Joomla! accessible Template

Choosing your diving wetsuits

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Clement C. Thursday, 09 April 2009 09:24

Is a wetsuits just a wetsuit and are all wetsuits made the same? Can you use a wetsuit that is meant for diving when you go swimming, surfing, windsurfing etc...? To some point you can, wetsuit is designed to keep you warm no matter for what sport it was originally meant. But on the other and wearing a wrong wetsuit can be limiting.

Is a wetsuits just a wetsuit and are all wetsuits made the same? Can you use a wetsuit that is meant for diving when you go swimming, surfing, windsurfing etc...? To some point you can, wetsuit is designed to keep you warm no matter for what sport it was originally meant. But on the other and wearing a wrong wetsuit can be limiting.

Two basic things you need to look for when you a buying a wetsuit are fit and warmth. The wetsuit must fit you just right, if it is too big it can be almost useless. And you have to get the right wetsuit thickness for the water temperature. So it is very important where the wetsuit will be used. Will you go scuba diving in Tahiti, snorkeling in the Seychelles or deep sea diving around Northern Europe?

So how do wetsuits work, how do they keep us warm? The main thing here is the material from which they are made of. Neoprene is a rubbery material that contains lots and lots of small bubbles filled with gas. These bubbles act as insulation against the cold water and give the neoprene great insulation capabilities.After you put on your wetsuit and enter the water a thin layer of water will come between your body and the neoprene. It will be heated by your body and you will be warm. If you are diving - when you reach greater depths the water that might have entered the wetsuit will be squeezed out by the pressure.

Water temperatures keep changing. The change with the seasons, the change with the location... So you have to know when and where are you going to use your wetsuit to choose the right one. Wetsuits are also a bit different if you are a man or a woman.

The difference between men and women wetsuits is in shape. But this is not what we are talking about here. Women should get thicker and warmer wetsuits because womens body has more surface area than mans and therefore cools down faster. And generally speaking it is always better to have a wetsuit that is warmer since if you are too warm you can let some cold water in but if you are cold you will soon have to leave the water.

With that in mind - two piece diving wetsuits are warmer than one piece. You get double insulation on your body where the two wetsuit pieces cover each other. The downside of a two piece wetsuit is that this is a wetsuit that is more clumsy and restricting to your movements so it is not the best wetsuit for other sports. When diving you will also need to use more lead since it is more buoyant.

Now that we have covered the thickness of your wetsuit in relation to the water temperature you need to focus on the fit. Wetsuit needs to fit you, if it is to big, it will fill with water and loose much of its insulation capabilities. Only the right thickness and the right fit will keep you warm and let you dive without the fear of cold.