Xterra Wetsuits

Vendetta Men's Wetsuit

With so much training having gone into your season — not to mention money, lack of sleep, and seemingly weird food — you don't want to compromise. San Diego-based Xterra keeps this in mind and has been making some of the most advanced wetsuits in the world for more than a decade. The Xterra Vendetta Men's Wetsuit is the company's premier model, and a scope of the details makes it clear why it's not just its best, but one of the best out there.

While the Vendetta only utilizes two types neoprene from neck to ankle, they're some of the most highly engineered neoprenes available for any application. The 5mm-thick version is called X-AIR, which employs a dimpled surface that promotes hydrodynamic efficiency, not unlike the surface of a golf ball. The suit's back also uses X-AIR, but in a 3mm application to reduce weight. For superior flexibility, a blend of 1.5mm-3mm-thick Yamamoto #39 and #40 neoprenes is used in the arms and shoulders, licensed from Japan's original wetsuit company that develops materials employed in over 70% of the world's wetsuits. The entire suit is then coated in Nano-Super Composite Skin, reducing drag to an industry-low 0.02 coefficient, while X-MAX triple seam-sealing and double-stitch bonding promises a lifetime of waterproofing and durability.

The cut and paneling of all that material is equally important, and Xterra pays particular attention to those details, as is demonstrated perfectly by the Vendetta. The shoulder and arm panels alone are comprised of 6 individual pieces, each being anatomically tuned to provide the most natural range of movement without being bulky or loose, ultimately leading to a smoother and more efficient stroke in the water while also reducing shoulder fatigue — a common complaint in other manufacturer's designs that Xterra factored in while designing the Vendetta. The low-profile collar stays out of the way — something veterans of old-school wetsuit designs will surely appreciate, as they will the 30-inch lanyard for the rear zipper with a hook-and-loop patch for fastening. Finally, the X-FLEX liner that's applied to the entire interior of the suit further facilitates natural movement and allows the suit to return to its original, supportive form even during rigorous activity.

The Xterra Vendetta Men's Wetsuit comes in nine sizes, from X-Small to XX-Large, and in the color Black only.