That sucks about your mormon friends. I still would bet that infidelity is pretty low with mormons.
Northern California has about the same frigid water as Oregon. But consider, that as you get better, you will be spending less time fully submerged in the water (from falling). Also, being on and paddling a surf board in a 4/3 suit when the air temps reach 80 could be quite uncomfortable. There are many other factors to consider in your wet suit selection but a good fit is probably one of the most important...
When I was in high school, I used to scuba dive in the NW. I started with a zippered quarter inch suit, but when I outgrew that, a guy in the dive club made me a 3/8 inch think suit with no zippers. That was a tough one to put on, and once on, I could hardly wait to get in the water as it was so very hot.
BTW... Since our coast is a popular habitat for Mr Great White, you might want to get some lettering on your suit that says "Not Edible".
