Surf-Fur Water Parka Review

I ordered a Surf-Fur reversible waterproof parka through Matuse before winter solstice, and had to wait a long, long time for it to arrive. It seems it was "stuck in Customs" for more than a month, or so they told me when periodically queried. The long hooded coat is billed as being waterproof, and several opportunities for its use came and went while I waited. My MINI Cooper S may be 3 years old already, but I still don't want to get seawater all over the cloth seat when I drive between breaks in a dripping wetsuit. It's bad enough that I've got half the beach on the floor.

Finally the coat arrived last week. Although the Matuse rep assured me that Small was my size (I fit various criteria for either XS or S), the arms are far too long, and I have to roll up the thick cuffs. On the plus side, there's ample room for changing into my wetsuit underneath, using the through-slits inside the large pockets. The amount of time I spend shivering in the cold is reduced, for less pre-surf pre-chill. Finishing a surf session yesterday in the rain, I decided to test the coat's waterproof claim by driving home without changing into dry clothes. It's a half an hour drive, but the waterproof parka lived up to its name, protecting the car's interior from my drippy self.

So far so good, but there are a couple of quality issues with the coat. There's an interior pocket meant for an iPod or key, but my coat came with the velcro closure partially detached and a hole in the stitching of the pocket that looks unintentional (and through which a key would fall). I examined the rest of the coat carefully and found no other defects. Since I'm not planning to use that add-on anyway, I opted not to send it back (after all, how many more months would I have to wait for a replacement?!).

I think the Surf-Fur will be a useful addition to my regular surfing gear, especially in the cold months. I just wish it had arrived at the start of winter instead of near its end.