Element 3/2 Front Zip 2022 Wetsuit

Performance & Feel

The Element sits one step up from the Static at the accessible end of ION's wetsuit range, and the appeal is straightforward: tech borrowed from further up the line at an everyday price. For most UK waters that makes this 3/2 a spring-through-autumn suit, or high summer if you feel the cold.

The front zip seals across the chest rather than down your back. Inside, ION runs two of its own linings. Hot_Stuff 2.0, which is the stretchiest thermal lining in their range, sits across the chest and back to keep your core and torso nice and warm, while the lighter Silk_Stuff through the shoulders and arms stays soft on the skin, stretches well, dries quickly and aids getting the suit on and off. Seams are glued and blind-stitched, with fusion reinforcement on the highest-stress areas and Melco tape added to the load-bearing sections of the suit. None of this is reinventing the wheel. It's simply an honest, comfortable, stretchy 3/2 that does its job across every discipline, from a surf to an open-water swim to a summer kite, wing or SUP session, without asking much of your wallet.

Key Features

• 3/2 construction: 3mm neoprene over the core for warmth, 2mm through the arms and legs for free movement
• Front zip entry
• Glued and blind-stitched seams: glued then half-stitched through the neoprene to keep water out and the suit warmer
• Critical fusion reinforcement: added strength on the highest-stress seam junctions
• Melco tape reinforcement: stress points like the crotch, underarms and knees taped from the inside to extend seam life
• Hot_Stuff 2.0 thermal lining: ION's stretchiest thermal lining across chest and back
• Silk_Stuff lining: soft, stretchy, fast-drying lining through the shoulders and arms