Wetsuit? OK, my $.02...

I grew up in San Diego. Started surfing when I was 10. I've surfed practically every good spot (and some not so good ones) from Pismo Beach to Cabo San Lucas. Then I moved to Northern California. Problem: the water is too cold! It's "ice cream headache" cold. I hate it. So I stopped surfing. A wet suit is called a "wet suit" because the water gets in next to your skin, every time you go under--and it freezing. 60 degree water in the heat of the summer is a "warm" water day. No fun. So... unless you're very tolerant of the cold anything less than a full suit (that's full arms and legs plus booties and a hood) and you're going to freeze your butt off. I'd say stick with the kilt stuff and head south in the summer to get a taste of the ocean without a wet suit. A light, full arm and leg suit is OK in SoCal during the winter, but here in NorCal it's all or extreme discomfort all the year round.