Wetsuits are often worn for many water sport activities such as surfing, windsurfing, triathlon, diving or just for splashing around. A "wetsuit" is a garment typically made of neoprene foam which insulates against the chill of cold water. They are often used by divers, surfers, snorkelers, and kayakers. Wetsuits come in different thicknesses (usually measured in millimeters), and the lighter weights can be worn in warmer water situations.

Neoprene has the quality of being a somewhat buoyant fabric, and the thicker the material, the greater the added buoyancy. Wetsuits can come in full-body options (long sleeves and legs that run to the ankles or feet) or short-sleeve/no-sleeve and thigh-length options (sometimes called a "shorty"). They can consist of one piece, or two pieces (top and bottom).

History

There is some controversy over who invented the wetsuit. Most say it was Jack O'Neill who started using neoprene, which he found lining the floor of an airliner, to make a simple vest. He went on to found the successful wetsuit manufacturer, O'Neill. But Bob and Bill Meistrell, two kids from Manhattan Beach, California, claim to have started experimenting with neoprene around 1953. Their company would later be named Body Glove.

Snug and Warm

A modern wetsuit is mostly made from thin neoprene, which provides limited thermal protection, and lined with a nylon fabric to strengthen it and to make it easy to put on and take off. Some newer wetsuits, usually marketed as "superflex", contain spandex in addition to neoprene to allow the suit to stretch (the panels of a wetsuit of this type typically contain 15-20% Spandex). This counteracts neoprene's tendency to shrink with age and also allows the wearer to grow slightly without making the suit uncomfortable.

Whatever suit style you decide on, we also suggest getting a polypro "rash guard" to wear under your suit if you are going to be moving around a lot (otherwise you get wet suit "hickies" on your neck, armpits and other areas of high movement and tight fit...

Warm Water Layer

A wetsuit allows a small amount of water into the suit, but traps this thin layer of water between the skin and the neoprene, and the body heat then warms it. The neoprene insulates the warm water layer against the surrounding cold water. The wetsuit must fit close to make the suit work efficiently, as too loose a fit will simply allow the warmed water to flush away and be replaced by cold water. The suit loses buoyancy and thermal protection as the neoprene is compressed at depth.

Thickness Matters

Wetsuits come in different thicknesses depending on the conditions for which it is intended. The thicker the suit, the warmer it will keep the wearer. A thick suit is stiff, so mobility is restricted. A wetsuit is normally described in terms of its thickness. For instance, a wetsuit with a torso thickness of 5 mm and a limb thickness of 3 mm will be described as a "5/3".