Surf Shop

Ride On Surf Shop is a website which aims to provide readers with information, reviews on surf related products and topics. Also we offer a product comparison store to make shopping for your surf gear easier! We would rather be out surfing and not shopping around the high street, or endlessly searching the internet for the surf equipment we use. The Ride On Surf Shop comparison offers a quick easy solution so you can find the products you want. Search thousands of products from hundreds of retailers. We host loads of surfboards, wetsuits, surf clothing and loads of surf equipment.

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£183.20

I normally only wear a 4mm wetsuit down here in Cornwall and for previous seasons I have used the Rip Curl E Bomb Pro. I really rated this wetsuit; it was very warm, extremely light weight, super flexible and fitted like a glove. However, with all these factors in the E Bombs favour, the wetsuit just didn’t last that long. The most I got out of the Ebomb was a couple of seasons until the neoprene and the stitching came away at the back of the upper arms.

However, I saw the Quiksilver Cypher and thought this looked a much better wetsuit than the E Bomb Pro. The Cypher had a fleece lining inside the wetsuit, and it had taped seams on the inside of the wetsuit.

Also the collar was a rounded collar on the Cypher and felt a bit more robust than the E Bomb collar, which ended up loosening up after time and letting flush in. The collar fits over the head to fasten up the wetsuits chest zip.

In the end I had to go with a 5mm Cypher instead of a 4mm because Quiksilver didn’t have my size in stock. I wouldn’t normally dream of wearing a 5mm wetsuit down here in Cornwall, but the Cypher seemed light weight and just as stretchy as my 4mm E Bomb Pro.

The Review

Conditions:  Wind SE 17mph | Temperature – Sea 11°c – Air 0°c

Wetsuit Accessories: Wetsuit Boots

No Wetsuit Gloves, No Wetsuit Hood

1. 1.      Getting on and off

The Cypher has is the similar zipper system to the Xcel Drylock whereby it pulls closed without fastening the zip up.

At first I felt Cypher zipper system was hard to get over the shoulder, but after putting the wetsuit on and off a few times, it got easier. However, I could see that blokes who are big up top may find it hard to get this wetsuit on due to the zipper obstruction.

Score 8/10

1. 2.      Fit, Stretch and weight

The wetsuit fitted really well, even though it did look more like a small rather than a MS. I guess Quicksilver’s sizing is a slimmer fitting to Rip Curl and I think if the Cypher was a back zip I wouldn’t have fitted into the wetsuit. The neoprene’s stretch was really good despite the fact that the wetsuit was a 5mm. In fact I would go as far as saying it was the most flexible 5mm neoprene I had worn over the years, it felt more like a 4mm wetsuit. The wetsuit over all was very light weight despite the edition of the polypro inside the wetsuit.

Score 10/10

1. 3.      Warmth

On the face of things the Cypher feels like a really well built and quality wetsuit, that’s until I got it in the water! I have always been warm enough in the water with a 4mm wetsuit. Also this season has been very mild compared to last season and I always wear no gloves and hood. However, the Cypher really let its self down when it came to warmth. I thought because the wetsuit was 5mm and had the polypro lining inside it would be warmer than my previous seasons Ebomb in the 4mm. In fact in the Cypher felt cold in the body, the cold seemed to be coming from the panelling underneath the arm area known as the paddle zones. This panelling feels like its 3mm and doesn’t have the polypro lining, this would explain the cold. The rest of the wetsuit felt warm, but it’s hard to maintain a good body temperature if the core of your body isn’t kept warm. I feel that if the polypro was applied to the paddle zone it may have reduced the cold. However, the panelling maybe 4mm without the poly pro, either way it feels noticeably colder without the polypro or thicker neoprene in this area.

Score 5/10

1. 4.      Verdict

What let this wetsuit down dramatically was the penetration of cold. I would have scored the wetsuit a good 9/10 if I hadn’t felt the cold. However, the wetsuit was still useable, but still on the cold side. I won’t drop any names, but I’m also friends with one of Quicksilver’s team riders and he was in the water at the same time as me. I asked him how he felt in his Cypher and he agreed on the points I made regarding being cold. He was wearing a 6mm as well!!! However, on the other hand there was another guy in the water wearing last season’s Cypher and he said we was really happy with his and didn’t feel the cold. Did quicksilver do something wrong with this season’s wetsuit?

If I were to buy either the E Bomb Pro or the Quiksilver Cypher I would choose the Ebomb Pro. If Quiksilver address the cold for me I would wear the Cypher over the E Bomb for sure. I can’t comment on Cypher’s durability because I have only owned the wetsuit for a month. However, I will write back in a season’s time and let you all know how it performed.

Score 7/10

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£4.99

Hi Folks,

A few weeks ago i got my hands on a box of Matunas surf wax and i have used it on my board to see if it’s any good. I’m always dubious about trying out new brands of wax because nine times out of ten some new brands i have tried just aren’t up to the job. I always use sex wax, or palmers these brands have always served me well. Some other brands i have tried don’t give lasting grip on the board, or its too clumpy when applied especially when using cold water wax which has to be softer.
Lucky for me i had a new surfboard delivered so i could wax up a brand new stick to see how the wax would apply and perform. Unlucky for me there was no surf for over a week before i could test both the board and the wax!
Most surfboard waxes are petroleum based and not biodegradable based which isn’t very cleaver for the environment. Matunas wax is Eco friendly and is non-toxic, biodegradable and petroleum free. So what is this wax made of if it isn’t petroleum based? Well, the Ingredients consist of Clay, beeswax, jasmine, raspberry, coconut oil, tree sap, aloe and honey of course! Sounds almost good to eat!

Matunas Surf Wax the Review

1.    Application

First of all I applied some Matunas Base wax to the deck of my new surfboard. The base wax was really, really hard and I didn’t think it would apply to the shinny surf tech Epoxy surface of my board. However, with a little pressure the base wax was applied in no time and all looked good.
For my top coat I used the cold water wax because we are now in December and the water is defiantly frigid down here in the south west of Cornwall. I unwrapped the wax from its Eco soya ink and recycled paper sleeve and gave it a smell! I don’t know about you but I love the smell of surf wax. I was pleasantly surprised that the wax smelt very nice indeed, probably down to all the lovely ingredients! The wax applied easily and evenly giving a nice layer of sticky bumps and traction to the board.

2.    Use and verdict

I have used the wax now for well over a month and I have to say I’m more than impressed with it. I would say it works just as well as the other brands I normally use; it lasts if using a wax comb and importantly gives great grip and traction on the board. Would I use this wax again? I most certainly will use this wax again and I will replace my normal branded wax with Matunas because its eco friendly.

3.    Score 9/10

Story Update

A variety of surf wax manufacturers such as Matunas surf wax located within Santa Cruz, California have been targeted by a rival brand which tried to discredit Matunas organic credentials. Although this particular tactic has obviously been an behavior centered with business oriented benefits from the rival it has provided Matunas the chance finally prove that their products are nothing but 100% organic.

Impartial tests were completed by S&N LABS which put Matunas wax through an extensive number of tests to be able to verify the formula within the wax. A small sample was examined for the presence of petrochemical based products within the wax. The final results from the tests were decisive, scientifically demonstrating the fact that the ingredients of Matunas surf wax come from a orginic and natural source.

Matunas Wax ingredients are cultivated on the farm and the whole thing is 100% natural, together with aromas from proper strawberries, raspberries and jasmine flowers. Matunas have formulated products which is exceptional compared to paraffin and chemical-based surf waxes by producing a non-toxic, naturally degradable wax wrapped in 100% recycled paper, printed with organic ink.

Look at the full laboratory test result supplied by Matunas   http://www.surfersvillage.com/documents/Labresults_matunas.pdf

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£5.99

Today i tested a bottle of Rip Curl Piss off wetsuit cleaner is it any good?
Firstly, this product isn’t a shampoo it is a disinfectant which claims to eliminate stench cuased by bacteria build up and of course urine. My wetsuit is rinsed and hung up to drip dry after every use and still after a month or so it starts to smell funky. So when i was delivered some of this Rip Curl Piss off stuff i was banking on it removing the damp, rubbery smell from my once nice smelling wetsuit.

As i opened the bottle i took a smell of the liquid inside and to my surprise it smelt really nice, i was expecting a kind of Dettol smell, or hospital ward but this wasn’t the case! I placed my wetsuit in a bucket of cold water along with a cap of the piss off solution, gave the wetsuit a good sloshing around and left over night submerged in the water. When i came to take the wetsuit out of the water i could smell a nice aroma, my wetsuit almost smelt new again. I left to dry over 4hrs and came back to give it a sniff! To my surprise the wetsuit smelt wonderful, piss off had got rid of all the nasty odours and i was really impressed.

I would recommend this product highly for under £7 a bottle it’s a good price. I reckon you good get around 20+ washes with it as well.