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).

Wetsuits work by trapping a layer of water in-between your skin and the neoprene of the suit. Your body then warms the water providing thermal protection. Wetsuits are available in a wide range of types and configuration.

'Shorties' are wetsuits with short legs and arms and are generally for spring/summer use. Such suits are normally manufactured from fairly thin neoprene, often 2-3mm. Spring/summer wetsuits can also be purchased in full length versions. Winter wetsuits, also known as 'steamers' are much thicker, often constructed from 5mm and above neoprene.

Wetsuits can be purchased in a variety of qualities and price ranges. Spring/summer suits can cost between £40-£120 whilst winter suits can cost between £100-£250. The higher the price, the more technical the wetsuit.

When purchasing a wetsuit its essential that it is a good fit. Too tight and it will be uncomfortable to wear and will seriously restrict your movement. Too loose and it won't keep you warm.

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.

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.

Rash Vests

Whatever suit style you decide on, we also suggest getting a "rash vest" 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.

These swim shirts are made of a soft material which you could wear all day long, not just for surfing and swimming, but also on land on their own or under your hoodie.

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".

Different shapes of wetsuit are available, Usually they have no feet or hood, so you may wear separate boots and a hood made from wetsuit material.

One-Piece Suits

These suits are the most popular. A "Shorty" covers the torso and has short legs with short or long arms. A "Long John" covers the torso and legs only and the "Full Suit" or "Steamer" covers the torso as well as arms and legs.

Two-Piece Suits

Some suits are arranged in two parts. The jacket and long johns can be worn separately in mild conditions or worn together to provide two layers of insulation around the torso in cold conditions.

Triathlon

A specialised kind of wetsuit, with a very smooth (and somewhat delicate) outer surface is used for long distance swimming and triathlon. These are designed to maximize the mobility of the limbs while providing both warmth and buoyancy.

Most wetsuits have a soft outer nylon fabric cover. Smoothskin suits do not. The advantage is that when you're out of the water it just runs off, avoiding evaporation chill. The downside is that it is more delicate and can get damaged.

If you really want to protect a smoothskin suit when you go scuba diving, wear a one-piece nylon stinger suit over the top of the smoothskin suit. That way you are less likely to rip or tear it on rocks or when taking the scuba gear on and off.

This cover suit would have to be slightly larger than your wetsuit, as a well fitting nylon suit over a 3mm wetsuit may still be slightly too tight.

A cheaper and more robust alternative:
Protect your wetsuit with old clothes. Wear a long sleeve top and jeans or cargo pants over the wetsuit. It may create a bit more drag but is more robust than a stinger suit and has pockets for small stuff and keys.

After your swim rinse your clothes and wetsuit well. Regardless if it is chlorine from the pool, salt and sand from the sea, or mud from a lake, it all can rot your suit.

Take a shower in your wetsuit to rinse the outside. Then take it off and rinse the inside. Now put it on a hanger in a well ventilated space.

Don't use any shampoo. It can damage the wetsuit or your lycra rash shirt.

Barnacles

I have heard of divers wearing a sweat shirt and jeans over their wetsuit when diving oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. That way their wetsuit doesn't get torn by the barnacles when they get pushed into a leg by the current.
Jim Bob, New Orleans  

Neoprene Protection

After reading this web site I began protecting my precious wetsuit with old clothes. For snorkeling, coasteering and canoeing this is a great idea.

In the past I often messed up a good wetsuit on the rocks or in the boat. Now I wear old jeans and a hoodie. It all works out just fine. The different pockets come in handy at times.

For surfing this didn't work at all. The clothes are just too heavy when waterlogged. It's good fun for a while, but you don't catch as many waves.

Troy, Cork, Ireland