Noel Salas fra Surf'n Show anmelder Xcel Comp X og Drylock X Våtdrakter
21.08.2018
I denne episoden av Surf'n Show snakker han med Lance Varon, som er design director for Xcel Wetsuits. De snakker om våtdraktene Comp X og Drylock. Lance går i dybden og forklarer hva TDC - Thermo Dry Celliant-foringen er og hvordan den gir deg ekstra varme. De snakker om viktigheten av passform og design, engineered fit og hvorfor "fit is everything". De snakker om fordeler og ulemper med de ulike draktene, og samtidig viktigheten av å ha en våtdrakt som sitter riktig. Her får vi gode og ærlige tilbakemeldinger fra Noel, og spennende innsikt i Xcels banebrytende research på foring og materialer.
Her kan du lese Noels tilbakemelding:
Xcel was gracious enough to give me a couple of Comp X wetsuits (3/2mm and 4/3mm) to test this winter in 13-16°C water with cold offshore winds. I first tested the 3/2mm in 16°C water and to my surprise, I was pretty warm with a little 2-4’ South swell running. The 3/2mm Comp X is very comfortable, and the flexibility feels like a 2mm wetsuit.
As the water temps dropped into the high 50’s (ca 13°C) I had to put on the 4/3mm Comp X and it was very comfortable with incredible flexibility for a 4/3mm. The Flexibility of the 4/3mm wetsuit is comparable to other 3/2mm wetsuits I have worn by other manufacturers.
All in all the Xcel Comp X wetsuit in both the 3/2mm and 4/3mm are very comfortable with excellent flexibility and I highly recommend them both.
Xcel’s ethos has always been to make products that they want to use themselves and this leads the design process into new products engineered from the top down with the three main considered components being the material, construction and design. Most surfers look for a lightweight wetsuit that is super stretchy, with a better range of motion for surfing, while maintaining warmth. Xcel’s Comp-X wetsuit ticked all the boxes for the perfect surfing suit and was awarded the SIMA Wetsuit of the Year.
Innovation is always at the forefront of thinking, and Xcel’s head designer Lance Varon explains how “the natural body position isn’t straight, it has bends in the knees and elbows”. For this reason, Lance goes on to explain how Xcel wetsuits utilise curved and minimal seams to create an engineered fit that matches the body’s neutral position with a contour in the hips, and pre-bent knees and elbows.
“Performance is always taking priority over fashion, never is there any unnecessary seams just to add a colour panel. The Comp suit has one large panel on the front and back for maximum range of motion. Less Seams = More Stretch”
In the search for inspiration to improve the materials used, Lance decided to attend a medical trade show. At this show, he came across a company called Hologenix who have a product called Celliant.
Celliant (Thermo Dry Celliant) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical devise and general wellness product used to produce an increase in local blood flow at the site of application thereby increasing energy, boosting performance and speeding muscle recovery. All this Infrared transformation is what also enhances the warmth level to the body which was quantified by Lance during his research using Flir camera (infrared images showing body heat) and thermo couplers (measuring the core temperature of the body).
The patented blend of thermo-reactive minerals is ground down to a micron level powder and infused into the core of the fibre used in Xcel Wetsuits. These minerals do not wash or wear out, and as soon as the Xcel lining touches your skin, the fabric goes to work absorbing and converting body heat into infrared that is recycled back into the skin and tissue. The effect is clinically proven to help the body increase energy, endurance, stamina and performance.
The use of a Celliant (TDC) smart fiber in wetsuit design is a first ever and an Xcel exclusive. Extra warmth from a thinner material allows for a better and more lightweight wetsuit.
