How To Buy A Wetsuit

A free article on Sports and Recreation

By: Shaun Parker

For those with a love of water sports, it quickly becomes apparent that you need something that is going to keep out the cold and prevent you from shrivelling up like a prune, particularly if you're going to be surfing or diving anywhere around the UK, given its cool water temperature and infamy for rubbish weather.

You can go to any sports shop and find wetsuits for sale but where to start? Do you just go for the one that looks nice or do you realise that, financially, this is a pretty major purchase and will be an absolute must when you're in the water. So, if you're in the market for a wetsuit, do a little research and find out what you need to know. Here are a few pointers:

The first thing to consider is the fit. This is essential as with an ill fitting wetsuit you will lose more heat than you save, defeating the object and making you cold. A good fitting wetsuit will allow a little water in. This water is then quickly heated by your body, bringing it to body temperature. This is held against your skin, preventing any further heat loss. If the suit is too loose, it will allow too much water exchange and you will not stay warm. Check for a close fit on ankles and wrists. If the suit is too tight, enough water will not be warmed and you will still not maintain body temperature.

To avoid rashing, it is also important that the suit is comfortable and does not rub anywhere. Any collections of sand or salt water will soon tell you that your suit is too loose but not before you feel the pain. A good fitting suit will also ensure that the suit lasts longer, with no areas of unnecessary wear.

The performance of a wetsuit is something that needs to be negotiated. Put simply, performance is the amount of stretch a wetsuit offers. More stretch equals less resistance. However, super stretchy suits offer great performance for those who like to show off their tricky manoeuvres but less durability because the suit will wear out quicker, particularly around the knees.

Warmth is a very important issue when purchasing a wetsuit. This means that you need to take into consideration where you will be spending most of your time in the water. Obviously, if you are a regular in the waters off Australia or Egypt then it's somewhat different to what is required of a wetsuit that spends most of its time off the coast of Scotland. Suits can be purchased with a 2mm thickness right up to a 7mm and it will make a drastic difference to get one at the wrong end of the scale.

It is important that you are comfortable in your suit but this has to be factored in when you are considering your performance and durability needs.

Neoprene is the fabric of wetsuits. It is a closed cell rubber foam to be precise and can be lined with a jersey fabric. Various degrees of stretch are available as choice. Seams are necessary on the suit to make it a better fit. However, this is negotiable. You can have a suit with few seams which will make it more flexible (better performance) but this will be balanced by the fact that it will not be such a good fit (less durable).

The stitching of a wetsuit will depend on whether it is aimed for summer or winter use. Flatlocked stitching is very strong and flexible but allows water to seep through needle holes. This is good for summer suits. Blind stitching will normally be used on more expensive winter suits and does not allow water through.

So you can see there are many things to take into consideration when buying your wetsuit. Apart from the above you will also need to look at what the style and colour choices are and also consider the price because there is quite a vast price range. However, get it right and you could be surfing, diving or rafting in much more comfort and for longer than you could manage without.