Thickness & Uses of Wetsuits

People who visit southern California in December might be shocked that even if it's 80 degrees, they can't jump into the ocean and expect it to be warm. When water temperatures fall below 70 degrees, water feels quite cold without a wetsuit. The wetsuit allows people to enjoy swimming, surfing, diving and other water sports year round. Knowing a few basics about their thickness and uses will help you buy the right suit for your water activity.

  1. Wetsuit Types

    • Surfers choose their wetsuits based on water temperature.

      Wetsuits come in three basic styles: shorty, springsuit and fullsuit. All wetsuits, regardless of brand, are made from neoprene, which is a stretchy, synthetic rubber material that's good at keeping people warm in cold water. A shorty suit is a neoprene shirt that covers only the torso up to the neck and the arms from the shoulders to the elbows; think of it like a neoprene t-shirt. A springsuit is longer and provides coverage down to the knees. Springsuits can also have long sleeves. A fullsuit coves a person from neck to wrists and ankles, exposing only the head, hands and feet to the cold water.

    Wetsuit Mechanics

    • Wetsuits are made for kids as well as adults.

      All wetsuits work by allowing a very thin layer of water into the suit so that it can be warmed up by the body and the person can be kept warm. When you first step into cold water, you will feel cold, even while wearing the suit. But, your body quickly warms up the thin layer of water and you are kept warm.The better a wetsuit fits, the warmer it will keep you.

    Wetsuit Thickness

    • Scuba divers generally need thicker wetsuits.

      The second factor that wetsuits use, besides basic design, to keep you warm is thickness. A wetsuit's thickness is determined by the thickness of the neoprene material it's made from. Thickness is identified with two numbers which indicate its thickness in millimeters on different parts of the suit. A 3/2 mm suit, for example, means the suit is 3 millimeters thick in the body portion and 2 millimeters thick on the arms and legs. The higher a number, the thicker the suit. While thicker suits keep you warmer, they also limit movement. A 3/2 mm wetsuit is good for summer and fall surfing, swimming and windsurfing where you want lots of mobility. A 4/3 mm or 5/3 mm suit is good for performing these activities in the winter. A 6/5/4 mm suit is thick and clunky but is good for people in frigid water such as in Alaska or Norway.

    Wetsuit Uses

    • Kayaking is one of the many uses for wetsuits.

      Wetsuits can be for surfing, diving, kite surfing, wind surfing, kayaking and other water sports such as water skiing and wakeboarding. The type of suit you need depends on what activity you want to use it for and where you plan that activity. If you want to dive in cold water between 48 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you need a 7/5 mm fullsuit. If you want to surf, wakeboard or kayak in that same temperature water, you need a 4/3 mm fullsuit. In general, you do not need a suit in water warmer than 80 degrees, can use a spring suit in water between 65 to 79 degrees, and need a fullsuit for anything below 65 degrees.