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Updated August 27th, 2010

The wetsuit is an important piece of your diving gear.  It keeps you warm and protected from the elements while you dive. There are many different specs, styles and makes out there so it’s worth having a good think about what you want out of a wetsuit before making the purchase.

Thermal protection

Recall from your Open Water lessons that in the water, the human body loses heat at 25 times the rate as on land at the same temperature.  For most people, the surrounding water would have to be 34 Celsius to enable naked diving without body heat loss.

Protection from scratches, bites and stings

Not only should a suit be good for thermal protection, it can also protect against irritating or venomous creatures.  While good buoyancy control and streamlining is important to avoid disturbing marine life, it’s always nice to be covered.  You may feel a shorty wetsuit – with short sleeves and three quarter length shorts – will be adequate.  But if you’re planning on diving where sea lice or jelly fish are prevalent, a full-length suit may be a better idea.

Cleanliness – best to buy new

Sure you can hire/rent a wetsuit when you do your vacation diving but do you really want to?  This also goes for the ex-rentals you often see being sold on e-bay.

Thickness

Rather than asking “what thickness wetsuit should I wear?” it would be better to ask “What is the water temperature?”  One person’s idea of warm water may not be someone else’s.  Individual tolerance to cold will vary.

Also bear in mind that one make of a 5mm (or any other thickness) may be warmer than another.  A fleece-lined wetsuit can feel nice and cosy and workmanship can make the difference (see Quality).

As neoprene is positively buoyant, a thicker suit will require the wearer to use more weight on the dives.

Combining wet suit pieces

If you dive in similar surroundings most of the time, you’ll probably do fine with just one suit.  If you want a variety, you may want to combine different pieces for different diving environments.  So in warmer waters, you could wear a Farmer John Wetsuit and if it gets a bit cooler, add a jacket. Alternatively, you can get a thinner full wetsuit for warmer tropical waters and add a vest or a hood when you dive in temperate surroundings.

The hood is very useful for thermal protection because a lot of heat is lost through your head.  If you don’t want a full hood, you can always go for a beanie.  Not only will it keep you warmer (70% of your body heat escapes from your head), it’s great for keeping long hair tidy.  For colder waters, a hood is a necessity to avoid the brainfreeze/ice cream headache and the descent into hypothermia.

Try it on; fit is important

If the suit is too big, it’ll let in water and the thermal qualities will be lost.  If it’s too tight, you’ll be uncomfortable.  Remember, it’ll give way a bit more once you’re in the water.

When trying on wetsuits, zip up and walk around, move your arms.  If you can’t move or if your breathing feels restricted, then the suit is too small.  There should be no pinching of the neoprene.  There shouldn’t be excess room under your arms, around your chest or anywhere else.  Check the area around the neck, ankles and wrists.  They should be snug.  When the suit is zipped up, you should feel a slight pressure/suction.

Quality

It’s best to buy a wetsuit made by reputable manufacturers.  The quality of the neoprene and the workmanship will vary greatly.  Some retailers and manufacturers will have limited warranties on their products.  You should avoid purchasing a wetsuit from a discount store.

Style

While the stylishness and fashion factor shouldn’t be too high on the criteria for choosing a wetsuit, the fact is, we’re all creatures of vanity.  We have to spend time fraternising on the boat or hanging around at the resort.  A wetsuit is an investment and it should – with proper care – last you many dives.  So have a good strut in front of the mirror and make sure the suit looks good.

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