How do Wetsuits Keep You Warm
How do wetsuits work?
Wetsuits work by trapping a layer of water between you and the wetsuit, which your body heats up and warms the water providing warmth keeping you warm. The disadvantage of this is that cold water must first flood into your wetsuit before heating up which can be somewhat cold and uncomfortable
However once you start moving around it doesn’t take long for the water to heat up. Once the suit is up to temperature it will then be more comfortable. Wetsuits are often made of neoprene and a good quality neoprene suit should last a reasonable length of time
There are many cheap suits now available to buy which are made of synthetic neoprene’s which are not often long lasting because they’re prone to easy ripping, lower thermal properties and increased buoyancy
Types of Wetsuits
Shorty wetsuits – In the really warmer dives a shorty wetsuit will be ideal. This is perfect in warm water where you will be diving possibly deeper into the sea where you may need a little something for warmth
Full length wetsuits – This is also the same as a shorty however the arms and legs are covered. These suits offer additional warmth as well as extra abrasion protection and are often preferred while diving near wrecks to avoid minor cuts
Materials Thickness
There are 3 main types of thickness for wetsuits: 3mm, 5mm & 7mm. The thinner the wetsuit is the easier and better flexibility of movement will be provided however will supply less warmth and buoyancy
- 3mm – Ideal for the tropical dives
- 5mm -Ideal for the Red Sea and similar areas
- 7mm – Ideal for UK summer diving
Buying a Wetsuit
The best way to ensure you buy a good quality wetsuit is to buy a wetsuit from a manufactured who use a good quality neoprene like Scubapro, Oceanic and Waterproof and we would not recommend buying a wetsuit from your local supermarket!
If you are interested in buying a wetsuit we’d recommend heading over to our Oyster Diving Shop where we provide a variety of wetsuits from top brands and come in many colourful displays to choose from