Choosing wetsuits that are designed for your performance level, your sport, and your climate is really quite important. There is nothing more discouraging than dropping a few hundred dollars on a wetsuit only to find that it chafes, doesn't move in all the wrong places, and isn't the appropriate weight for most of your wetsuit days.
Wetsuits are not dry suits. They are not there to keep all the water out and give you a bone dry session. In fact, the water that enters your wetsuit will warm up and then act as a secondary insulator against the cold. Whether you need a thick suit, a short suit, a skin suit, or a diving suit, you will probably want to buy more than just one suit to get you through all of your temperature related issues.
There are numerous different sports that require wetsuits when the water (or the air) becomes too chilly for swimming but you still have enough warmth to keep you in the game. Surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, jet skiing, water skiing and wake boarding, and of course, swimming are just a few of the main sports that will find you picking through your options early and late in the season.
Some northern climates will require a shorty even in the middle of summer. Some southern regions will require only a short or a "John" or "Jane" in the middle of winter. Each suit comes with its own weight to help you determine which suit will keep you the most comfortable the longest.
A full suit offers full coverage of the body, legs, and arms. You can add a hood, boots, and gloves to the ensemble in order to provide 100% protection of all exposed surfaces. While there are claims that different weights will keep you warm down to certain water and air temperatures, remember that we all have a different tolerance for the cold. What one might find reasonable another might find intolerable.
On the other hand, you might have days when all you really need is warmth for your core. A shorty or spring suit can offer you the valuable protection necessary and offer you freedom of the arms and legs. These do come with various options, so shop scrupulously. Sometimes a shorty will offer you a three quarter sleeve, but many sports have movements that can not tolerate this feeling of constriction.
A "John" or a "Jane" is a suit that offers full leg coverage and core protection while it also allows for total arm movement. It's sleeveless. A light suit like this can be beneficial not just when you need a little bit of lower body warmth, but can come in handy when stinging nettles take over the water.
You generally want to buy a weight that will offer you enough protection for your coldest season while buying something light enough that will give you just that little bit of protection with lots of flexibility for your warmer seasons. Since this is almost impossible to get all in one suit, most people have an array of different suits to match to the water temperature and the weather. Don't try to go out in a suit that is too light. Water based hypothermia is a serious deal, and you won't last long if there isn't someone around to bring you in to warm up in a light and ill chosen suit. - 31512
Wetsuits are not dry suits. They are not there to keep all the water out and give you a bone dry session. In fact, the water that enters your wetsuit will warm up and then act as a secondary insulator against the cold. Whether you need a thick suit, a short suit, a skin suit, or a diving suit, you will probably want to buy more than just one suit to get you through all of your temperature related issues.
There are numerous different sports that require wetsuits when the water (or the air) becomes too chilly for swimming but you still have enough warmth to keep you in the game. Surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, jet skiing, water skiing and wake boarding, and of course, swimming are just a few of the main sports that will find you picking through your options early and late in the season.
Some northern climates will require a shorty even in the middle of summer. Some southern regions will require only a short or a "John" or "Jane" in the middle of winter. Each suit comes with its own weight to help you determine which suit will keep you the most comfortable the longest.
A full suit offers full coverage of the body, legs, and arms. You can add a hood, boots, and gloves to the ensemble in order to provide 100% protection of all exposed surfaces. While there are claims that different weights will keep you warm down to certain water and air temperatures, remember that we all have a different tolerance for the cold. What one might find reasonable another might find intolerable.
On the other hand, you might have days when all you really need is warmth for your core. A shorty or spring suit can offer you the valuable protection necessary and offer you freedom of the arms and legs. These do come with various options, so shop scrupulously. Sometimes a shorty will offer you a three quarter sleeve, but many sports have movements that can not tolerate this feeling of constriction.
A "John" or a "Jane" is a suit that offers full leg coverage and core protection while it also allows for total arm movement. It's sleeveless. A light suit like this can be beneficial not just when you need a little bit of lower body warmth, but can come in handy when stinging nettles take over the water.
You generally want to buy a weight that will offer you enough protection for your coldest season while buying something light enough that will give you just that little bit of protection with lots of flexibility for your warmer seasons. Since this is almost impossible to get all in one suit, most people have an array of different suits to match to the water temperature and the weather. Don't try to go out in a suit that is too light. Water based hypothermia is a serious deal, and you won't last long if there isn't someone around to bring you in to warm up in a light and ill chosen suit. - 31512
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Clement owns the wetsuits information site where you can find out everything you need to know about wetsuits. Just check this wetsuit buying guide for instance.
