Ripcurl Ebomb 4/3 Chest Zip Wetsuit Navy

Thickness - 4/3mm
Seams - Glued & Blindstitched (GBS) with 100% Internal Ultimate Tape
Entry - Chest Zip
Foam - Neoprene-Free Natural Rubber-Based Foam
Lining - E7 & E6 Thermo Lining

Top 3 Reasons We Love This
1. Incredible E-Bomb flexibility with the secure, easy-to-use feel of a chest zip
2. Fully thermally lined and internally taped — properly warm for a performance-focused 4/3
3. Neoprene-free natural rubber-based foam delivers premium stretch without the heavy feel of a traditional wetsuit

Suit Description
The Rip Curl E-Bomb 4/3 Chest Zip Wetsuit takes the incredible flexibility the E-Bomb is famous for and combines it with a traditional chest-zip entry. If you want a premium, super-stretchy wetsuit but prefer the security and straightforward entry of a chest zip over Rip Curl's Zip Free system, this is the one we'd look at.

At 4/3mm, it's an incredibly useful thickness for UK surfing. It's ideal through spring and autumn, brilliant when a 3/2 starts feeling a bit optimistic, and for warmer surfers it can continue into milder winter conditions with the right boots, gloves and hood.

Rip Curl's E7 and E6 Thermo Linings are a big part of what makes the E-Bomb feel so good. They're designed to provide serious stretch while trapping warmth against the body, and with thermal lining throughout the suit you're not sacrificing insulation just to gain flexibility.

The chest-zip entry keeps the opening relatively small compared with a conventional back zip, helping reduce flushing while still making the suit straightforward to get in and out of. It's a really good middle ground if you want the performance of the E-Bomb but aren't convinced by a completely Zip Free wetsuit.

Glued and Blindstitched seams help prevent cold water entering through the stitching, while 100% internal Ultimate Tape reinforces the seams without adding loads of stiffness. The result is a 4/3 that feels exceptionally light and free when you're paddling and surfing.

This latest E-Bomb generation also uses neoprene-free natural rubber-based foam, incorporating FSC Certified natural rubber alongside plant-based oil and oyster shell powder. Recycled internal jersey and water-based solvent-free lamination further improve the material story without taking away from what really matters — how good the wetsuit feels in the water.

Features
• Thickness: 4/3mm
• Chest Zip entry
• Glued and Blindstitched seams
• 100% internally taped with Ultimate Tape
• Neoprene-free natural rubber-based foam
• FSC Certified natural rubber content
• Plant-based oil and oyster shell powder used within the foam construction
• E7 Thermo Lining
• E6 Thermo Lining
• 100% thermally lined throughout
• Recycled internal jersey
• Water-based, solvent-free lamination
• Sealed cuffs
• External key pocket
• High-stretch performance construction
• Colour: Navy

When Would We Wear a 4/3?
For UK surfing, a quality 4/3 is probably one of the most useful wetsuits you can own. We'd primarily use the E-Bomb 4/3 through spring and autumn, with plenty of crossover into early winter and the colder ends of the season.

Because the E-Bomb is thermally lined throughout, you should get more usable time from it than you would from a basic 4/3. Add decent boots and potentially gloves and a hood as temperatures drop and warmer surfers can push it surprisingly far into the colder months.

If you're someone who really feels the cold or you're buying specifically for the middle of a UK winter, we'd step up to a 5/3 rather than expecting a 4/3 to do everything.

Expert Advice
For us, the big decision with this suit is Chest Zip or Zip Free? Both give you the incredible stretch and performance you'd expect from an E-Bomb, but they feel slightly different to live with.

The Chest Zip is the one we'd recommend if you want easy entry, a really secure closure and less faffing around when you're changing in a cold car park. You sacrifice a tiny amount of unrestricted stretch compared with the Zip Free version, but the E-Bomb materials are so flexible that this is still an incredibly free-moving wetsuit.

If absolute maximum flexibility is everything, we'd lean towards the Zip Free E-Bomb. If you want almost all of that performance with the familiarity and security of a chest zip, we'd choose this version.

As a UK 4/3, it's a cracking suit. Warm enough to cover a huge part of the year, incredibly stretchy and light enough that you don't feel like you're wearing loads of rubber. If you surf regularly and notice the difference between an average wetsuit and a really good one, the E-Bomb is worth the extra money.

Q & A

Q: Is the Rip Curl E-Bomb 4/3 Chest Zip suitable for UK surfing?
A: Absolutely. It's an excellent UK spring and autumn wetsuit and can be pushed into colder conditions depending on how much you feel the cold and which accessories you're wearing.

Q: What's the difference between the Chest Zip and Zip Free E-Bomb?
A: The Zip Free version removes the zip entirely for maximum freedom of movement. The Chest Zip gives you a more conventional and secure entry that's generally easier to get in and out of while still offering excellent flexibility.

Q: Which would you choose — Chest Zip or Zip Free?
A: For outright performance and minimum restriction, Zip Free. For a combination of fantastic flexibility, easy changing and a secure closure, we'd go Chest Zip. Neither is a bad choice.

Q: Is the E-Bomb designed for warmth or flexibility?
A: Flexibility is what the E-Bomb is famous for, but this generation is thermally lined throughout and fully internally taped, so it's also impressively warm for a performance-focused 4/3.

Q: Is this wetsuit neoprene free?
A: Yes. It uses natural rubber-based foam rather than traditional neoprene, including FSC Certified natural rubber alongside other bio-based materials.

Q: What are E7 and E6 Thermo Linings?
A: They're Rip Curl's high-stretch thermal materials designed to trap warmth without making the suit heavy or restrictive. E7 offers even greater stretch than E6 and is used in key performance areas.

Q: Are all the seams internally taped?
A: Yes. The Glued and Blindstitched seams are backed with 100% Ultimate internal seam tape for additional sealing and durability while retaining excellent stretch.

Q: Should I buy a 4/3 or 5/3?
A: If you want maximum versatility through spring and autumn, we'd choose the 4/3. If you're buying primarily for proper UK winter surfing and you feel the cold, we'd step up to the 5/3.

Q: Who would you recommend this wetsuit to?
A: Regular surfers who want a seriously flexible 4/3 but prefer a chest zip over a Zip Free entry. It's a great balance of warmth, performance and everyday usability.

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