Sophia Surf Jacket Review

A recent email received by a Matuse customer

The first time I surfed in the Matuse Sophia I was surprised! The jacket felt comfortable, stuck to my body through extreme movements, and there was never any flushing. The material itself has a nice smell (normally I think new suits smell a little toxic), and after a summer of use, it retains the original softness – not taking on any of the “salts” or sand. The lower back zipper provides a nice snug fit around the hips and could only be improved by adding a snap to keep the cord from dangling on the riders’ backside!

The Sophia fit nicely through my ribs and back, but seemed a little tight on my shoulders and biceps. Although it felt tight in those areas, my natural stroke in the water was uninhibited. The shorter neck, and v-cut was a nice surprise that freed-up the suit to lay flat when paddling (rather than bunch up at the back of your neck).

The Sophia jacket keeps me as warm as my 2mm short arm full suit, which I normally wear throughout the summer. I have been purchasing and complaining about high-end wetsuits for 10 years now and this is one of the first products that provided warmth beyond just the first ten minutes of a session. My past experience with wetsuits led me to believe that it is unreasonably hard to find a women’s suit that fits good and keeps me warm but the Sophia has changed my mind. It’s nice to put on a wetsuit that just allows me to go out and surf, which is exactly what this jacket does. All in all I think the Sophia is a well cut, quality product that makes use of natural materials over toxic ones, appealing to hard core surfers that are not willing to compromise on fit, stretch and durability.

Renee Robertson