Buying your first dive equipment – wetsuits

A wetsuit is very personal to the individual diver – we are all different shapes and there is definitely no one-size-fits-all when it comes to buying your first ‘second skin’

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By Mark 'Crowley' Russell

For recreational diving, your mask, snorkel and fins can be taken with you pretty much anywhere in the world, but when it comes to buying your own wetsuit, you need to ask yourself some questions about where you’re going to be diving, and what the water temperature is likely to be when you get there.

In this article, we’ll look specifically at wetsuits, which will be familiar to most recreational divers making their first equipment purchases; drysuits are a specialist subject in their own right, and we’ll cover those in a separate article.

As with masks and fins, fit is key to finding the perfect wetsuit. The thermal insulation that a wetsuit provides is based on the thickness of the material from which it is constructed, and the seals that are formed around its various openings.

To use the old cliché: a wetsuit should feel like a second skin.

A properly-fitting wetsuit with good neck, arm and leg seals will prevent water from constantly flushing through the suit and carrying away your all-important body heat. Water that does enter the suit is therefore trapped and warmed by your body, helping to prevent your core temperature dropping too rapidly.

A wetsuit that is too loose will offer little in the way of thermal protection, and suits that are too tight can be painful, restrict breathing, and even dangerous if they are too tight around the neck or chest.

It is imperative that you try a wetsuit on before you buy it. This will be a horribly uncomfortable, probably very sweaty experience in the dive shop changing rooms, but it is essential. It’s also important to note that new suits may feel tight but will loosen a little through use, so you can check by small tests such as taking a deep lungful of air.

If the suit stretches enough that you can breathe unimpeded, then this is a good sign. You should be able to pull the arm and leg cuffs away from your skin by inserting your fingers into the openings – there should be a good seal, but some freedom of movement.

The whole process is very subjective. You know your own body better than the next person, but the shop assistant – or an experienced dive buddy, if you have one – will be able to provide help and advice and objectively note where a suit may appear too restrictive or too loose. You may have to try several to get it right, but it’s very important that you do.

Which thickness of wetsuit do I need?

Standard thickness for suits are 3, 5 and 7mm, long and short, but there are plenty of variations, and no single one-suit-fits-all solution.

Depending on personal physiology, some people get colder more quickly than others, so a thicker suit will be preferred. It’s also worth noting that on a busy, four- dives-a-day trip, a number of factors – including wetsuit compression, dehydration, and fatigue – will mean you start to feel the cold more as time goes on.

Two dives a day every other day will have less effect, so the type of diver you are, as much as the type of destination you visit, will have an effect on how well your wetsuit keeps you warm.

As a very rough guide – noting the variations above:

Minimum suit thickness for scuba diving

• 27°C + : 2/3mm shorty / rash vest
• 25-29°C: 3mm full suit / 5mm shorty
• 20-25°C: 5mm full suit (+ hood)
• 15-20°C: 5mm combo / 7mm full (+ hood) / semidry
• 10-15°C: 7mm semidry / drysuit
• < 10°C : drysuit + thermals

Should I buy a long or short wetsuit?

The short answer is that long suits are best for scuba diving. They will keep you warmer for longer and help to protect your arms and legs from cuts, abrasions and stings from hazards, both natural and man-made.

Shortys protect your vital body core and they do feel great to dive in, but are really only useful in the warmest water. If you’re sure that you’re only ever doing to dive in water 25°C (77°F) or more (and even that may be too cold for some), then a short suit may be all you ever need – but water temperature can vary greatly, even in hot, tropical countries, so diligent research is required before travelling.

If I had to make a recommendation for the most versatile, general-purpose wetsuit for recreational diving then it would be a 5mm ‘combination suit’ – a full-length, long-sleeved 5mm suit with a 5mm shorty that can either be worn as individual suits, or together for extra warmth.

This was, in fact, my own first wetsuit purchase and it served me very well indeed, with the 5mm long-and-short combination covering the broad range of temperatures (20 – 30C) that I would encounter during a year of recreational diving.

If the budget does not stretch to a combo suit, then a 5mm full-length suit would be a reasonably safe bet, although extra care will need to be taken in cooler waters and hotter climes.

What about semi-dry wetsuits?

Semi-dry suits are wetsuits that have better seals – akin to a drysuit’s – at the neck, wrists and ankles, plus a dry zip, to absolutely minimise the amount of water that gets in (or out) of the suit.

A good semi-dry provides excellent thermal protection in cooler water at temperatures where drysuits become desirable, but not necessary, but without the extra care, maintenance (and weight) that drysuit diving requires. They are not, however, suitable for cold water where drysuits and thermal undergarments are a must.

Semi-dry suits also struggle in very warm water, to a point where a diver will get uncomfortably warm even underwater, and are a liability at the surface in hot climates. A variety of designs will function in temperature ranges from as low as 10°C to a maximum of around 25°C, outside of which they will be very uncomfortable.

They come at a price, however, and while not as high-maintenance as drysuits, do require more care with the seals while donning and doffing the suit.

Wetsuit hoods

Contrary to popular belief, you do not lose most of your body heat through your head. But you do lose some, and the added thermal protection given by a hood may help extend your dive. They can also help manage wayward long hair, especially useful in overhead environments.

Hoods are an excellent companion to a suit but make sure it fits well with the neck seal of your suit to prevent ingress of those icy cold dribbles of water that always find their way down the back of our suit!

In conclusion

It’s difficult to give one single piece of advice when it comes to buying your first wetsuit. Like all equipment for all sports, experience will direct you to the perfect wetsuit for your needs. Until you get there, however, the most important thing is to make sure your wetsuit fits well, and fits comfortably, before you part with your money.