Last fall, I put the Billabong Furnace Natural Women’s Wetsuit to its first test in unusually chilly water temps at Huntington Beach, northside of the pier. The waves were tiny, and the sun was out, so it took many more sessions to find out the true benefits and why I’d call this wetsuit 2025’s best one yet.

After trips down to overcast Trestles, carrying it dry and soaking wet in my backpack, or paddling the moving carpet that is River Jetties in Newport Beach, this wetsuit saw all different breaks and weather. Ironically, this season’s water temperatures in Southern California reached hardly anything above 61 degrees, with an average sticking around 58, but the Furnace prevailed.

Billabong includes a SMART neoprene, which is located all throughout the core of the suit, where keeping in heat matters most,  and is made from recyclable materials. To minimize its environmental impact, Billabong has transitioned its suits to FSC-certified natural rubber sourced from the Hevea trees. Some brands might tout sustainability, but it is often at the expense of stretch and weight. But the Billabong Furnace Natural showed me that sustainability and performance are no longer at odds – the suit is surprisingly stretchy and lightweight, which made it perfect for trekking to breaks like Trestles.