Wetsuits 101: A Beginner's Guide

Congratulations!  You have fallen in love with surfing, and you want to ride waves year round.  Unfortunately, those delightful, summer ocean temperatures don’t last all year, and you don’t want to suffer from hypothermia trying to surf during the winter months.  Don’t worry.  A wetsuit is the solution to your problem.

Why Wear a Wetsuit?
A wetsuit’s main advantage is warmth for surfing in cool or cold water conditions.  It allows you to remain in the water longer and more comfortably by keeping your core body temperature up.  A wetsuit is not only for surfing.  Other watersports such as kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding can also be more fully enjoyed wearing a wetsuit since the suit also protects against wind and cold water splashes.  The suit may also provide a layer of protection from sharp rocks and equipment. While neoprene wetsuits can offer slight buoyancy making swimming and treading water a little less tiring, a wetsuit is not a life jacket or flotation device.  

How Does a Wetsuit Work?
Wetsuits are manufactured using a flexible, soft material called neoprene that allows a very thin layer of water between your skin and the suit.  This water warms up from your body heat, and the insulation provided by the neoprene in the suit and the water keeps you warmer.  Wearing one too large for you will cause a flow of consistently cold water to be flushed through the suit rendering it useless as protection from the cold water.

What Type of Wetsuit Should I Buy?
This decision depends on how cold the water is in the area you are planning on surfing.  You also need to consider how well the wetsuit fits, its thickness and quality.

Jackets or Thin Skins
Available in 1/2mm to 2mm thickness, jackets are ideal on cool days when the water temperature is in the low to mid 70s.

Springsuits or Shorties
Usually available in 2:1, which is 2 mm thick in the body and 1mm thick in the arms and legs.  This style of wetsuit typically features short sleeves and a leg length just above the knee.  Springsuits are worn in water temperatures of 65 degrees or more.

Full Wetsuits
Usually available in a 3:2, which is 3mm thick in the body and 2mm thick in the arms and legs.  This wetsuit features long sleeves and legs and is often used in water temperatures as cold as 60 degrees.  A 4:3 wetsuit is ideal in water temperatures as cold as 55 degrees.  For colder climates, there are 5:4 wetsuits for 50 degree water and 6:5 for 40 degree water.

How Should a Wetsuit Fit?
Your wetsuit should be tight but not restrictive.  Think of it as a second skin.  It should be free from bunching in the arm or leg area.  Remember, the suit will stretch out slightly when wet.  The neck of the suit has to be reasonably tight to prevent excess water from entering the suit.  Extra material is built into the suit under the arms to allow for movement and lifting of the arms when paddling.  When trying on a wetsuit, lift your arms overhead.  If you feel that you have to use too much energy or force to lift them, the suit is probably too small for you.  You should be able to squat and move your arms.  Slight feelings of discomfort are normal when wearing a wetsuit for the first time, but soon go unnoticed as you use and enjoy the suit in water.

How Should I Put a Wetsuit On?
If properly sized, a wetsuit should contact your skin over most of the area it covers.  A helpful tip when putting on a wetsuit is to wear socks or plastic bags on your feet before putting one on.  This will make it much easier to slide your feet and legs through.  (Don’t forget to remove the socks/bags once the legs are in.)  If the wetsuit rubs against your skin around the arms or neckline, we recommend wearing a rashguard to help avoid chafing.

Basically, you’re going to work your way up the body from bottom to top.  Starting with the feet, pull the legs of the suit up to your thighs.  Remove any folds by pulling on the shins, then move the ankle into position. Pull on the knee area to move the shin into place, then pull on the thigh to put the knee pads into position. While pulling over your thighs, make sure it is pulled snugly into the crotch.

For the top half of the wetsuit, pull the sleeves over the wrists and onto your lower arms, remove folds and pull into position. Pull the rest of the way up your arms making sure the armpit area is snug, similar to the crotch area. Finally, pull up the zipper and secure any Velcro fastenings. Your suit should now feel snug but not restrictive, and you are now ready to head out into the water.