Choosing Wetsuits Appropriately For Your Sport
Not all wetsuits are designed to withstand the same type of movement. Some are built for heavy use of the knees and shoulders while others are more restrictive in the joint areas. The panels that a wetsuit is made from are stitched and glued together, creating more flexibility. Panels that come together in high motion areas can cause additional chafing, which can be very uncomfortable.
When water becomes trapped between your skin and the suit, you may feel a slight chill at first, although it’s not the same shock of jumping in unprotected. In a moment, the water that is trapped warms up as an extra layer of insulation, creating additional warmth.
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.
If you live in a northern area you will probably need a wetsuit all year long. A simple shorty or spring suit will most likely suffice during the summer months, but having it can mean the difference between staying on the water for an hour and staying out for three or four hours. If you’re in a southerly climate you might only need a light suit or even a skinsuit for much of the year, with a heavier suit for the midwinter months. Most people have more than one suit to help get them through each season.
Full suits are very popular, as they come in various weights to help you choose the right one for you. It provides your entire body with coverage and can be used with hoods. If you need extra protection you can use gloves and booties to add to the set up. The thicker, or heavier, the wetsuit is the more protection from cold you will receive.
A shorty is a suit that offers core protection. It has shorts, usually to just above the knee, and short or three quarter sleeves. Using three quarter sleeves gives you the option to pull the sleeves down over the elbow or push them up a bit for more arm movement. Sports like windsurfing and kiteboarding require a lot of arm movement and most people find a three quarter sleeve below the elbow to be constricting.
The long legged but sleeveless options are referred to as “Johns” or “Janes.” These suits are good for many different sports, but most people find them to be a great spring or fall suit. Their sleeveless design allows you to choose between going free and using a secondary wetsuit “shirt” to start your day. You can remove the secondary covering as the day warms up.
Wetsuits come in different weights, with each weight providing more protection. A skinsuit, which isn’t really a wetsuit, is the lightest form you can buy. It’s not meant for heavy duty protection. The weight of a wetsuit is measured in millimeters. Thus, a 3 to 5 mm suit may be good for early fall protection in temperate climates but isn’t likely to provide ample protection for winter conditions. Buying the right suit is imperative. Cold water and cold air can cause hypothermia, which can lead to death in a short period of time. Playing in the water in cold temperatures with an ill fitted or ill protective suit can end up being dangerous.
Clement owns the wetsuits information site where you can learn everything you need to know about wetsuits. Just check this wetsuit buying guide for instance.