Find out how Flashbomb Fusion performed in the Cryo Arctic Chamber Test...
I am often asked by our customers in our shop: ‘Is the Flashbomb Fusion really the ultimate steamer? It got the crew at Long Reef Surf Co thinking, how could we really put this wetsuit to the test?
Launching in 2023, Rip Curl’s Flashbomb Fusion Wetsuit has been none other than a game changer in the steamer category, utilising "dry-seam" technology to eliminate stitches, which Rip Curl claims will offer greater insulation and warmth, keeping you out for sessions for longer.
For such an innovative wetsuit, we just had to find an innovative way to test it!
So rather than the typical ice-bath review, we were keen to challenge the norms. Why not put the "Ultimate Wetsuit" into the "Ultimate test chamber" - a chamber that goes to a bitterly cold, Arctic-like -140˚C! Our friends nearby at ˚Cryo Northern Beaches had such a chamber and were happy to help us out, so I was in for a chilly treat!
Cryotherapy is a treatment that exposes the body to subzero temperatures to provoke an anti-inflammatory bodily response, which has been proven to provide a range of physical and mental benefits. With liquid nitrogen injected into the Cryo Artic Chamber, the treatment sees temperatures drop as low as -140˚C, meaning it is quite possibly the coldest place you can find in Sydney!
This seemed like the ultimate setup for testing the Fusion wetsuit!
Across 5 separate treatments in the chamber, ranging at temperatures between -120˚C and -140˚C, I was expecting a bitterly cold and miserable experience (while my boss and the rest of the crew looked on warmly with smiles!).
To accurately measure the warmth performance of the Flashbomb Fusion 3/2mm, I was fitted with two temperature "thermo-couple" beads – one fitted on the left pectoral under the wetsuit, measuring the skin temperature when protected by the wetsuit, and the other over the top of the hand, measuring the skin temperature when exposed to the cryotherapy.
Upon stepping out of the chamber, the testing team would quickly insert the thermo-couple wire into a measuring device that could provide the differences in temperature, and ultimately help us in drawing a data-driven conclusion on warmth.
Prior to jumping in the chamber, I would have a temperature reading of both internal and external exposures, with the internal pec thermo-couple reading consistently between 35 - 36˚C.
After completing each 3 minute treatment, the pec thermo-couple was typically measuring within 0.5˚C of the starting temperature, while the temperature on my hands (under cotton gloves) had consistently dropped by over 10˚C.
The result: an almost negligible drop in body temperature on my chest area after 5 back-to-back Cryo chamber sessions, indicating the Fusion was highly productive in insulating and retaining body heat when exposed to extreme cool temperatures!
Overall, I was amazed how the Rip Curl Flashbomb Fusion would retain my body heat! While the exposed areas of my face, hands, neck ankles got bitterly cold, the cold external temps on my core were unnoticeable. In fact, at times I felt quite hot, perhaps from some effect of the cryo on circulating more blood around my body to make up for the coldness on the extremities?
It only takes a short read of Cryotherapy to understand how cold and impactful this treatment is. Therefore, the warmth and insulation of the Rip Curl Flashbomb Fusion must not be underestimated.
We want to share our thanks to Rip Curl Australia for helping out with a test suit and to the amazing team at Cryo Northern Beaches for their space age setup used to achieve this spectacular finding!
