Seth Morris decided to switch from his current wetsuit brand to try some Xcel wetsuits.

Sizes tend to vary between brands, so it is advisable to see where you fit in the size guide. We regularly find that customers who have used Xcel wetsuits for years are wearing incorrect-sized wetsuits. This is often because they have put on weight or have become rounded with age, and because there is so much flex in the material, they don’t even notice that the wetsuit is too small.

Before Seth got to trying on any wetsuits, we pulled out the measuring tape, wrote down his height, weight, chest and waist measurements and compared them to the size guide on the website. We suggest choosing the next largest size if your measurements fall between sizes because wetsuits are so stretchy that you may feel that it fits even if it is too small. Unfortunately, wearing a too-tight wetsuit will stress the seams and significantly reduce your wetsuit’s life span. Once the suit is on, you shouldn’t feel any significant resistance when bending and flexing limbs. The suit won’t “break in” or loosen up once in the water. You will experience discomfort, rubbing, poor performance and accelerated wear on the wetsuit. The size guide nailed it, and Seth got a perfect-fitting suit the first time!

Seth picked up two wetsuits, a 5/4 Infiniti Ltd and a 5/4 Infiniti Hooded.

The Infiniti LTD offers our Radiant Rebound Technology from chest to ankle. Radiant Rebound locks out cold while rebounding your body’s generated heat within. The exterior has a 100% Channel Flex stretch exterior. This suit also offers completely sealed seams, with one piece front and back panel design.

This is a great suit for milder days when you don’t want to wear a hood. The minimal panel design offers great stretch and lightweight performance with a deep fluffy lining which keeps you cosy.

Photos @seasidehues

Seth’s second choice is the Infiniti hooded wetsuit, a workhorse in the Xcel lineup. It offers the perfect balance of warmth and stretch. The Radiant Rebound core locks out cold while rebounding your body’s heat within. ThermoLite IR is used in the lower interior for added stretch and warmth. The exterior has Channel Flex upper and Ultra Stretch lower.

The smooth skin material used in chest, back panels and hood offer excellent wind resistance making it the perfect suit for those stormy winter days where the wind chill has bite. The Infiniti Hooded suit, combined with gloves and boots will keep Seth warm on the coldest winter days.