Call our certified SCUBA instructors 800-34-SCUBA 7 days 8AM - 6PM PST
Call our certified SCUBA instructors 800-34-SCUBA 7 days 8AM - 6PM PST
Wet SuitsPlease click on a subcategory below to continue:
Wetsuits are made of neoprene, a porous material containing literally millions of tiny bubbles. This material is an excellent insulator because it places a barrier of air, in the form of the nitrogen bubbles, between your body and the surrounding water. A thin layer of water will enter and it is quickly warmed to body temperature. As you dive deeper and deeper - neoprene compresses against itself, which makes the suit become looser, and looser, making it easier for any water that did enter the wetsuit to leak out. (remember that these are wetsuits) A wetsuit must fit snugly if it is to
be an effective at keeping you warm. See Wetsuit Fit for more.
Like air temperature,
water temperatures through out the world are different in winter than they are
in summer, varying as much as 20 degrees. In Caribbean the water temperature can
be in the 80’s in the summer, six months later the water temperature can be in
the low 70’s. Women tend to get
colder easier than men. This is because women tend to have more surface area
(curves) then men do. If a couple are traveling together it will almost always
make more sense for the woman to have a warmer suit than a man would to the same
destination at the same time of year. If in doubt, always
buy a wetsuit slightly warmer than your needs. If your wetsuit is keeping you
too warm you can always let water in to cool you down, but if you are cold
during a dive there is not much you can do except stop
diving. One-piece wetsuits VS two-piece wetsuits – As a general rule two-piece wetsuits will keep you warmer than one-piece wetsuits since a two-piece wetsuit has the advantage of double the insulation around your chest and groin area. Of course when a wetsuit has double the insulation the suit is more restricting and will be more buoyant (which means that you will need to carry more lead) than a one-piece wetsuit of equal thickness.
FOR SCUBA DIVING OR SNORKLING IN SUCH AREAS AS: Florida, Texas, Cozumel, Bonaire, Cayman, Belize, Hawaii, Sea of Cortez, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Sipidan, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Seychelles, the Mediterranean and warm waters throughout the world. For cooler times of the year, deeper diving or extended dive vacations: Add a beanie, 3mm hood or even a 3mm hooded vest Add a 3mm Shorty over a polyolefin, Trilam, polar fleece or Lycra jumpsuit Use a 3mm two-piece wetsuit Add a 3mm tunic over a 1/2mm to 3mm jumpsuit
50° and lower
All suit manufacturers vary. Start by using the appropriate manufacturer sizing chart to help locate your suit size. When trying on a wetsuit the most important point to remember is that the tighter a wetsuit is on the surface the warmer you will be under the water. As you dive deeper and deeper - neoprene compresses against itself, which makes the suit become looser, and looser, making it easier for any water that did enter the wetsuit (remember that these are wetsuits) to leak out.
2. If you purchased a two-piece suit, start by pulling the pants all the way up and secure the velcro strap on your shoulder. Now start the zipper on the jacket, step through and pull the jacket on. Reach back and put your arms through the suit and pull it up. Finish by zipping the suit up. 3. For one-piece suits, pull the suit all the way up to your waist. Reach down and work the arms up one at a time. If it is a back zip suit have your buddy help zip the suit up. This will help reduce the risk of damage to the zipper. Zippers tend to snag neoprene or get tangled in hair. 4. Once you have the suit on,
inspect the suit for fit. The suit should conform to your body shape. If this is
your first time in a wetsuit, remember it will fit snug and you will feel a
reduced range of motion--this is normal.
Walk around in the suit for a few minutes. You shouldn't have any loss of
circulation in your hands or feet. You should be able to take a full breath of
air without too much discomfort. There may be a small crease in the back of the
elbows or knees. 5. If you do not have a perfect, off the rack, fit do not feel alone. Many people need to have minor alterations done to their wetsuit to achieve that "custom" fit feel. For a few extra dollars you can have your wetsuit customized to your needs (see Wetsuit Alteration). 6. The colder the water, the more important the fit. Remember hood, boots, and gloves need to fit properly. We are proud to offer wet suits from the following manufacturers:
Wet Suit Reviews: Temperate Water 60 - 75 degree Reviews, Warm Water 75 - 85 degree Reviews, Cold Water 45 - 60 degree Reviews, Accessory Reviews Please click on a subcategory below to continue:
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Tec-Tips:
Wetsuits are made for a wide variety of uses including Snorkeling, Water Skiing,
Surfing, Jet Skiing and of course SCUBA Diving. Most suits are
completely interchangeable between sports – the 3mm Shorty that you use Scuba
Diving today in Hawaii can be used next weekend back home water-skiing.
You've
found that perfect suit. Now let's help you find the perfect size. Below are 6
tips to help make sure you are getting the right size and fit.
