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Wetsuit thickness

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About wetsuit thickness

Wetsuits come in different thicknesses and people always wonder what is the right thickness for me? First let me explain the numbers you will find when you will be looking for wetsuits. Wetsuit thickness is measured in millimeters and is described with one or usually two numbers. For instance 2 or 3/2, 4/3, 5/3 or 5/4/3, 6/5/4. These numbers represent the thickness of the neoprene used in the wetsuit. If there is only one number that means that there is only one neoprene thickness throughout the whole wetsuit. If there are two numbers that means that the wetsuit is thicker in some places than in the others and if there are three different numbers that means that there are three different thicknesses.

So a 3/2 wetsuit means that the wetsuit is 3 millimeter thick in some places and 2 millimeters thick in others. All numbers are explained in that way. Here you can find out what kind of wetsuit thickness do you need for certain water temperature.

Contents at a Glance

3 things you should know about Wetsuit t...
Why wear a wetsuit in the first place?
Hypothermia
Wetsuits as protection
Buoyancy
Items of interest on Amazon

3 things you should know about Wetsuit thickness

1. Numbers like 3/2, 4/3 represent the thickness of the neoprene in the wetsuit in millimeters.

2. Thicker wetsuit gives better insulation and can be used in colder water.

3. A wetsuit that is too thick will be clumsy to wear.

4. You want a balance between the thickness and the flexibility. Look for a wetsuit thickness and water temperature chart that will tell you the right wetsuit thickness.

Why wear a wetsuit in the first place?

Three reasons for wearing a wetsuit

You have no idea what sorts of hazards there are in a long, dark street, or in the choppy, murky sea. A lightweight and skintight wetsuit that most water sports professionals wear will not only protect you from cold, but also help you swim better.

So what are the main three reasons why should you wear a wetsuit? I will list them here and then we will take a look at each one of them in more depth. 1. Wetsuit will keep you warm. 2. Wetsuit will give you extra protection. 3. Wetsuit will improve your buoyancy.

Hypothermia

You might not think this is a serious problem, especially to those who only surf in the summer. However, you will find that the risk of contracting hypothermia is still there even when you are swimming in warm waters at noon. It's due to the fact that water is 25 times more heat-conducting than air, making you lose your body heat. So, the longer you stay in the water, the more body heat you will lose.

How does the wetsuit keep you warm? A thin layer of water comes between your body and the wetsuit. Body heats it and the wetsuit prevents the heat from escaping further, hence you have an insulation layer. Because neoprene contains many bubbles the air in them also acts as great insulation. This of course only works if fresh cold water doesn't constantly flush your wetsuit. So your wetsuits should be tight fitting, snug.

Wetsuits as protection

I covered protection against cold but wetsuits also act as protection against physical damage. The soft, rubbery neoprene will dampen the blows if you hit a rock, coral or your own or somebody else's equipment. For instance in surfing really shallow reef, if you are not 100% confident that you will make it, wear a wetsuit and save some skin.

Buoyancy

Aside from that, wetsuits can protect poor swimmers. Due to the buoyant nature of neoprene, it will help you float better. It is not a life-vest, but it'll help.

Items of interest on Amazon

If your wetsuit is not warm enough you can wear a wetsuit top under it to add a little bit of extra warmth.

Wetsuit Pictures

Even when the water is cold, wetsuit will keep you warm and let you go surfing.

automatically generated by Flickr

Importance Of Wetsuits

Especially when it comes to protection against cold the wetsuits played an important role in the popularity of water sports today. Without them these sports would only be limited to a few lucky warm places and would never grow so popular.

Reader Feedback

Do you use a wetsuit?

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Petstrel Jan 30, 2012 @ 4:55 am | delete

I have in the past.

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sherridan Jan 29, 2012 @ 3:04 pm | delete

My kids have, not me. I had a client who had studied product design at university. His product was a thick but light wetsuit for diving near coral reefs - he had recognised that there was a market as standard ones ripped too easily.