Road Test :: Patagonia R2 Front Zip

Welcome to our first Road Test – where we attempt to give you some good feedback on some product in various categories. The goal is that helps you guys in getting a better idea and knowledge on a product before you make the purchase. We’re aiming to do the best we can and cover every angle we think of, odds on there will be moments, etc that we lag on or completely miss. That’s the best thing about coming off of a low base, it’s only going to get better…

First up we’ve got a wetsuit, it’s a little easier to road test a wetsuit then a pair of shoes, a shirt or even a watch – but relax, we’ve got those categories coming in hot as well. Come say hello to the R2 Front Zip from Patagonia…

The Suit :: 

Patagonia threw us a suit to test, use and abuse for our first Road Test, the one in particular we’re testing is the R2 Front Zip.

It’s, as the specs say, got 100% external seam sealing along with internal taping on all critical areas. Is made from handmade 2.5mm neoprene and has a new hybrid grid lining that combines mid-weight merino wool and virgin polyester in the front, back, torso and thighs for core warmth and comfort. Adding to that, the sleeves, inner and outer thighs and lower legs are lined with a lighter green recycled polyester grid for warmth and flexibility when paddling.

On first appearances it’s quite an exciting suit to hold, pull at, try on. It’s all black with minimal branding – can’t go wrong there, in fact I really love this aspect of the suit.

I’m not sure if it’s the idea that you’re using a suit that makes you think your doing some good for the environment by using it or what, but I definitely got excited when playing around with it. I know I also got pretty excited when I saw that Patagonia had made the transition to using liquid tape, whereas previous suits just had taping in critical areas.

Entry :: 

This is a little embarrassing. I’ve been used to using chest zips that are already pretty much zipped up for me, all I have to do when the suit is on is either attach the zipper head to the zip and pull, or just zip it closed – depending on whether it’s a close or open ended zip. The Patagonia R2 Front Zip is a complete zip off set-up. You zip it off, it’s completely zipped off and the flap goes over you head. I just said ‘zip’ a lot too, was kinda weird…

So, the first time I was using the suit I was all like, fuck, how do I get this flap over my head to zip it up? Think I stood there for about five minutes trying to yoga my way into grabbing if from behind until I realised that if I just bend over, the flap falls onto my head and I can grab it easily…

The Patagonia R2 slid on and off really easily, I don’t say that because I’m short on words, I say that because it actually did. Wet. Dry. Damp. The suit just slides on over your limbs, which probably has something to do with the interior materials, but either way I haven’t once had to double tug, yank or pull the suit on to hard to get it up my legs or my hands thru the ends.

Flexibility/Comfort :: 

The R2 is a flexible suit – the majority of suits these days are. But the material used in the R2 is stretchy and light, if your upgrading from a suit that’s a couple of seasons old you will def notice an improvement in flexibility. It’s also one of the most comfortable suits I’ve worn – won in part due to it’s ease of getting on and off. The use of Merino Wool through out the suit may leave some of you a little itchy every now and again, but it’s pretty non existent and something I’ve been told tends to disappear after 6 or so surfs – just something to be aware of.

The cuffs/ankles seem to run the same material as the knee pads, which for reasons I’m unaware of, really seem to help the suit. It def helps with entry, it def helps with maintaing a good seal around wrists/ankles as well and it would definitely help with longevity of the suit. As the cuffs/ankles are generally high abrasion areas.

The key here is managing your expectations, be aware of what you’re buying. Overall, it’s not the most flexible suit I’ve used, but you have to remember that Patagonia aren’t really going after that part of the market. These guys are chasing warmth and durability, and with the addition of liquid tape in combination with their materials, they certainly nail the warmth component of that goal – I can’t comment on durability yet as I’ve only been wearing it for a month..,

Seams test :: 

I’m a stickler for leaks, hate ‘em. Can ruin a suit for me. The simple thought of knowing you have a suit that leaks a bit can easily turn you off going for a surf down here – water averages out at around 11 degrees most winters – so I find it essential on any suits that they have amazing seals.

The Patagonia held up well, much better then previous years. The introduction of liquid tape on the external side of the seams and regular taping on the internal side of the seams gives the suit a double seal which is results in a pretty impressive seal over the seams. Special note is that Patagonia have obviously found a way to use liquid tape in an environmentally friendly approach, as we have been told before that liquid tape isn’t the most amazing substance to be using – will try to find out more on that..

The only place I really got any noticeable flushing was the chest entry area and that was mainly thru rough duck-dives. There was a tendency to get a flush of water via the area that the chest closure is covering (mainly left side). Which can be annoying when paddling out first up, it generally isn’t too much of an annoyance once you’ve been surfing for a while.

Warmth :: 

It’s been ice cold here (Torquay) the last couple of weeks and plenty of times I thought I’d be cold out in the water and I wasn’t. It makes sense with any suit, or any activity really, but the more you move around, the warmer you get. But with the Patagonia (which is 2.5mm all over) it seemed more noticeable and for longer – like it retains it’s heat longer.  I rarely got cold in it (unless flushed, then I def had a ‘i was in the pool’ moment).

The hybrid use of Merino Wool (red) and recycled polyester (green) really seems to hold the heat on your body for quite a while, apparently it’s this merino/polyester blend lining that gives Patagonia wetsuits their added warmth without added rubber.

I would have really loved to have seen an smoothy option in this suit. Smoothy is amazing at keeping you that extra bit warm – I know Patagonia have used smoothie before, not sure why they left it off this and other suits in the range. Bummer.

Drying: 

Fast. I don’t put on wet wetsuits, I rarely put on damp suits, so it was quite exciting to see how quick the Patagonia R2 rid itself of water, dampness or chill. I’d say if you’re a bit more of a man then I am, you could easily put this suit back on easily and not get the ‘cold nuts shriek’ within about 90minutes. Given that suits used to take far/king ages to dry, this is pretty impressive.

You’re easily getting two surfs a day in a dry wetsuit (unless you leave it in your piss soaked bucket or don’t hang it out).

Pricing: 

$679.95 – that’s in Australia though. And the suit isn’t, unfortunately, available until July
It’s also releasing in Japan, Europe and North/South America around July/August

Check out any Patagonia Flaghship store for more.

Conclusion:

Pros

Warm, really warm.
Great seals on the seams – very minimal leakage.
All black w/minimal branding
Dries reasonably quick.

Cons

Occasional flushing via front zip closure.
No smoothy options.
Tends to get a little itchy.
Not the most flexible on the market.

Seafolly. Camile Rowe.

Seafolly have just announced (well, three days ago) that Camile Rowe is to be the new face of their next swimwear campaign. To hype it even more, Seafolly have just got back from a shoot in Hawaii, with Camile modelling the latest collection.

All looks fun and summery – something we can only dream about right now with Winter about to start.
Vogue have a quick little interview with her about the new role, if your actually into reading and not looking…

images via Pedestrian.

ourCaste :: QuickCuts

Like any new brand that rolls into the scene that we dig, we tend to get a little obsessive about what they’ve got going on- new product, new photos, new dog food – I’ll gobble up all the newness and feel like I’m in the know again. A fleeting feeling that is in consistent need of feeding..

ourCaste is new, ourCaste is a brand we’re amped one – even if they’re first range isn’t dropping for another couple of months. In the meantime we get fed bits of visual content that will shape the vibe of the brand in our mind. That’s what this is – Quick Cuts - it’s series of bi-monthly videos based on the what’s what at ourCaste. QC B is the one, it kinda just draws you in…

The gents are even so nice over there that they said you can feel free to inquire about submitting footage. Maybe you’ll make the next cut?

Brixton. Summer Video. 2013.

You saw the images of it all a couple of weeks ago, now those images become video and we have a ‘vibe clip’. It’s Brixton, you know you’re going to watch it…
Or not, and just head to Brixton and pony up for new gear now…

The guys over at Red Bull have just release the first episode of ‘Mates in Alaska.’ In the first ep RB follow New Zealand freestyle snowboarder Jake Koia to Haines, Alaska, to explore the slopes for his first time with his mates. It’s pretty epic and perfect timing to get the blood pumping for snow season. Take a look below or head to Red Bull for more.

Blind have released a new trailer for Damn, which will be released on Monday 27th May. Also 10 questions w/ Blind TM Bill Weiss about the video.

RVCA Womens S’13

RVCA has just dropped a very nice looking collection for the ladies – colors, cuts, materials – all included to help deliver a solid looking collection.

This summer RVCA have sliced into three varying segments, I guess to stay on trend for what the ladies like… African Dream, Eastern Promises and Basic Beauty are what they’re calling them.

We can throw buzzwords and catchy statments into the copy like ‘robust color palette that effortlessly ties back to the main print’ or ‘patterns that authenticate the aesthetic of the collection’ and maybe even ‘unique wash effects and distressed hemlines channel a worn-in sensibility’…

Obviously I’m talking out my ass here, I just looked at the pictures of the pretty girl and copy’n'pasted some text from the copy that came with the email..

See more at RVCA

Surfrider Foundation Campaign

Surfrider probably do some of the best print campaigns in the buisness/industry – aesthetically pleasing use of images and layout, engaging content that raises curiosity, and creative to communicates to you rather then punches you in the face…

We all know how bad ocean pollution is, you know about the garbage patch in the North Pacific right? So it’s great to see a solid campaign again from Surfrider to help further build awareness of the issues facing our oceans – did you see the campaign from a couple of years ago?

The campaign was pulled together by Arnold Furnace who were more about the subtle componentry of the creative rather then something that was more graphic and hard hitting. The creative pulls the reader in, the subtle addition of garbage allows the reader to grasp the challenge that lays ahead for Surfrider…

Rad campaign.

Cascade First Harvest.

This is up here for the concept, not the content (I’m not much of a Cascade fan). Everyone these days is trying to pull together clips to get as many views as possible – everyone needs to see our clip! or I want as many eyeballs as possible on this clip! – is what you’ll hear mkt managers holler. Spread it round, share it everywhere, make it ‘viral’. So it was really refreshing to get passed a link that revealed a campaign that wasn’t about how many views a clip was getting, but was about how many views a clip had left…

Cascade First Harvest is Cascade’s limited edition beer – each year it get’s brewed with different hops, different treatments and comes out tasting different. Each year only 5000 cases get brewed. First in, best dressed.

To help promote/celebrate/push this years batch, Cascade came up with the idea of creating a clip about the creation of the beer, just like everyone else would do – then they flipped that idea on it’s head. To tie back to the 5000 cases that get brewed, Cascade created a clip that can only be viewed 5000 times. And at last check there was about 2500 views left…

You can view it below or head over to Cascade First Harvest…
Daresay this will def get a few minds thinking about to use a concept like this, I can think of a bunch already…