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Choosing a Wetsuit

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Choosing a Wetsuit Choosing the right wetsuit for you can be a tricky process if you don’t know what you are looking for. Without the correct guidance or experience it would be easy to pick a wetsuit based purely on style, much as you would a t-shirt. Although style is worthy of consideration, there are factors that play a far more important role. From enhanced warmth to great comfort and flexibility, each wetsuit has a variety of different features which all perform in different ways. Find the right wetsuit for your sport by exploring our wetsuit guide! Choosing a Wetsuit What Type Of Wetsuits Are There? What Wetsuits Are There For Beginners and Kids? What Wetsuits Are Best For Intermediate/Advanced Riders? What Size Wetsuit Should I Get? What Accessories Are Available For A Wetsuit? What Makes Up A Complete Wetsuit? How To Look After Your Wetsuit CHOOSING A WETSUIT There are a number of factors that need to be considered when choosing the right wetsuit for you. This can include such aspects as the wetsuit thickness, zip entry as well as the seams and stitching. Picking the right combination will form the basis for choosing the right wetsuit. SEASON / WATER TEMPERATURE Season and water temperature is the primary factor in selecting the most suitable cut and thickness of wetsuit for you. Most surf or detailed weather reports for your area will also include the water temperature by day or month or you can look at the average temperatures for your area across the year and decide which wetsuit or combination of wetsuits and accessories are most suitable to keep you surfing all year round! Water Wetsuit Wetsuit Accessories? Comments Temperature Type Thickness Wearing a wetsuit in water this warm will only serve to Board Shorts Over 25°C Not required! N/A make you & Rash Vests sweat like a beast! Make the most of the warm water and break out your board shorts and if it is a little brisk wind wise, then a rashie should be plenty of protection for your upper body. Pulling a dawnie? If early morning chill is an issue in Summer but the weather is still too warm for you to be fully encased in neoprene, 20°C - 25°C Shorty 1mm to 1/2mm Rash Vests then a shortie suit is the perfect way to give you just enough warmth to take the chill away, without cooking you when the sun climbs during the day. Shorty or Full A full length 15°C - 20°C 1/2mm or 3/2mm Boots Length Suit summer suit is ideal for water below 18-20°C. It will give your limbs a little extra warmth in slightly cooler water and if your feet start to feel the chill then boots are another option to help retain a little bit more warmth. At this temperature, things are starting to get a little chilly so suiting up in thicker neoprene would be a good idea. Booties are Full Length Boots, Gloves going to be 10°C - 15°C 3/2mm or 5/4/3mm Suit & Hood a good idea too unless you enjoy having numb toes! A nice toasty 5/4/3 is the safest option especially if you plan on surfing early morning swell or later in the evening when the sun offers a little less heat. Hoods and gloves are optional depending on wind conditions etc. We’re well into the realms of winter suits now, 5/4/3 is pretty much a must and boots are also going to be needed Full Length Boots, Gloves Below 10°C 5/4/3mm at the very Suit & Hood least. Hoods and gloves are also advisable unless you want to have swollen and red hands when you get out! You should also take into consideration air temperature, wind speed, your personal sensitivity towards the cold and the intensity of the exercise that you will be doing! WHAT’S THE BEST WETSUIT FOR YOUR SPORT? Wetsuits are an essential piece of equipment for a wide variety of sports and activities from surfing, diving and kayaking to sailing, windsurfing to coasteering and many more! You need a suit to meet the demands of the activity that you are using it for. Do you require a higher degree of flexibility or is warmth and comfort more of a necessity? The warmth of a wetsuit is a function of the thickness of the neoprene however the thicker the wetsuit the less flexible it is likely to be. Sports that require flexibility and warmth - For example, surfers and body boarders want a wetsuit have a good balance between flexibility for paddling, comfort and warmth. Therefore a thinner wetsuit will be needed. Sports that require little flexibility and warmth - With diving or kayaking (depending on water temperature and season) your focus is likely to more on retaining warmth than flexibility. Therefore a thicker wetsuit will be needed. Back to top WHAT TYPE OF WETSUITS ARE THERE? There are three main different types of wetsuit which are common-place for water- goers. These wetsuits all provide their own unique benefits which enable you to perform best in the sport you do. The different types of wetsuits include: full-length summer wetsuits, full length winter wetsuits and shorty half-length wetsuits. Find out their purpose and different features below. FULL LENGTH SUMMER WETSUITS Standard full length summer wetsuits tend to generally have a thickness of around 3/2mm, with the 3 referring to the thickness around the torso, as this is where you need warmth most, due to your vital organs. The 2 will generally refer to the thickness in the legs and arms. The reason this number is lower is because you need flexibility to paddle and swim in the water so thicker neoprene will hinder your movement and tire you out faster. Summer suits usually incorporate flat lock stitching which involves overlapping two pieces of neoprene and then stitching the seam together. This zigzag stitching method used because the holes left by the stitching makes them more breathable and cooler to wear. FULL LENGTH WINTER WETSUITS Full length winter wetsuits usually have a thickness of 5/3mm and above. The 5 refers to the thickness of the neoprene around the torso, where you need warmth the most and the 3 refers to the thickness around areas such as the arms and legs, allowing for greater flexibility for easier movement in the water. Occasionally there will be a middle number for example 5/4/3, which usually refers to the thickness of the neoprene around the thighs etc. for a bit of extra warmth. The seams are an important factor for winter suits, most come with glued and blind seams, so called because the neoprene is glued together at the edge of the panels with a stitch that doesn't go all the way through the neoprene, resulting in a watertight and flexible seam. SHORTY HALF-LENGTH WETSUITS Shorty wetsuits are more often than not reserved only for use in the summer (depending on the water temperature!). As the name suggests unlike 'full' wetsuits they cover only the torso, upper arms and thighs, allowing for unrestricted movement of the limbs for paddling and swimming. Like most summer suits the seams used are flat lock which is strong and great for flexibility in warmer water, however due to the stitch penetrating through the neoprene it means that in colder water you will feel it a lot quicker. Back to top WHAT WETSUITS ARE THERE FOR BEGINNERS AND KIDS? As a beginner you or your child is unlikely to be entering the seas in the winter, especially in the UK. Therefore we’ve come up with come up with a list of recommendations for beginners who will be entering the seas around the British Isles during the summer where seas, on average, range between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. WETSUIT TYPE For these conditions we would recommend a shorty or full length wetsuit as it will provide you or your child with the perfect amount of insulation. WETSUIT THICKNESS A wetsuit of 1/2mm or 3/2mm will provide more than enough insulation for such conditions. Wetsuits with this neoprene thickness also provide great flexibility and breathability, meaning that young children can wear them without it affecting their ability to play on the beach. WETSUIT ERGONOMICS AND FITTING A wetsuit that has an ergonomic design with anti-rub design are best for beginners as they are much more comfortable and means you or your child will wear them for longer. Full length suits should also have knee pads to help protect them from irritation and abrasions when learning to surf. RECOMMENDED WETSUIT ACCESSORIES Boots and gloves are recommended accessories for those who feel the cold. They will also provide protection and further grip which is really useful for those just learning to surf for the first time. A hood can also be worn by beginners to help stay warm, but they should be worn with caution as they may make you less aware of your surroundings and other surfers due to the covering of the ears they provide. Back to top WHAT WETSUITS ARE BEST FOR INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED RIDERS? Intermediate and advanced surfers, bodyboarders and triathletes will require the similar wetsuit requirements to that of beginners who will be surfing in the summer and autumn months. Hardened sea-goers will also brave the sea in the winter months, which will sea temperatures drop dramatically to a 6 to 8 degrees Celsius average across the British Isles. As a result you need the right gear to keep you warm and able to stay in the sea comfortably for as long as you want.
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