by Clement C.  


There are many reasons and occasions when it is wise to wear a wetsuit. And there are times when wearing a wetsuit can even save your life. One thing is sure - without wetsuits the world of water sports today would be much smaller that it is. So in this article I will list the main reasons why should you wear a wetsuit and what are the benefits of wearing one. 

1) Protection against hypothermia. There are times when water is so cold that no one in their sound mind would enter it without a wetsuit. So wetsuits are great because the allow us to surf, swim, dive etc.. in the sea at temperatures that we would normally not be able to. But it is not just about the really cold water. Since water is 25 times more heat-conducting than air you lose your body heat much faster when you are in the sea. So even in warmer weather and water you can get hypothermia if you stay in too long without a wetsuit. 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.  

2) Wetsuits can also serve as protection against your own equipment, somebody else's equipment, rocks, corals etc... So even if the water is warm it is sometimes wise to wear a thin wetsuit for protection. There are for instance special swimming wetsuits that protect you from jellyfish if you are swimming in areas that have lots of them. 

3) Wetsuit improves your buoyancy. Because it contains many air bubbles it will help you stay on the water surface. But this effect is not so big that you could depend on it as you would depend on a life vest. Before enjoying water sports you need to know how to swim. And not just swim - you need to know hot to swim good! Wetsuit can help you be more confident in the water when you are learning how to swim, but it is not a substitute for your swimming abilities. 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.  

If you are wondering whyt kind of wetsuit do you need thene here si a great article on how thick wetsuit do you need in different water temperatures that also has a water temeprature chaand answer any other questions you might have.

 
My First Post! 02/28/2009
 

I just wanted to share some of my experiences with wetsuits so you can choose your next wetsuit with more information in your head :).

Keep surfing!