I ended up buying the E-Bomb 3 Pro Jacket (1mm) because of my Matuse Philo (1mm) jacket was way too tight and stiff. According to RipCurl, the E-Bomb 3 jacket is the most flexible jacket they’ve ever built. The E-Bomb 3’s seams provide maximum stretch and the 100% E3 offers top notch comfort, flexibility, and warmth. By E3, they mean the third generation Elastomax super stretch neoprene, which has evolved over the years providing increased warm, durability, and flexibility.

I’d have to say I’ve been using my E-Bomb Pro jacket almost every day (yes, I get very cold even in Hawaii with our constant trade winds) and have to say that it keeps me comfortably warm for most of the windy/colder days. The E3 neoprene is pretty close to the way RipCurl describes it…this is probably the best jacket top I’ve tried so far…almost like not having anything on and definitely built better than Xcel’s neoprene jackets. Like most jackets, the E-Bomb Pro comes with a shock cord waist so you can tighten the bottom of the jacket to lock in heat and keep you warmer. This particular cord can also attach to your board shorts as these jackets can get ripped off you in bigger more powerful surf…I’ve personally haven’t attached them to my shorts yet.

The only downside to my E-Bomb jacket is the store clerk suggested I buy a medium though I normally wear a small. Not sure if it’s because I have wide shoulders but the E-Bomb Pro fits well on my torso but the sleeves are too long…I guess that’s better than having a tight fitting jacket around your arm pits. Also on very cold north wind days in Hawaii, this jacket could probably use an extra mm for added warmth…I’ve taken this out on those super cold Hawaii days and frozen my butt off in the E-Bomb though I think I need to get a 2mm jacket or spring suit for those types of days.