rubber alternative (or a secondhand wetsuit).
At a glance
Why you should trust me
As a journalist specialising in outdoor sports and travel, I’ve tested a lot of kit over the past two decades, including wetsuits, snowboards, trail running shoes and, erm, picnic blankets.
When it comes to surfing, I’m firmly in the intermediate category. But what I lack in ability, I more than make up for in enthusiasm: I’m obsessed with the sport, as my surf widow husband will testify. Thanks to my flexible working hours, I get in the water a lot, all year round.
I have a low tolerance for poorly functioning winter wetsuits: I’m a total wuss in the cold, but I hate being forced to come in because I’m hypothermic rather than because I’m knackered. My regular choice is the O’Neill Hyperfreak, a highly rated flexible and warm neoprene suit, which served as a useful benchmark to compare the wetsuits in this test against.
How I tested
More than 20 brands now sell wetsuits made from natural rubber, but not all of them make wetsuits suitable for winter. And if they do, they don’t always sell them in the UK. Despite extensive research, there wasn’t a huge selection of wetsuits to choose from, but I managed to find a final edit of seven that I was happy with. This included a suit from a brand I wear regularly and six others recommended to me by committed winter surfers.
I took the wetsuits to surf perfectly shaped waves at Saunton and Croyde in beautiful North Devon and wore them in the grey choppy wind swell near where I live in Brighton, which has a grim industrial backdrop. I also tested the wetsuits at The Wave in Bristol, an artificial wave pool where the water runs close to air temperature. At this time of year, it’s far nippier than the sea and therefore useful for testing wetsuit warmth. I trialled the wetsuits in water temperatures ranging from 7C to 13C.
I assessed the wetsuits by surfing in each of them on at least two separate occasions for between one and two-and-a-half hours. I then wore my favourites many more times over the four-month testing period. I also tried every wetsuit at my weekly surf fitness class on the beach. This involves a lot of paddling and some surf-specific strength work, so it was a good test of the suits’ flexibility.
The wetsuits sourced for this article will be donated to Wave Wahines in North Devon and Yonder Surf Academy in North Tyneside, two amazing social enterprises that use surfing to build confidence and self-esteem in women and girls from marginalised communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the ocean.
The best neoprene-free winter surf wetsuits in 2025
Best overall winter wetsuit:
Patagonia R4 Regulator front zip hooded full suit
Whenever I mention Patagonia wetsuits to surfer friends, there’s an understandable gripe about the price. But the R4 Regulator has the perfect blend of warmth and flexibility for surfing throughout winter.
Patagonia has led the quest for neoprene-free wetsuits from the start, partnering with Yulex, which manufactures FSC-certified natural rubber, meaning the plantations have been managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. And instead of keeping this innovative tech for itself, Patagonia opened it up to the entire industry to encourage other brands to move away from neoprene.
Why we love it
When natural rubber was first used in wetsuits in the 2010s, it was notably heavier and stiffer than neoprene. But the Regulator felt more flexible than my usual neoprene winter suit and was lovely to paddle and surf in. In fact, it was far more supple than the thinner spring/autumn equivalent I bought in 2022, which I love and wear all the time – it’s clear that the tech is improving year on year.
I felt snug and warm even on bitterly cold days, especially in my core. This was aided by the Regulator’s attached hood, which felt comfortable and not at all claustrophobic, as can sometimes be the case with wetsuit hoods. Patagonia doesn’t make a hood-free version of the wetsuit, but you can wear it with the hood down without water sneaking in at the neck, as I did on milder days.
I liked the reinforced kneepads, and the material felt hard-wearing and good quality. The brand claims this wetsuit is built “for years, not seasons”, as you’d expect from gear at this price – especially when it will be getting bashed by fins and rocks, and stepped in and out of in stony car parks.
I didn’t love the zips. They were quite hard to line up, especially with cold hands, and they didn’t seem to match the quality of the rest of the suit. Overall, though, this was the suit I was the happiest in and wore the most during the testing period.
It’s a shame that … the price would be prohibitive for many. (Patagonia does make a cheaper winter wetsuit.)
Primary material: Yulex natural rubber
Thickness: 5.5/4mm
Warmth v flex: excellent on both counts
Sizing: slightly long in the leg for me
Zip: chest zip
Attached hood: yes
Women’s
£560 at Patagonia
£395 at Northshore Surfshop
Men’s
£560 at Patagonia
£389.99 at Ocean Sports Board Riders
Best budget winter wetsuit:
C-Skins NuWave Solace/Session 5/4/3mm chest zip steamer
The women’s Solace (its male equivalent is named Session) is a really good winter wetsuit at a great price. C-Skins is based in Cornwall and has long been popular in our household. Its wetsuits are priced reasonably and of a decent quality, and my sons have used them for years. I was pleased to see the brand launch an affordable neoprene-free line in spring 2024, which it followed by moving its whole collection to NuWave natural rubber that autumn.
Why we love it
Aside from the price: the price, and the price. The Solace is warm, fairly stretchy, and easy to get on and off, although I had to pull the chest section quite forcefully to get it up and over my head. The neck banding was a little tight once on, too, which began to bother me after an hour of surfing. I imagine it would stretch over time, though.
The chest zip was good quality and easy to use with cold hands, and the toggle to tighten the suit around the chest area was useful, if a little fiddly to use at first. The suit didn’t mould to my body as effectively as some of the other wetsuits I tested and while I never felt cold, other wetsuits I tested were warmer. Generally, though, it felt comfortable and was easy enough to paddle and surf in. The Solace also dries more quickly than my current winter neoprene suit, which is helpful when you’re trying to fit in that second session.
It’s a shame that … the neck banding was tight and uncomfortable.
Primary material: Natural rubber
Thickness: 5/4/3mm
Warmth v flex: good on both counts
Sizing: true to size
Zip: chest zip
Attached hood: no
Women’s Solace
£233.95 at Sorted Surf Shop
£260 at Ann’s Cottage
Men’s Session
£244.39 at Ocean Sports Board Riders
£260 at Ann’s Cottage
Best winter wetsuit for flexibility:
Billabong 5/4mm Furnace natural chest zip wetsuit
The Furnace is incredibly stretchy and super comfortable – so comfortable, in fact, that it was a huge disappointment to put on my normal clothes after surfing. The historic surf label Billabong (now owned by a US brand management company) has developed its own proprietary FSC-certified natural rubber. Meanwhile, the wetsuit jersey – the fabric laminated on the inside and outside of the rubber – is made from 100% post-consumer recycled textiles.
Why we love it
I felt cosy cocooned in this soft, spongy hooded wetsuit, while northerly winds whipped around me and the air temperature hovered just above zero. As I entered the water at my local spot, I felt glad to be wearing the Furnace. My arms and shoulders felt light and flexible, and paddling and moving around on my surfboard was smooth and easy. I didn’t feel cold, although I didn’t feel quite as warm as I did in the Patagonia and Finisterre wetsuits on test.
The attached hood stayed firmly in place, rather than pressing on my head. On more than one occasion, I even achieved the winter holy grail: keeping my hair dry throughout the entire surf, despite going under many times. I didn’t experience any cold water flushing while wearing this suit; the ankle and wrist sections didn’t feel as tight as on others, though, and I worry they’d get increasingly stretched out in time.
The knee pads were solid, and the Furnace zip was easy to use with freezing hands. I handled it gingerly, though, as a friend had bought a similar Billabong suit and the zip had broken the first time she used it. Overall, I’d recommend the Furnace, especially for surfers who put paddling flexibility at a premium.
It’s a shame that … the ankle and wrist sections didn’t feel as robust as on other wetsuits.
Primary material: Billabong’s own FSC-certified natural rubber
Thickness: 5/4mm
Warmth v flex: excellent flex
Sizing: true to size
Zip: chest zip
Hood: yes
Women’s
£410 at Billabong
£369.95 at Wetsuit Outlet
Men’s
£410 at Billabong
£369.95 at Amazon
Best winter wetsuit for warmth:
Finisterre Nieuwland 5.5/4.5mm Yulex chest zip hooded wetsuit
The Nieuwland was by far the warmest wetsuit I tested, even in frigid water and icy winds. On a morning so cold the pebbles on the beach froze together in gnarly clumps, I felt positively balmy.
Finisterre is a Cornish outdoor clothing brand founded in 2003 by Tom Kay “for the needs of hardy British surfers” such as himself. It was among the first in the world to follow Patagonia’s lead in making neoprene-free wetsuits using Yulex natural rubber. The Nieuwland is the thickest wetsuit in its collection and the thickest I tested.
Why we love it
This was an extremely comfy wetsuit, and I loved its inky blue/red aesthetic; I’m more interested in function than form, but it makes a nice change from bog-standard black. I liked the tension bands at the wrists and ankles, which stopped water from flushing in. These would also help prevent the fabric from getting overstretched in these areas, as I’ve noticed happening with early Yulex wetsuits. I also appreciated the ankle loops, which help when getting the wetsuit on.
Finisterre is the only brand that offers a rental service (from £43.75 for five days). This is a great way to test out whether this suit is for you, and you get to buy it at a reduced price afterwards.
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This wetsuit was an effort to take off the first few times I wore it, especially around the hood and shoulders. Friends had warned me that it would be tricky to get on and off, and the Finisterre website itself warns that it can take 10-15 wears to loosen up. It was also slightly heavier than other suits to paddle in, although it was fine by the fourth or fifth time as it became more flexible with each use.
It’s a shame that … it’s not more flexible from the start.
Primary material: Yulex natural rubber
Thickness: 5.5/4.5mm
Warmth v flex: excellent warmth
Sizing: true to size
Zip: chest zip, though a cheaper back-zip option without a hood is available for men and women
Hood: yes
Women’s
£345 at Finisterre
Men’s
The best of the rest
Srface Eco wetsuit 4/3mm
Best for: budget-conscious surfers
Dutch brand Srface’s affordable neoprene-free wetsuits make them popular with surfers (including some I know), who tend to rate them for warmth and comfort. Srface’s generous 30-day trial period is also raved about: you can send the wetsuit back if you don’t like it, even after you’ve surfed in it a few times.
The brand doesn’t make 5/4mm winter wetsuits in natural rubber yet, so I tried an autumn/spring wetsuit with a thinner 4/3mm thickness. Despite this, I didn’t find the Eco super easy to get on and off. It also lacked the range of movement of some of its rivals, especially in the shoulder area, meaning paddling was a little restricted. The suit did loosen up after a few wears, though, and overall it feels like a good wetsuit for a great price.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it was a bit stiff.
Primary material: Yulex natural rubber; thickness: 4/3mm; warmth v flex: not super flexible; sizing: came up a bit small; zip: chest zip; hood: no
Women’s
£280 at Srface
Men’s
Snawve Bio-Foam 5/4mm hooded thermal lined wetsuit
Best for: a snug fit
Innovative Irish surf brand Snawve was set up by Stephen Byrne in 2023. When he started surfing in 2019, he couldn’t believe there were no homegrown wetsuit brands, and that most wetsuits were made from petrol. All Snawve wetsuits are manufactured in Europe and made with FSC-certified natural rubber, oyster shell, sugar cane and rape seed oil.
I liked the close-fitting cut of the Bio-Foam wetsuit. It is lightweight and would hold up well in comparison with early Yulex wetsuits. It’s not as flexible as some of the other wetsuits on test, though. This was especially noticeable when I was paddling and when getting the suit on and off – the head hole was a bit of a squeeze. The tightness around the ankles and wrists was helpful in keeping cold water out, though.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it wasn’t flexible enough.
Primary material: Snawve Bio Foam; thickness: 5/4mm; warmth v flex: not super flexible; sizing: tight-fitting; zip: chest zip; hood: yes
Women’s
£367 at Snawve
Men’s
Needessentials Yulex zipperless 4/3mm wetsuit
Best for: affordable durability
This Aussie brand offers high-performance, no-frills wetsuits at an affordable price, keeping costs down by reducing non-essential spending on advertising, packaging and branding. One of my friends adores his Needessentials wetsuit, claiming it’s so warm he can get through winter, even though it’s only a 4/3mm (spring/autumn) thickness.
I was also impressed with the warmth once I got paddling, although some cold water did get in and I wasn’t as toasty as I was with the 5/4mm suits I tested. The material felt hard-wearing and durable, especially for the price. It was one of the heavier suits I tried, though, and it wasn’t the stretchiest. The lack of a zip will make it far easier to recycle at the end of its life, which is a nice touch, but I did wonder if the chest section would get overstretched in time.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the material felt a bit too stiff and heavy.
Primary material: Yulex natural rubber; thickness: 4/3mm; warmth v flex: not super flexible; sizing: true to size; zip: no zip; hood: no
Women’s
What you need to know
How thick do you want your wetsuit? Warmth v flexibility
Where you see reference to a 4/3mm or 5/4mm suit, this indicates the thickness of the material. The first number indicates the thickness of the material on your core, and the second number indicates the thickness on your arms and legs; a 5/4mm is 5mm on your core, which needs to be kept warmest, and 4mm on your arms and legs, which move about more and need more flexibility. You may also see three numbers, such as the 5/4/3mm of the C-Skins above. In this case, the third number indicates the thickness on the arms. In UK waters, a 5/4mm is generally considered a winter wetsuit, and a 4/3mm is a spring/autumn suit.
As a rule, the thicker the wetsuit, the warmer it will be. Thicker wetsuits are less stretchy, though, and it’s largely down to personal preference whether you place more importance on warmth or flexibility. Some of my friends will surf throughout winter in a 4/3mm (spring and autumn suit), ignoring the cold to benefit from the flex when they’re paddling and manoeuvring on the board. I’ve included two 4/3mm wetsuits in this test with those surfers in mind. Those who really feel the cold, myself included, will switch to their 5/4mm winter wetsuits in mid-autumn.
Care
It’s extremely important to take good care of your wetsuit if you want to prolong its life. After each surf, make sure you rinse the salt and sand off in fresh, cold water, inside and out. Hang it to dry away from direct sunlight, first drying it inside out then switching to dry the outside. I try not to wee in my wetsuit (!), but if you do it might be worth investing in a wetsuit shampoo such as this one, which does what it says on the tin.
Price
It’s exciting to now see natural rubber wetsuits at an equivalent price to neoprene, but thick winter wetsuits are not cheap. They range from £260 to double that. If you don’t plan on surfing much throughout winter and would prefer flexibility over warmth, consider a cheaper spring/autumn suit (marked as 4/3mm – see our guide above) or renting a thicker wetsuit instead.
Why I haven’t included limestone neoprene
Some brands tout limestone neoprene or geoprene as an “eco-friendly” alternative to petroleum-based neoprene. However, as limestone is a non-renewable resource sourced from mines with a detrimental environmental impact, I decided not to include it.
Sam Haddad is a freelance travel journalist and outdoor sports specialist who has been obsessed with surfing and surf culture since the early 1990s, thanks to its starring role in Aussie soap operas. She now lives seven minutes from her local break, surfs as often as she can, and schedules work meetings for high tide as she knows the waves won’t be good then. As a result, testing winter wetsuits did not feel like work at all
