2010 O’Neill Mutant Wetsuit Review
The 2010 O'Neill Mutant available in 3/2 4/3 and 5/4
When O’Neill first introduced the Mutant wetsuit line, more than a few people were skeptical. Chest zip wetsuits were either for the ultra-skinny or contortionists whose spines were more like a slinky than bone. Chest zip wetsuits didn’t exactly have a reputation for being easy to wear, if anything, a chest zip wetsuit was something to be avoided. Then, everything changed.
There was no way I was going to fit into a chest zip wetsuit. I am short, I wear a Medium Small wetsui (MS) and I have always had problems with how tight wetsuits were around my chest a shoulder. A medium short wetsuit just isn’t made for a guy with a 41′ chest and there’s no way a chest zip was going to work. I tried a chest zip in 2004, I think it was a Rip Curl, it tore the first time I tried to put it over my shoulders. But 5 years later and it’s a new story. My favorite wetsuit is a chest-zip wetsuit (Mutant 3/2 M). It was a little awkward at first, but I have been rewarded for my patience.
When the Mutant first came out, there was a lot of buzz. I thought it was going to be a lot of hype but it turned out to be the real deal. This is the second year for O’Neill’s Mutant wetsuits and there will be many years of O’Neill Mutant love if they keep up the good work… now onto the review
O’Neill Mutant – The Good
As you know, a zipper doesn’t stretch. When you eliminate the back zipper, you get a whole new kind of stretch happening in the back of a wetsuit you’ve never felt before. When you first paddle out, you will notice the difference immediately. You get a vertical and horizontal stretch in the back that backzip wetsuits, no matter how well made, can not achieve. Hold your back zip wetsuit at the back of the neck and the crotch, now stretch it. Do the same thing with a chest zip wetsuit and you will see how much of a difference there really is. It is an amazing amount of back stretch gained by switching from a back zip wetsuit to a front zip wetsuit.
O'Neill Mutant Hood - Free with any O'Neill Mutant wetsuit
Interchangeable necks and hoods are nice. Each O’Neill Mutant comes with a detachable neck and hood. Unlike many chest zip wetsuits, the O’Neill Mutant zips in the front and the back. You’re only going to use the zipper in the back when you change out the neck for an attached hood, but what an improvement! If you’re one of the people who needs to wear a hood where you live, I highly recommend the O’Neill Mutant. No water gets under the hood, because it’s a part of the wetsuit. You will not find an after market hood that is going to be this water resistant to flushes and wipeouts. When you are not using the hood, the Mutant neck really helps keep water from flushing when you duck-dive and completely eliminates any seeping from a zipper on the back. An excellent design feature that will keep those in chilly waters happy and warm.
Neoprene stretch – O’Neill wetsuits are stretchy and the Mutant is no exception. The O’Neill Mutant utilizes what O’Neill calls their “Fluid Flex Neoprene” what that means to you and me, is a warm wetsuit that has a lot of stretch and is really soft and very comfortable. The Mutant also utilizes O’Neill’s UltraFlex XDS neoprene that stretches 120% . That means a 10 inch piece of UXDS neoprene stretches to 22 inches and maintains its shape – nice.
Mutant Plasma wrist seal
Plasma seals are something that O’Neill has been using for a while now, but it bears repeating. It’s a little piece of this super soft rubberized neoprene seal that helps keep your wrists and ankles from rolling up on you and if you’re using booties or gloves, it provides a little more grip to help keep the water out of your gloves. It’s a small detail that makes a lot of difference where it matters – keeping you warm!
Fluid Seam Welding is almost a standard on the modern wetsuit. They keep out the cold water and keep in the warmth. The O’Neill Mutant wetsuit has single fluid seam welded seams, just like the O’Neill Psycho 1. Having the FSW on one side of the wetsuit is a fine balance of warmth and still maintaining a flexible wetsuit. O’Neill has perfected the fluid seam welding. Even after years of abuse, O’Neill’s fluid seam welding stays soft, flexible and functional. That’s something you can’t say for every wetsuit company.
O’Neill designs their suits to give you the maximum freedom of movement with minimal seams. Did you know that wetsuit companies have patents on their panel designs and that no other wetsuit company can use the O’Neill panel design? After nearly 50 years of making wetsuits, O’Neill has their wetsuit design down to a science (literally) and it shows in a suit that is both flexible, provides a lot of freedom in movement and is amazingly warm for the thickness.
O’Neill Mutant the Not So Good
Usually, I call this the ugly, the things about a wetsuit that could have been done better, but in the case of the O’Neill Mutant, the not so good is a better choice of words. If you are a guy with big shoulders and a large barrel chest, the O’Neill Mutant may not be your best choice for a wetsuit. For me, getting into the Mutant can be a serious struggle. Getting out of the wetsuit sometimes requires I get the help of a friend. Now keep in mind, my chest measurement is 2 inches larger than the largest suggested size for the size I wear. No wetsuit is going to be a perfect fit for everyone and you have to choose where you can give a little, or in my case, take a few. That said, I still wear my Mutant as my main wetsuit. It may be harder to get in and out of the wetsuit, but once I am in the water, all the struggle is worth the extra effort.
O’Neill Mutant – Bottom Line
In case you didn’t already know, the O’Neill Mutant is basically an O’Neill Psycho 1, but in a chest zip model. You get all the features and all the benefits of the Psycho 1 and a hood. The O’Neill Mutant is an excellent value and a phenomenal wetsuit, if you can accept that it’s going to be harder to get into and out of than a backzip wetsuit. While a backzip wetsuit is easier to get into, the O’Neill Mutant is warmer and more flexible than an O’Neil Psycho 1 of the same thickness.
