How to choose a wetsuit, booties, and a wetsuit hood
Choosing the right pair of swimfins.
Choosing the booties, socks, and fin tethers
Consult the Booger Picker to find out which board suits you.

SEAM TYPES-

Overlock- The least expensive type of seam, it allows water to pass through, and can cause rash problems if located in a bad spot on the suit. Strictly for cool to tropical water temps, this seam is used on the budget suits.

Flatlock- This is an inexpensive seam that allows water to pass through the seam, but is flush with the neoprene minimizing rash problems. Not the type of seam you want in a winter suit, but fine for cool to tropical water temps.

Blindstitch- This is the warmest type of seam. It does not allow water to pass through, and if the suit is double blindstitched and glued, it will be extremely warm and pretty much watertight.

THICKNESS- Many suits come in a combination thicknesses to promote easier mobility in the parts of your body that don't get cold as easily. Springsuits and vests usually come in 2mm or less thickness. Fullsuits typically come in 3/2mm, 3/3mm, 4/3mm, 5/3mm and even thicker for the frigid climes.

RUBBER TYPE- There are basically two types:

Regular vs. Superstretch rubber- Regular neoprene is a quality material with great properties with adequate flex, and great durability. Superstretch is an outstanding material performance-wise, but is not as durable because of the fact that it can stretch 300% more than regular neoprene which puts a strain on it. Most people are willing to pay the extra for it to have that extreme flexibility that comes with Superstretch.

COATING- All wetsuits use neoprene, which is a synthetic rubber, as the insulation, and have different outer coatings. Here are the two most common:

Nylon 2- This is the best to have on the stomach of your suit so that you can slide around and do maneuvers on your bodyboard. Not as warm as smooth skin, but more durable and flexible. Pretty much every suit on the market has Nylon 2 throughout most of the suit.

Smooth skin rubber- This is a very warm outer coating that resists water and wind, but is not as flexible. Great to have on the backof the suit where mobility isn't required. Bad on the stomach as it prevents sliding up and down on the bodyboard for prone moves. On the suits we sell in our "Wet Stuff" section, none of them have smooth skin on the stomach area.

ZIPPER- Basically, there are zipper and zipperless suits.

Zipper suits- If you're going with a zipper suit, it will be easy to get on and off, and if you're taking it into cold water, you want the zipper to be as short as possible. Many zip suits today have the watertight properties of zipperless suits like the Aleeda Advantage and Hyperflex Amp. For extreme cold, get an across the back or across the chest zip as opposed to the vertical back zip.

Zipperless suits- Generally, these suits allow very little water penetration, and are super warm in cold water. The downside is that they are usually somewhat difficult to get on and off, and the tweaking you have to do to get in and out of them strains the rubber which shortens the life of the suit.

ACCESSORIES- Crucial to handling it when the water really starts to chill off! Booties, gloves, and caps/hoods come in handy when the water temps drop into the low 50'sF/11C or below.

Click here to go to our wetsuit page
Email us with any specific questions: info@eBodyboarding.com

Back to top

When choosing a pair of fins, we recommend that comfort and fit be the number one most important factor. Second should be performance, and third is price. Let's address these factors.

1. Comfort- The fin should fit snugly without squeezing your foot. If it squeezes, you'll get cramps. All of our fins are comfortable and top of the line. Make sure you pick the size that corresponds to the sizing info given with each fin description. (Check "fin accessories" at the bottom of this page). When you get them, wear them around the house for a half an hour. Walk around, sit down. If they hurt your feet, you need another brand or a different size. We take returns or exchanges minus shipping costs as long as you haven't used them in the surf and you return them within 30 days after you receive them.

2. Performance- A fin should provide good thrust. We basically sell "asymmetric" which have a blade that is diagonal, and "symmetric" which is a blade that is shaped the same on both sides. Shorter blades provide quicker starts, but it means you have to give more kicks to travel the same distance as a longer fin.

3. Price- Think about how often you are going to use the swimfins and if the fins you're looking at are within your budget

Now here's a rundown of our fins and how they work and the accessories that go with them (all fins float unless indicated):

Clones- With a nice tall foot pocket, and soft rubber within it, the Clones are definitely comfortable. Symmetric blades make for a nice, even kick, with great thrust. Average in weight.

Custom X- One of our lightest all-rubber fins, it's also quite stiff. The blade is symmetric, and the foot pocket is very soft. They also float. Great for dropknee riders especially, and priced well.

Churchill Makapuus- These are the original bodyboarding fins. The design has stayed the same since they were first developed many years ago. These fins now float (for many years they didn't) . The blades are asymmetric and fairly short making them good dropknee fins, and they provide average thrust. They are moderate in weight.

Churchill Slashers- One of the most comfortable fins we sell, these fins were designed around the foot pocket using a foot mould to design the pocket, so they are comfy. The thrust is fair at best as these very buoyant fins are a touch more difficult to sink when you're kicking. The blade is asymmetric and is fairly short making them good for prone/dk riders. Weight is moderate.

Laguna Swimfins (formerly "Neofins")- These unique fins are without a doubt the most comfortable fins we sell. They are also the most compact and lightest. Highly recommended for first-timers or folks that have problems with sores on their feet caused by wearing fins. The entire foot pocket is lined with neoprene. The strap is adjustable (a one-of-a-kind in bodyboarding fins) in length and tightness. The thrust is quite good, and they float. They are great for travel also because they compact well. The blade is symmetric, and made of silicone unlike our other fins that are all made of rubber. The strap is nylon and neoprene.

Vipers- Vipers' main benefit is the fact that unlike most other fins, they have a soft neoprene padding glued into the inside top of the fin. This not only pads the top of your foot, but also helps to prevent blisters. The blade of the fin is symmetric. They offer both short and long blade styles (V5's having a 5" long blade and the V7's having a 7" long blade). The V5 Flex model are a bit more flexible with a bit less thrust. Some people like to get these to reduce the strain on their calves. Customizable in that you can cut the blade to desired shape and length for prone or dk riders. Vipers are one of our heavier fins. They have a good design for aiding in holding an edge on the wave when you're prone riding.

BZ Rubbers - BZ Rubbers are an asymmetric-blade fin meaning there's a right and left foot fin. The fins are shaped similarly to Redleys, but that's where the similarities stop. The foot pocket is one of the most comfortable on the market, and thrust in the fin is above average, but not incredible. The other benefit of this fin is it's light weight. That makes them easy on the feet.

Voit Duck Feet- These fins were one of the first-ever swimfins used for bodyboarding when the sport was invented. With their long blade, relatively heavy weight, and powerful thrust, I don't recommend them for anyone who aspires to dropknee, but if you want a solid, economical fin, this is your baby. Symmetric blades.

Click here to go to our swimfins page.

Back to top