by Elmica Roberts

Created on: May 24, 2010   Last Updated: May 30, 2010

When choosing the right wetsuit , there are certain factors which should be taken into consideration. Water and weather conditions, the type of sport to be practised, the depth at which it will be used and of course how much you are willing to pay for it, are all factors which must be considered.  As wetsuits are designed to be used in certain water sports and activities such as free diving, surfing, water sports and scuba diving among others, it is important to know the conditions that the wetsuit will protect you from since this will determine the style and thickness of wetsuit you will need. 

A wetsuit will not keep you completely dry since a small amount of water may penetrate through openings in the wetsuit such as through the seams or the zipper. For a totally dry interior, a dry suit is needed. As a basic rule, the warmer the water, the less protection you need; the colder the water, the more protection you require. Wetsuits insulate your body in two ways, by trapping a thin layer of water between your suit and skin to reduce heat loss and by keeping the cold water away from your skin. 

Although thicker wetsuits provide greater insulation, the quality of the material plays an integral part as well. If your diving conditions are extremely cold, you should buy the thickest wetsuit for protection. 

Wetsuits come in various thicknesses, which are measured in millimetres (mm). Colder water requires thicker material like 7mm and 6mm while warmer water requires less thickness like 2mm and 1mm. Most wetsuits will have a combination of millimetres for example 4/3mm, 3/2mm, or 2/1mm. In a 4/3mm, the thicker materials are usually placed in the torso area and the thinner material is usually placed in the arms and shoulders.

Various materials are used in wetsuits but manufacturers mostly use neoprene. This material is called by different names by different manufacturers. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is waterproof, insulated and flexible. Its function is to trap nitrogen bubbles to provide durable insulation but as it compresses with depth, losing its insulation value at about 18m, depth must be one of the factors on which the decision on what type of wetsuit to buy should be based. The highest quality neoprene is gas blown and is made with thousands of little bubbles of nitrogen gas. Although a chemically blown wetsuit feels softer, it will not last as long. 

Stitching will determine how strong and how long

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