Features

Jersey

Tough and less expensive

Won’t have the “silky” hand feel that the Yamamoto suits have…

Liquid sealed seams

Reduces the inflow of water through seams and pinholes from sewing needles

Reduces flexibility and can delaminate if left in the sun to bake 

Extra durable knee pads

Won’t delaminate or fail as easily for guys that drag a knee when popping up or push under waves using their knee on the tail

Slightly less flexible

Watertight zip 

Reduces leakage through zipper teeth

Water will still get in the wetsuit (slowly), but this is how it’s meant to work.  The other tradeoff is it’s a bit more expensive than the non-water-tight zips

Triple glued + blindstitched construction

No buildup around seams to give you a rash

More expensive and hand-constructed, so if there’s human error (missing a spot of glue for example), it can sometimes be felt in the form of water seepage/leaking or even failed seams (warranty will cover for 1 year)

Internal neoprene taped seams

Adds strength to the seams and helps prevent additional water seepage/leaking

More expensive to produce.  Can limit flexibility (though not as much as liquid seal treatment), and sometimes will delaminate if not taken care of (left in the sun) or wasn’t properly glued at the factory (warranty will cover)

Thermal lining

Adds warmth

Adds weight - particularly as the hydrophobic (water repelling) coating wears off over time and the thermal lining begins to absorb more water.  This is normal, but is also why we’ve limited the amount of thermal lining to key areas of the torso and legs.