Phil's Thoughts: There's none of the outer sealed seam Aquaban on these. The body and legs are taped on the inside as well as GBS, so there's plenty of warmth there, but the arms are GBS only, which makes them insanely flexible - easier to paddle. The big difference is price and I assume that's reflected by the lack of the Aquaban. There's also no smoothskin neoprene on the chest or back. It's like Rip Curl made a high performance FlashBomb.
Overall, I really like it. It's going to be nice and warm, and super flexible. Ziperless entries are getting so popular and the 3/2s are a lot easier to get into and they're light weight and warm. But it's not going to be as warm as the sealed seam Flashbombs with the smooth skin chests and backs, but it's a lot lighter and more flexible.
From Rip Curl: The Flash Bomb 3/2 zip free is a high performance wetsuit with a multitude of coldwater features. This season we updated the pattern with a larger opening to allow for easier entry and exit. We also added E5 neoprene in the arms. The torso and legs are E5 flash lined with 3/4 internal E5 tape. This suit is very lightweight and has a minimalistic look and feel.
E5 Flash Lining
E5 Neoprene
E5 TapeGlued and Blind Stitched
New easy entry pattern
Rip Curl FlashBomb 3/2 Zip Free WSM8RF
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