WATER-BASED GLUE
IKSURF sier :
Ride Engine exploded onto the accessories scene a while ago with a range of harnesses that changed the market forever. A year or so later they hit the ground running with a neoprene range, and it has been going from strength to strength ever since. The APOC 5/4/3 Hooded is their warmest suit in the lineup. With a built-in hood, it’s designed for those super cold days when only the best will do.
Construction is to a high standard, limestone neoprene is used throughout and offers excellent stretch. The seams are glued, blindstitched, taped and given a liquid seal on the outside to keep water out and heat in. The Thermalux Poly Fleece liner on the chest and back dries fast and is incredibly warm. And those last words sum the suit up in a nutshell. It’s toasty; we’ve spent 3 hours on the water in sub 5 degrees Celsius and not felt cold at all, which is impressive.
Elsewhere the drainage holes on the chest, back and legs prevent any bloating after heavy wipeouts. It’s worth mentioning that water ingress into this suit is incredibly low too, the liquid seams doing an excellent job of sealing the suit and the well-fitting hood helping to keep as much water out as possible. The soft mouth cover on the hood is a clever touch and easily folds out of the way when it’s not too cold, and it is easy to pull the hood on and off as the temperature allows.
It’s worth noting that while being super warm, it is still comfy to ride with the hood pulled back, which lets out a lot of the heat from your head. This means you can wear this suit on warmer days too. If you want to stay warm on the water the Ride Engine, APOC 5/4/3 Hooded is about as hot as you can get. There is a trade-off for flex of course, but this suit while being thick and heavy isn’t too restrictive and is a testament to modern wetsuit design that you can have this much warmth and still be mobile.
OVERALL
Hot, very hot, with reasonable flex, you can wear this on the coldest of days and not feel like it is holding you back. The well-engineered integrated hood adds a real bonus of performance on the freezing days and can be pulled back and out of the way without any discomfort too. High-quality materials and construction are used throughout, the sealed seams don’t stretch as much as non-liquid sealed ones, but they do keep the water out incredibly well. When it’s freezing, you’ll find me wearing this at the beach!
Windsurfing uk Sier :
It used to be that any windsurfer looking for a new rubber onesie would be eyeing up single lined, shiny wetsuits. Thinking was that double layered (rough material) were more for immersive watersports such as surfing. Single layer suits, due to less evaporative cooling effects, were deemed more applicable for activities above the brine. These days wetty technology has evolved to the point the former is now null.
Enter Ride Engine’s APOC 5/4/3 hooded winter wetty that we’ve been using extensively over the last few months. In every scenario, from mild to super cold, flat water windsurfing to full-on waves and even a bit of stand up paddle boarding thrown in for good measure; it’s a rubber garment that’s had a thorough going over.
Firstly the fit: not every wetsuit hugs body parts efficiently. Ride Engine’s APOC, however, does the job superbly. With its ‘easy on’ nature we were sceptical about how warm the suit would actually be. Traditionally wetties that don’t cut the blood supply off tend to flush cold water more, resulting in a sudden chill post-dunkings. Not the case here, however. So, that’s a big tick for anyone into splash ‘n’ dash sailing – where time is of the essence – and you can’t be faffing about wrestling into a wetsuit.
Secondly is the warmth of the APOC. With its ‘heart warmer’ Thermalux Poly Fleece liner there’s no lacking in toasty feelings. The suit is also layered with the thickest neoprene around the corner that slow tapers to the body’s extremities where you’ll find the least amount of rubber. Then you have a well thought out, built in hood, which won’t choke off your air supply if it needs to be pulled back plus a flexi visor to reduce glare for good measure.
Another check is for flexibility. Windsurfing, as we all know, is a mobile sport. Anything that hinders this isn’t going to be welcome. Fortunately, the APOC grips skin but allows freedom of movement. Even the most extreme contortionist (such as new school freestyle rippers) will find favour. Ride Engine state on their website the APOC is a little like slipping into a comfortable onesie. On that point we concur.
Lastly, riders will be glad to know the suit is very robust and durable. Scratting around shingly beaches is a good test of a product’s resistance to knocks/scrapes, hence why WSUK HQ’s backyard is good testing grounds. After a few high tide drillings up the beach Ride Engine’s APOC is still in one piece, going strong, and then some.
Conclusion
With a whole bunch of innovative, top-shelf products, Ride Engine deliver the goods with their hooded APOC winter wetsuit. More than capable of coping with foul weather it’s actually more versatile than that, allowing for use around the harshest of conditions. Plus, it’s applicable to multi-sports as well – not just windsurfing. Time to suit up!
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