A wetsuit protects your body from the cold when you are diving. As you go deeper, water absorbs heat from your body up to 25 times faster than air. Adequate protection from the cold is necessary to prevent hypothermia, which usually happens when your body is exposed to water temperature below 32° Celsius (90° F). Wetsuits come in many different varieties and here are some features you need to consider.
Adequate Thickness
The first line of defence against cold water is the wetsuit. Its ability to withstand cold is determined by many factors including thickness. As a rule of thumb, a 3mm thick wetsuit should be good for everyone, but you can do better than that. A general guide to choose wetsuit thickness in relation to water temperature is as follows:
• Water temperature above 29° C (85°F) – 2mm wetsuit or no suit
• Water temperature between 23 - 29°C (70 - 85°F) – 3mm wetsuit
• Water temperature between 15 - 23°C (60 - 70°F) – 5mm wetsuit
• Water temperature between 10 - 15°C (50 - 60°F) – 6.5mm wetsuit
• Anything below – dry suit
Cut, length & style
Versatility and warmth are affected by the style as well. Irrespective of any extra features you have three popular options available:
• Full body or steamer: which covers your entire arms and legs. Typically a full body suit has a long back or front zipper and it is available in various thickness options.
• Shortie wetsuit: This has short-sleeves and knee-length cover. Your torso is perfectly covered.
• Two-piece wetsuit: This is the most popular option of the three due to double insulation layers. You can also use each piece separately when needed.
Scubapro has a wide variety of suits in varying thicknesses including a full range of drysuits. Check the Scubapro website for more details and if you find a suit you like we can match or beat internet prices.