Mystic Winter Wetsuits 2020/21: Which one is right for you?

Every collection needs a theme, a concept to build around. When the Mystic design team created the new Winter 20/21 collection, they looked out of the window, to their roots… to the North Sea.

Their concept of looking to extend the season and enjoy their local beaches now seems even more apt after a unique summer for us all. With the right kit… Mystic kit… the North Sea is your playground this winter.

“Life in the North is demanding - your gear is the difference between embracing and excluding Mother Nature. Therefore we craft products to help make these feelings, these sessions last. People say this world is big beyond measure, but somehow this will always be our home. Our playground, our inspiration, our genesis of life. Our beloved North Sea.”

Where many brands lay claim to living the sports, the Mystic team is a motley crew of kiters, surfers, windsurfers, all living the sport, all getting twitchy when the forecast is right, and the office is suspiciously empty when the surf calls. This comes across clear as day in the products they create, because they create them and use them as a team.

Even as a team of product designers, graphic designers, team riders, sales guys and marketers, they are all individuals… and this is the same with the product range. Something to suit everyone, and making the right selection is key to unlocking Winter’s potential.

To help you decide which suit is for you, we put it to the Mystic team to show us their personal picks for the Winter season, asking them why, and we hope it helps you make the choice between Majestic and Marshall, Dazzled and Diva. We tried to keep it free of marketing buzzwords and make it about why the suit or accessories work best for them.

Max - Mystic Brand Director

Up first we have the big guns, Max Blom Jnr, the boss. Max leads from the front, a part of the brand since Day 1, an avid waterman whose passion is what fires Mystic forward.

One subtle difference between Mystic and their competition is their “Sample Size”: Mystic use Large, everyone else uses Medium… Why? Max and his core team fit Large…

“Winter time is always exciting since the Dutch conditions are always getting better. Autumn storms are hitting us quite often so this means strong wind and bigger waves. Over the years we have developed a complete range of equipment to protect against the cold so it’s never really an issue. My favourite suit is the Voltt Hooded as I can both kite and surf with that. The attached hood works best for me. The Majestic boots give me good grip on my board, and while once out of the water I like to get comfortable with the Poncho Deluxe, cosy!”

Products: Voltt 6/4/3mm Hooded, Majestic 5mm Split Toe Boots, Supreme 5mm Pre Curved Gloves, Poncho Deluxe

Sports: Kitesurf & Surf

Barend – Head of Product

Next up the Head of Product at Mystic, Barend Hinterman. Also a big part of the brand’s history, he is a childhood friend of Max Blom and has been with Mystic just as long. Known for his nomadic style, always seeking, always following the surf on his time off. Brand meetings in Hossegor, factory sourcing trips ending in Bali, you get the idea.
Pretty much living in a wetsuit means there is not much Barend does not know about the technical side of neoprene either. Here is his choice for winter:

"Got to be the 6/5/4 Voltt Hooded for the cold days in the surf, then Supreme Boots and Star Open Palms to keep the direct feel on the bar. 4/3mm One Zip Free on the average days where the sun is out and things are less extreme - this is such a cool suit working with a small scale custom factory, proud of this one! Then afterwards our new 2021 Teddy Poncho I have been testing, so warm, nice to get some cuddles! You will see this in Spring 2021, it's something to look forward to!"

Products: Voltt 6/4/3mm Hooded, One 4/3mm Zip Free, Supreme 5mm Split Toe Boots, Star Open Palm Mitts, Poncho Teddy 2021 (Coming Soon)

Sports: Kitesurf & Surf

Jalou Langeree - International Athlete

Now for some professional advice, Jalou Langeree, probably the biggest name in female kitesurfing and part of a dynasty of Langerees leading the sport forward. Famous for her style in the surf, Jalou also tends to jet off to warmer climates for the Winter, but not this year. This year, she and her Diva will be shredding colder climates like the rest of us.

"I don’t know if I’ll be able to spend my winter in Cape Town this year, but what I do know is that the Mystic Diva will keep me warm throughout the Dutch winter if I end up staying at home. The Diva feels like a second skin: it's smooth and flexible around my body, which allows me to move freely and stay warm, so the motivation stays there on the dark and colder days. Get out there!"

Products: Diva 5/3mm Front Zip, Supreme 5mm Split Toe Boots, Marshall 3mm Pre Curved Gloves, Women's Poncho

Sports: Kitesurf & Surf

Oswald Smith - International Athlete

Oswald Smith, Ozzie! One of the most extreme athletes out there right now. One of the rare few who is riding just for that feeling of stoke, nothing more. An athlete fighting One of the most extreme set of conditions on the planet, South African winter. One of those athletes from whom getting a quote that is PG enough to put in a blog is completely impossible.

So from the amount of times we have now typed “One” it is probably clear Ozzie is repping The One 5/3mm Zip Free suit this winter. Here is his take…

“Straight from Mars, Pluto, Venus, call it what you want. She works and it’s out of this world!”

Products: The One 5/3mm Zip Free, Majestic 3mm Split Toe Boots, Supreme 5mm Gloves, Poncho Deluxe Explore

Sports: Kitesurf & Surf

Camille Delannoy - International Athlete

The One is in such high demand that, just before we pressed send on this blog, we had another response from Camille Delannoy, the youngest of our Pro team.

"The One is my go-to wetsuit. The One I wear all the time, every session, no matter the conditions. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else."

Products: The One 5/3mm Zip Free, Supreme 5mm Split Toe Boots, Supreme 5mm Gloves, Poncho Deluxe Explore, Supreme 3mm Hood

Sports: Kitesurf & Surf

Lex Balladon - Wake Ambassador

Lex Balladon is next up. She is one of our top UK female ambassadors for Mystic, wakeboarding and surfing as much as she can get out through the summer and the winter too.

"Wakeboarding in England gets pretty cold throughout the winter, with the lakes dropping right down in temperature, so I need a suit that’s going to allow me to continue riding. The Mystic Diva has kept me warm through countless winters and lets me keep on wakeboarding. I’ve even pushed it to two-hour surf sessions where I’ve had to scrape ice off the car to get to the beach, and it has never failed me. This is truly a perfect winter suit and keeps me doing what I love through the dark and cold months."

Products: Diva 5/3mm Front Zip , Star Womens Wake Vest, Women's Poncho, Norris Bag, MK8 Helmet

Sports: Wakeboard & Surf

Scott Taylor - Senior Team, Watersports World (UK/Ireland Distributors for Mystic)

So by now, if you are still unsure which suit you need, you are really down to the leftovers in terms of advice: just my picks left to show you.

Who is the guy writing the blog? My name is Scott and I am part of the senior team at Watersports World UK, the UK and Ireland distributor for Mystic, having worked closely with them for over a decade.

In general it is impossible to pick, especially when you have the luxury of not having to. So consider this more of a way to answer "Which suit for which occasion?"

Voltt 6/4/3mm Hooded: This has been picked out a lot above, and really is the go-to for the coldest of days. I used the previous version all last winter whilst learning to kitesurf, taking slams and drinking my fair share of sea water. Venturing out in January and February across the UK, I am pretty confident in saying this suit is insane, too hot maybe, so if you feel the cold or like to ride for hours and hours, this should be a go-to option.

Majestic 5/3mm Front Zip: This will be my main suit for Winter 20/21, they are just about to arrive this week, so whilst typing this I am scanning WindGuru and Magicseaweed to find somewhere to test it out. 5mm and no hood make it a little more useful for most winter days than the Voltt, and new for 2021 we have our Yamamoto neoprene, limestone-based, the best in the business, which I am stoked to test out.

Then finally (yes, 3 suits is excessive, but it's a perk of the job, and means I can give you the best advice) the One 4mm Zipfree. I am nowhere near brave enough to try and get away with riding the White version, but in Black this thing looks killer. For the freshwater sports like wakeboarding or wakesurfing, where the sessions are shorter but a bit more active, this thing rips! Super easy to get on and off, because the thermal liner is just in the core and not on the arms, and just a tonne of flex… If I could use this for every session I would. Sadly I doubt the British winter will play ball, and the Majestic or Voltt will be called for.

Sports: Kitesurf & Wakeboard

And the rest of the best…

As for the other suits in the range, one thing to note is that every single person above, including myself, has not paid for a wetsuit in years, maybe even decades, so of course we are drawn to the best suits on offer. Therefore, I think it is worth noting what the Marshall & Dazzled, and the Star and Star Womens bring to the table. Each one of them sells many more units than the higher-end alternatives, and simply put, this is because they offer a tonne of value. The Star 5mm costs 50% less than the Majestic 5mm, but it is for sure not half the suit.

If we had the luxury of being face to face with every customer, we would show you Mystic by firstly handing you the Star 5/3mm, and proudly telling you this is the worst suit we make. A weird start to a sales pitch, you might think, but once you get your hands on the MFlex neoprene, give it a stretch and then see that it has way more thermal liner than our competitors do at this price point… you'd soon understand why we'd do this. The fact is the Star 5mm offers what 90% of us really need to get through the winter: warmth and stretch, job done. If you have a bit more to spend, then sure you can improve on it, but the Star will not disappoint.

What about the Marshall? This is our best selling Front Zip, what the Star does for the Back Zip customer, the Marshall does for the Front Zip customer. Using the same MFlex neoprene, but now with added Fox Fleece thermal lining, the Marshall has been a go-to for the mid-range customer over the last 12 months since we launched it. Updated for Winter 20/21, there is a killer new look, same great price, and all the same building blocks of its past success. That clean, simple Mystic look that makes us stand out without shouting seems to be a big hit. If I could pick one suit to suggest for every customer, it would be this one or the Dazzled for the ladies, then if budget allows maybe take a look at its bigger brother.

Hopefully this helped you pick the right suit for you. If not, we have given the team at Wetsuit Outlet all the product training they need, so they are on standby to answer any questions and get you kitted up.

This will for sure be a unique winter, one where the freedoms we once took for granted will be enjoyed and savoured more by us all, grab the right suit and get out there!

Written by Scott Taylor, Watersports World UK

Shop all Mystic here.