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ION Onyx Select Semidry 3/2 Wetsuit | Review

Our man Giles Dean has been reviewing an ION wetsuit off the coast of Portugal

Featured image credit: @pedromestrephoto

It’s that time of year; summer’s turning to autumn, the water is starting to get a bit colder, and most importantly of all – the waves are turning on!

Leave your Catch Surf at the door with your boardshorts – pick up your shred stick and 3/2 wetsuit, head to the beach and get some proper waves.

Of course, the big thing we all notice when switching to thicker suits is the reduction in mobility. However, you need look no further than this – the latest ION Onyx Select Semidry 3/2 – for a wetsuit that has optimised the warmth to flex ratio perfectly. 

“The water is starting to get a bit colder, and… the waves are turning on”

The Select range is ION’s premium line of wetsuits. It uses the best materials on the market and provides a colder water solution for the most high performance surfers. 

ION’s Plasma Plush 2.0 lining is used from the mid-chest all the way down to the lower legs which is where the suit gets a lot of its toasty properties from. In addition to being incredibly comfortable, the vertical channels draw moisture away from the suit – this leads to an incredibly fast drying time when out of the water. 

Pictured: Plasma Plush 2.0

For the upper-chest and arms Silk Stuff lining is used – this has been specially designed to be comfortable against the skin while also being as flexible as possible to help your paddle power. 

On the outside of the suit, Drygrid technology is used. This is designed to absorb up to 30% less water meaning that the suit is lighter once you are in the water, meaning that you’ll be able to perform all of your latest manoeuvres with the lightest of touches.

Another benefit of Drygrid is the reduction in cooling through evaporation, something that will definitely be noticed at windier spots.

Pictured: ION’s I-Foam – Warm and light
Pictured: Power Seams – No water is breaching this defence

The Onyx Select is fully tape sealed inside and out using ION’s Power Seams (this’ll prevent any water getting where it shouldn’t). This combined with I-Foam neoprene makes for a seriously warm and lightweight wetty.

If all these points above aren’t enough to convince you, this wetsuit is also CO2 neutral. ION works with Climate Partner on offsetting all emissions caused by production and transport and, to be absolutely frank with you, we’re big fans of this. 

Tester’s Verdict – Giles Dean, Any Day Media

I have been testing this suit out between Ribeira d’Ilhas and Sao Juliao, in the Ericeira, area and it has been perfect since the water got a bit colder. 

I am always a bit tentative about moving from a 2/2 to a 3/2 due to the restriction you would normally expect from a thicker suit. However, I have been amazed by how much flexibility the Onyx has whilst providing second to none warmth. 

As soon as you have the suit in your hands you can see the level of workmanship involved in creating the product. The first thing I always look at is the quality of the seams and these are the best I have ever seen from an ION wetsuit – they look solid!

Once on it feels slightly thicker around the legs than most other suits in this category due to the Plasma Plush lining – I like this as you can tell it’s going to be really warm whilst allowing your shoulders to move freely. 

One thing that really surprised me about the wetsuit is the drying time – the lining really does a great job of wicking away moisture so that you are good to go for that next session. 

Head over to the ION website to find out more about the wetsuit. 

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