A wetsuit is a garment that protects the wearer from body heat loss during activities like swimming, kitesurfing, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing and triathlons. The purpose of a wetsuit is to keep the wearer warm and it does this by allowing a thin film of water to stay between the skin and the suit itself.

An explanation on how wetsuit works

Wetsuit catches a thin layer of water (wetsuit should be snug) between your skin and the neoprene. You warm this water with your body heat and it acts as insulation, together with neoprene itself. Neoprene contains lots of air bubbles and air is one of the best insulators out there.

When it comes to diving I should add that wetsuits are less effective in deep water.

What materials are used in wetsuits?

Manufacturers generally use neoprene to make wetsuits. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber fabric with little pockets of gaseous nitrogen. Several pieces of this stretchable material are attached together to form a body hugging garment that those who love water sports cannot do without. The cuffs, leg and neck openings are sealed in such a way that the egress of water is prevented.

Wetsuits come in different thicknesses. The degree of warmth offered by a particular wetsuit depends on the thickness of the neoprene used in its construction. Neoprene thickness varies between 2 mm and 6 mm. Wetsuits can be made of other materials, too, and additional fabrics such as wool and titanium are added for even greater warmth and body heat retention.

The type of stitches is also very important when it comes to wetsuit productions. Normal stitches mean holes in your wetsuits and cold water flushing in. So at the moment the best seams are made using a blindstitch technique and additionally sealed using liquid taping.

To make putting on your wetsuit easier, most of wetsuits have a zipper. Zipper is usually located on the back, but also on the chest and the front of the wetsuit. Then there is also the zipperless wetsuit entry system. Here the entry hole is really stretchy and is later closed with some Velcro.

In some wetsuits, the sleeves and leg portions can be removed from the main body, so the user can customize the suit to his or her requirements. Wetsuits also usually have a nylon lining, or a backing made of stretchable materials such as spandex and lycra, which simplifies putting on and removing the suit.

Types of Wetsuits

There is a wide range of wetsuits available ” shorty, spring suit, full wetsuit, steamer, winter wetsuit etc… The most important thing to bear in mind is that the better a wetsuit fits, the more effective it will be in protecting the wearer from heat loss in situations where the body is constantly losing heat to the water or cold air surrounding it.

Neck, wrists and ankles should also be tight so water can not come in. Just make sure that the wetsuit doesnt obstruct your breathing and that you can move comfortably. If you get the right wetsuit you will be amazed in how low temperatures you can enjoy your water sport.

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