Rip Curl launches the H-Bomb: "world's first heated wetsuit"

Although late October typically conjures thoughts about the upcoming ski season, Rip Curl is hoping to please those So Cal / Hawaiian residents by giving you one less reason to ditch the waves this winter. Announcing the "world's first heated wetsuit," the H-Bomb (no relation to the F-Bomb) looks like your average neoprene wetsuit at first glance, but beneath the back lies twin Li-ion cells which are used to generate heat and keep surfers warm on those chilly days at the beach. The suit has two settings -- low (120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit) and high (140 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit) -- and utilizes "thin layers" of internal fabric to "spread the heat evenly and protect your skin." While we're certainly fans of staying toasty, strapping a pair of potentially explosive batteries onto one's back doesn't exactly sound inviting, but hopefully these won't be subject to any detrimental recalls anyway.

[Via Pocket Lint]

[Leon Lamle @ Oct 26th 2006 9:19PM]

This could be great when I go diving. and even if it does explode, i wouldnt worry so much seeing as how im surrounded by water...

[Henry @ Oct 26th 2006 9:35PM]

Alkalai metals exposed to water... not a good thing.

[Leon Lamle @ Oct 26th 2006 9:36PM]

right... i fogot that fun science lab...

[Arthur @ Oct 26th 2006 9:37PM]

i'm sure that since a big company is releasing this, they've done enough testing to make sure that even through wear and tear the batteries won't be exposed to the water.

sounds like a great idea! it'd sure keep going back to the beach.

I wonder what the battery life time is and if they come in full length or just spring suit sizes.

[NeoteriX @ Oct 27th 2006 1:22PM]

"i'm sure that since a big company is releasing this, they've done enough testing to make sure that even through wear and tear the batteries won't be exposed to the water."

Hah, because NO "big company" ever released a product without enough testing to ensure it was completely safe...

*cough* SONY *cough*

[Michael @ Oct 26th 2006 9:47PM]

What's wrong with just peeing in your wetsuit?

[Chris @ Oct 26th 2006 10:03PM]

Right...Li-Ion cells in water.

Company announces new product, with the tag line: "Nothing keeps you warmer than fire."

[scabby @ Oct 26th 2006 10:50PM]

I imagine that the surfer who wears this will only be a heated treat on a ritz for some great whites, or have the battery on their back melt down.

Maybe Sony has found a new client for their exploding batteries!

[RWD fan @ Oct 26th 2006 10:57PM]

Probably not the greatest name for a product that one might take through a TSA checkpoint at an airport...

[Mephistophelian @ Oct 26th 2006 11:44PM]

Shark bait anyone?

Wouldn't the electrical current be detectable and be worthy of closer inspection by a shark?

[rob vassallo @ Nov 1st 2006 4:01AM]

The elements are made from a carbon fibre..no metal as conventional heat elements... there is very little electrmagnetic field detected, next to zero.....the element does not produce voltage, only heat.. hard to make sense but this is new technology & it is here...

see www.jett.us.com
same technology is used in their heating vests

[Nic @ Oct 27th 2006 12:40AM]

"An interesting series of tests on sharks were run by a scientist named KALMIJN in 1971. He successfully demonstrated that sharks and rays use electro sensors to find prey buried in sand. He buried live flatfish. When sharks were stimulated to feed, they would go to the exact spot in the sand and dig out the flatfish. Kalmijn then substituted a charged wire electrode for the flatfish. The sharks would tenaciously dig to the electrode and return time and time again even though they found no prey."

[Halfcabbage @ Oct 27th 2006 11:00AM]

"The elements are made of fibre there�s no metal here so there�s no electromagnetic field generated by any metal component and there�s no metal to corrode when it�s in salt water and you�re in the barrel."

dont think shark attacks or battery explosion a problem here people...

[Zizz @ Oct 27th 2006 1:59AM]

If you really wear this, you are truly a douche kook.

[Trigger hippY @ Oct 27th 2006 3:11AM]

I'm pretty sure Rip Curl tested the hell out of this wetsuit before they decided it was ready. With us Americans so ready to sue over anything, any reputable company would make sure their products work under the conditions as advertised. I really like the idea of this wetsuit and I bet the East Coast surfers and bodyboarders would really appreciate this wetsuit. Everyone knocking this product needs to kick back and quit being such luddites. This wetsuit could revolutionize wetsuit technology. BTW, contrary to what the article says, Hawaii has tropical weather so they don't need to wear wetsuits. Lucky Bastards.

[Wonderboy @ Oct 27th 2006 9:47AM]

Surfers, surfers, surfers... you know there are other people who use wetsuits besides surfers. In fact for those geographically uninformed, the vast majority of this country does not touch the ocean.

My brother is a hard-core water-skier, competes somtimes, goes out for fun more often. Every couple of years he and his buddies will have a New Years water-ski trip... they'll go out to the lake in Utah, break up the ice near the bank, and launch the boat. I'm going to have to send him this info, I'm sure he'd really appreciate all the warmth he can get while nearly freezing to death.

[Matt @ Oct 27th 2006 12:16PM]

You must have never been to the beach in Maine .Im an Aussie that likes to surf occasionally and can spend at least 45mins in the 50 degree Maine waters in Summer before I have to get out.This would be great for the New Hampshire winter surfers also .

[Arthur @ Oct 27th 2006 5:58PM]

well, wet suits and computer hardware are totally different things... plus sony's testing things didn't really have to do with endangering a human life (those batteries could seriously hurt someone if they came in contact with water)

but I see your point. haha

[Lee Gibson @ Oct 27th 2006 2:29PM]

You mean a big company like Sony? Yeah, somebody that size would never release a faulty product...

[BigJeffW @ Oct 27th 2006 6:41PM]

Actually, this is quite closely related to the F-bomb. Check it out on their product page right here: http://www.ripcurl.com/products/gallery.asp?action=viewimage&categoryid=470&text=&imageid=3164&box=&shownew=.

Nice suit, but I couldn't bear the thought of showing up at the beach with F-bomb emblems proudly emblazoned on my suit.

[DjFIL @ Oct 27th 2006 7:05PM]

Would this be bad for my junk? similar to the heat of a laptop?

[Lin W @ Oct 28th 2006 3:16AM]

Is it really 120 - 130 and 140 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit? Isn't our body temperature 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (I'm converting from Celsius here, at first I thought I used the wrong equation). I would think maintaining the suit at maybe 30 - 40 degrees Celcius (86 - 104 degrees Fahrenheit), which is around body temperature is plenty 'warm'.
If the temperature indicated is actually correct, then it would be very, very hot in there. And if the water was, say 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), then there would be a 100 degrees Fahrenheit difference. This means that if parts of your body were exposed (calves, lower arm, etc) they would feel extremely cold.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this suit a little too toasty (perhaps actually in the water it will be cooled down), and at these temperatures, I wonder how long the battery will last.

[gary @ Nov 10th 2006 8:52AM]

Great idea,

Anything that keeps you warmer in the water and prolongs your session is a good idea. Only thing is my hands and feet get cold a lot quicker than the rest of my body, and this is what drives me out of the water. Maybe heated gloves or boots would be a more sensible idea. Wetsuit technology itself is so good now that i can surf in 4 degrees C water in a 4/3mm Ripcurl suit for an hour without my body getting cold, eventually being driven in by cold hands and feet. Thinner warmer gloves should be the next big thing. Less resistance when paddling and longer in the water.

[John @ Dec 13th 2006 4:52PM]

Zizz said it all: "If you really wear this, you are truly a douche kook."

[boil @ Jan 10th 2007 3:35AM]

What about a price? According to http://360guide.info/wetsuits/rip-curl-h-bomb-turn-on-the-heat-2.html it will be 1000$, would you buy one?