Element 4/3 Front Zip 2023 Wetsuit

Performance & Feel

The Element sits one step up from the Static at the accessible end of ION's wetsuit range, and like the rest of the line it brings tech from the Seek Core and Seek Amp suits down to an everyday price. For most UK waters the 4/3 is an autumn and spring suit, one you can push towards winter depending on how you feel the cold and whether you pair it with boots, gloves and a hood.

What sets this one apart from the 4/3 back zip is the entry. The front zip seals across the chest rather than down the back, so the suit flushes less and flexes more freely through the shoulders, the only trade being a bit more wriggling to get into the first few times.  Inside, it runs the same two ION linings as the rest of the range. Hot_Stuff 2.0, the stretchiest thermal lining ION make, sits across the chest and back to keep your core and torso toasty 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 an honest, comfortable, stretchy 4/3 that does its job across every discipline, from a surf to an open-water swim to a kite, wing or SUP session, keeping you out on the water as it cools without asking much of your wallet. If you'd rather have the easiest possible entry, the 4/3 back zip is the Element suit to look at.

Key Features

• 4/3 construction: 4mm neoprene over the core for warmth, 3mm 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, armholes 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