The tradeoff between keeping warm or surfing your best has been the constant conundrum facing winter surfers.

Now, Billabong has brought together great winter wetsuit design and technology in an unmatched performance package, the latest in their Solution series, called the SG5.

Our review suit was an SG5 302 chest zip steamer and on unwrapping the suit it was amazing how light for a streamer this suit is.

At the time of this review the World Number 2, Taj Burrow above, and World Number 1, Joel Parkinson below, are both leading the WCT pack in Billabong wetsuits. Taj is in fact wearing the SG5 short sleeve steamer in the pic above from the Hang Loose Pro 2009 in Brazil

But before we get into a discussion on the suit's features, let me tell you about our inwater testing and how well this thing surfed.

On suiting up the SG5  fitted like a glove. No loose lower back or over tight shoulders. It was like a second skin.

Our first test session was in 4-5' waves at our local beachie with a pushing east swell. There were only 2 other guys out and the south westerly was adding a chill factor but the sun was shining.

Hitting the water the first paddling strokes were just amazing and it was hard to notice any paddling penalty from the wetsuit. Within a few moments the impact zone was coming up and on getting a few 5'rs on the head there was barely any water entry. So far so good.

A factor at this point was that my board seemed much more buoyant, easily coming out of the foam and duckdives and back into paddling mode. The suit's light weight and lack of water logging was making a noteable difference.

Hot spots for the SG3:
1. Zero Gravity Superlfex, ZGS, and raglan design are the perfect combo for unrestricted overarm paddling movement
2. ZGS, in one underarm panel with no seams from wrist to mid torso, maximises paddling reach
3. Single neoprene panel from ankle to torso provides maximum flexibility and comfort in the lower body
4. Solar Mesh outer and and fleecy poly inner generate heat where needed even down to your lower back
5. 'Darts' and 'grippers' provide good fit contours and keep the suit from riding up

Usually after getting a workout in the impact zone I'd slow down a bit and catch a breath or two before getting to the lineup, but the SG5 had reduced the paddling effort considerably. The takeoff section was around 50 meters down beach from where I'd got out and I just kept paddling in that direction.

The sets started coming through again and the two guys out there got the first two waves. Paddling to the peak, I missed the next one, then got a great 5'r with a solid wall lining up all the way to Goodwin St.

The wave was a smoker.

As I paddled back out I thought through the wetsuit performance. I'd paddled non-stop from the shore, out through the impact zone, into the lineup and into a great wave. My board had flown on the wave, there was no rail bogging.

Attention to detail and good ideas are evident throughout the SG5. On the left, Grippers are not just pretty patterns. Located on the inside of the the suit's wrists and ankles they help the suit stay put and prevent riding up - and they work. Check the key stash, on the outside, just below the knee. You don't have to take off your suit to get into your car. As Taj says - 'genius!'

While we prefer the chest zip vs back zip, it is important to have an exit strategy. Ours was to get the left shoulder or arm out first then exit the right shoulder

Without noticing it I was back out the back, having paddled past the other two guys whose waves hadn't gone as far. This suit was a paddling machine!

That first wave set the tone for the entire test period. Every surf in the SG5 was  performance oriented and fun.

The suit's ease of paddling translated directly into getting out into the lineup and onto a good wave, faster.

The next couple of test surfs were in smaller 1-3' waves and one surf in sloppy 2'. In these smaller waves, being a heavier guy my wetsuit normally adds that extra weight and noticeably detracts from the fun. With the SG5 this was not the case.

In the warmth category, we winter tested during a gusty SW'r and the shoulders of the suit did cool off if you sat around too long waiting for waves. But the idea with this suit is to use that ease of paddling to catch more waves, not letting the wind take hold. The body, chest, back and legs were warm and snug regardless of the external temp. The lower back especially felt good, without any water sloshing around. The Solar Mesh panels front and rear provide wind chill protection and get warm to the touch.

Checking  the different aspects of the SG5 you can see that Billabong has brought together the best technology and design to create a performance package. Let's look at the key features.

Rubber
In the rubber department, the suit uses 4 different applications of neoprene each tailored for a specific purpose, each delivering a specific benefit.

Shoulders and arms are 2mm ZGS and are the key to the paddleabiltiy. ZGS is super flexible but also light and almost unnoticeable.

The chest and back have rubber Solar Mesh external panels that capture and retain the sun's heat. On the inside these panels have a lightly-fleecy polypropylene lining that further enhances warmth.

The high neck is of 2mm neoprene that is smooth and easy on the neck, but firm enough to remain upright and prevent water entry.

The legs and lower body are of 3mm super flexible neoprene.

Taj surfing well in the SG5 and through to the Hang Loose Pro 2009 Quarter Finals

'Talking Taj' walks you through the SG5 on Billbabong.com - entertaining and informative

Design
To provide some indication of how well thought-out this suit is, consider how the design maximizes the use of the different neoprenes.

The shoulders as mentioned use the ZGS neoprene, and with the design of the shoulder panel in a raglan style with no seam cutting across or over your shoulder, you have perfect freedom for your overarm paddling movement.

The underarm of the sleeve is one piece of ZGS that runs all the way from your wrist to your waist. This design maximizes the stretch you need in your paddling reach. The other key benefit with this design is that there are no seams under your arm that you normally get rash from.

The cut of the Solar Mesh and fleecy polypropylene  panels on the front and rear allows them to extend from the chest well down the body. This means that your lower back, especially, and all your major organs have the added warmth, wind protection and sun-heat maximization.

The lower body, from your torso down to your ankles, is one piece of neoprene on the front providing for super flexibility - a major benefit in your takeoff, crouch and extension.

Seal
All external seams are sealed, either with silicon or butt-welded.

On the inside most seams are also silicon sealed, especially important around high tension spots like the crutch which is one of the most leak-prone areas of all sealed suits.

In an indication of the attention to detail, Billabong has added silicon 'stamps'  to the inside wrists and ankles. These serve the purpose of keeping the suit from riding up from your wrists and ankles.

Other Features
There is a great external key holder, that's right, it's on the outside. You don't need to get out of your wetsuit to get into your car after a surf.

The knee pads don't just improve durability, they provide support you can feel in your surfing. The suit's weight distribution also favours your natural balance ie there were no nosedives.

The Store Finder. It's vital to try the suit on instore, making the difference between fitting like a glove and sloshing around

Our test suit is a chest zip model and that makes a huge difference over a rear zip, adding more flexibility, protecting the lower back, and making the suit more a cohesive unit with a smaller water entry point, although trickier to exit. The SG5's zip setup is especially good over other brands with 'no fuss fast closure'.

Summary
The SG5 is a fantastic performance wetsuit. If you find your winter surfing is lacking, then this suit is the answer you're looking for.

To find out more on the SG5 check out Billabong.com which has a good interactive web presentation with an animated Taj giving the run down. The site also has a handy Google maps store locator and going to a store is vital to get the best fit.

Thanks to Steve Ross at Wicks Surf Shop Collaroy, 02 9971-0760, for his assistance during the review.