Vissla

Vissla · Hooded Chest-zip Wetsuit

Vissla North Seas 5.5/4.5 Hooded Review

9.0/ 10 Aggregate score

9.0

Average price$410Range $409.95–$409.95 across 1 retailersSee sources

The North Seas is the warmest suit Vissla makes, and the 5.5/4.5 hooded chest zip is the top of that line. Japanese limestone I-Foam Premium neoprene, full Brain Fuzz thermal lining and a PK S-LOCK watertight chest zip, listed at USD 409.95.

View on Vissla

Quick specs

Thickness: 5.5 mm body / 4.5 mm limbs
Entry: Chest zip with Cris-X panels, PK S-LOCK watertight zipper
Hood: Integrated
Neoprene: I-Foam Premium, Japanese limestone based
Lining: Full body thermal and hollow-fibre Brain Fuzz
Seams: Triple glued, Power Seam external sealant, Neo 2.0 tape

Vissla positions the North Seas as an ode to the cold water surfer. It uses the same premium eco materials as the High Seas line, then adds the features that buy warmth and durability: the thicker layup, the hood, the external Power Seam sealant and a watertight chest zip.

The rubber is I-Foam Premium, a Japanese limestone based neoprene Vissla describes as its lightest, warmest and stretchiest. Inside, a full body thermal lining and hollow-fibre Brain Fuzz hold heat and dry quickly.

Detailing includes glideskin at the neck, liquid-taped cuffs, Supratex knee panels and smoothy panels to shed wind and water, all of which target flushing rather than raw thickness.

Pros & cons

Vissla's warmest construction, built around the hooded 5.5/4.5 layup
Full internal thermal lining dries fast, which matters for back-to-back sessions
Solvent-free lamination and upcycled nylon exterior across the range
Chest-zip Cris-X panel design is one of the easier thick suits to get into

USD 409.95 puts it at the top of Vissla's wetsuit pricing
Hooded 5.5/4.5 is overkill for anything above roughly 10 °C
The published 9/10 review covers the North Seas 5/4 hooded, not this exact thickness
Thick suits always cost some paddling range, whatever the rubber

How it surfs

GetFoamie's reviewer scored the North Seas hooded suit 9 out of 10 after using it through winter on the west coast of Canada, saying they were never cold in it and calling it the easiest wetsuit they have owned to put on.

That review covers the 5/4 hooded version. The 5.5/4.5 shares the same materials and construction and simply adds half a millimetre, so treat the review as evidence for the platform rather than for this exact thickness.

The suit was redesigned in 2022 with fewer panels for easier entry and more stretch, which is the change most reviewers point to when they describe the current version as unusually easy to get into for a thick hooded suit.

Volume & sizing chart

Use the chart below as a starting point. Add half a litre if you are less experienced, subtract half a litre for a looser feel.

Size	Volume	Rider weight	Best for
5.5/4.5 hooded	Coldest sessions	Winter high latitudes	All levels
5/4 hooded	Cold winter	Sub-10 °C water	All levels
4/3	Cool water	Roughly 12–17 °C	All levels
3/2	Mild water	Roughly 16–20 °C	All levels

How it compares

Board	Best at	Wave range	Aggregate score
Vissla 7 Seas 4/3	Everyday cool-water steamer	12–17 °C	8.8
Vissla High Seas II 3/2	Warmer-water flexibility	16–20 °C	8.8
Rip Curl Flashbomb Heatseeker 5/4 Hooded	Fastest-drying cold-water suit	Sub-10 °C	9.4

Verdict

A proper cold-water suit rather than a thicker version of a mid-range one. The materials, sealing and lining are all aimed at the same problem, and the one published independent review of the hooded North Seas rates it 9 out of 10. Only buy it if your winter water genuinely justifies a hood.

Aggregate score: 9.0 / 10

Aggregated from 2 independent sources — see full list below.

What reviewers around the web are saying

Surfex does not test gear directly. Below are independent retailer and editorial sources. When a source publishes a numeric score, it is normalized to a five-point scale; otherwise the source is listed without a score.

Aggregate score

9.0/ 10

9.0

2 sources

Source	Score	Summary
GetFoamie — Vissla North Seas hooded review	9.0 9 / 10	"Very warm, super comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Used primarily on the west coast of Canada and I've never been cold in it, even in the middle of winter."
Vissla official product page	No numeric score	"Vissla's warmest and most water tight suit, featuring I-Foam Premium neoprene, full body thermal and hollow fiber Brain Fuzz lining, PK S-LOCK watertight chest zip and Power Seam external seam sealant."

Where to buy & average price

Listed prices come from verified retailer pages. The average price below is an unweighted mean of verified retailer prices — converted to USD (≈) when retailers list in different currencies. Click any retailer to verify the native-currency price.

Average price

$410

$409.95–$409.95 · 1 retailers

Retailer	Price	vs. average
Vissla	$409.95	-$0.05	Visit

Frequently asked questions

How warm is the Vissla North Seas 5.5/4.5 hooded?+

It is the warmest suit Vissla builds, with a 5.5 mm body, 4.5 mm limbs, an integrated hood, full thermal lining and triple-glued seams sealed externally with Power Seam.

How much does it cost?+

Vissla lists the North Seas 5.5/4.5 full hooded chest zip at USD 409.95.

What neoprene does Vissla use?+

I-Foam Premium, a Japanese limestone based neoprene, with an upcycled Nylon XTEND exterior and solvent-free AquaA water-based lamination.

Is the North Seas easy to get into?+

The 2022 redesign cut panel count for easier entry, and the GetFoamie reviewer called it the easiest wetsuit they have owned to put on despite the thickness.

North Seas or 7 Seas?+

The 7 Seas is the everyday cool-water line. The North Seas uses the same materials but adds hood, thicker rubber and extra sealing for genuinely cold winters.

When is a hooded 5.5/4.5 too much suit?+

Above roughly 10 °C most surfers overheat in it. A 4/3 covers the 12 to 17 °C band far more comfortably.