If you love to be in the water then you are probably looking for ways to spend more and more time swimming. Whether you like to dive, surf, snorkel, or spearfish, you live for the ocean and the beauty that it holds.
But unless you live on the equator, in tropical places like Hawaii, Indonesia, or Central America, you’ll quickly find that cold water limits how much time you spend in the water.
Although most people would prefer not to, wearing a wetsuit is key to spending as much time in the water as possible, and different types of wetsuits are available for different types of activities and climates.
If water-based activities are your passion, then taking the time to research the different kinds of wetsuits is important. The best wetsuits aren’t cheap, and they are going to protect you and empower you.
Keep reading to learn about all the different wetsuit options so you can find the perfect one for you.
Wetsuit by Activity
Wetsuits can be separated based on the activity you are engaged in. The most common include surfing, diving, and spearfishing.
Surfing
The most common use for a wetsuit is for surfing. You can find a range of wetsuits, from one mm thick to seven mm thick, depending on the water temperature.
They are intended to keep you warm, protect your skin from abrasion, and prevent sunburn by blocking UV rays. They should also be flexible to allow for full mobility, especially around the shoulder.
Diving
Diving wetsuits are usually the thickest. This is because the water on the surface is the warmest. So surfers only need a wetsuit to handle this temperature.
But as you descend below the surface, from 10 meters to 20 meters, to 30 and beyond, it’s going to get much colder, as less sunlight is penetrating to heat the water.
Spearfishing
Spearfishing wetsuits are unique because they have something that no other wetsuits have; padding on the chest. The reason for this is that spearfishing guns are difficult to load.
They require resting the butt end of the gun on your chest, and pulling a giant rubber band back, locking it in place. Do this once or twice without any padding on your chest, and you’ll have a big bruise.
These pads keep your chest safe and comfortable so that you can spearfish all day without pain.
And because you are hunting, these often come in blue, water-based camo patterns to help you blend in.
Types of Wetsuits by Style
Wetsuits aren’t only differentiated by the activity you are doing. They also come in a range of different styles, which depend largely on water temperature, as there are times when a full wetsuit is unnecessary.
The most important thing to keep warm is your core, which is where your organs live. Because your arms and legs are always moving, they can often generate enough heat and don’t always need to be covered. As a result, you can consider one of these styles when purchasing a wetsuit.
Full Suits
Most wetsuits on the market today are full suits. This means they are one-piece suits with long sleeves and long pants. They cover the whole body, except the head, hands, and feet.
Some full suits come with a hood so that you can keep your head warm too since lots of heat is lost through the head.
Most people won’t wear gloves unless the water is extremely cold. But wearing booties is common since feet are very sensitive to the cold.
Shorties
While traditional wetsuits have long sleeves and long pants, covering the entire body, short wetsuits, otherwise known as spring suits or shorties, have short sleeves and shorts. This keeps your core warm, along with your upper arms and your thighs.
These are great when the water is still cool enough to justify a wetsuit, but not so cold that you need maximum insulation. While they are most commonly used by surfers, you can use spring suits for any type of water activity.
Sleeveless
Sleeveless wetsuits are essentially tanktops. They can come in a short or long wetsuit. Long, sleeveless wetsuits are known as farmer johns, while short sleeveless wetsuits are called short johns. Swap the word john for jane when referring to women’s suits.
Many people, be it, divers or surfers, opt for a sleeveless wetsuit to keep their bodies warm while giving their arms a full range of motion. No matter what you are doing in the water, your arms are always moving.
So if you value flexibility and freedom of motion, a sleeveless wetsuit can be a good option when the water isn’t too cold.
Two-Piece
Most wetsuits are a single piece. There is a large zipper on the back, and they can be pretty tough to get on. But they work well to insulate, protect, and keep you comfortable in the water.
But some people prefer the flexibility of a two-piece wetsuit. This means that the top and bottom are separate, like most clothing. They are easier to get on.
The bottoms will typically ride higher up on your waist, so that the top can overlap and keep water out, away from your core.
When the conditions are right, you may only opt for one piece, either the top or the bottom. Or, you might swap out a short sleeve top for a long sleeve top, and create the perfect wetsuit combination depending on the day.
Junior Wetsuits
Of course, we can’t forget our children. There are plenty of junior wetsuits available as well.
In fact, all of the styles mentioned earlier are also available in youth sizes. These junior wetsuits are all in stock at the moment. You’ll find full suits, spring suits, two-piece suits, rashguards, and more.
The sooner you get your kids in the water, the more likely they’ll fall in love with the ocean just like you did. But if the water is too cold for them, you can bet your biscuits they’ll hate it.
Keep them warm with a wetsuit, so they can stay in the water all day long.
Buy for the Conditions You’ll Encounter Most
As you can see, buying a wetsuit takes a little research. There are tons of different types of wetsuits available.
Of course, if you’re serious about your underwater passion, you’ll likely end up with multiple suits over time, depending on the current conditions. But as you purchase your first suit, you’ll want it to protect you from the most common conditions and temperatures you are going to face.
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