Matuse Hoplite Wetsuit

by Chris
(Pacifica, CA)

After reading various threads about the Matuse Hoplite wetsuit I jumped on the grenade and bought one. Coming in at around $500 bucks after taxes this is the most expensive wetsuit I have ever bought.

I must say that the Yamamoto rubber is thinner than other fullsuits rated at cold water temps. It is a 4:3:2 instead of the usual 4:3. You can feel the material is thinner to the touch.

The suit fits snug and the inner lining on the suit is super smooth. The wetsuit slides on and off real easy.

The Matuse Hoplite does have a bizarre winged over the shoulder inside harness that I have not seen before. I think the purpose of it is to sinch the back to the front a little more and provide a snug fit. I don't think it is that necessary and I don't know how long it will go without breaking. It it slightly annoying when putting the suit on and taking it off.

To get to the main points, the suit does feel warm and is very flexible, more flexible than my wetsuits so far. The warmth is about the same as my Psycho 2 and the seals are good, no water getting in. I'm giving it high ratings for warmth and flexibility but the big test will be how long it lasts. I will update later.

My biggest complaint about the Matuse Hoplite wetsuit is that it has an annoying key holder. It is a drawstring and you have to take the suit off to get to it. Worse than that, it sits on your neck and has given me a bit of a "hickey" mark.

So overall it seems like a great wetsuit provided it lasts as long as my previous wetsuits.