Water is not mens natural environment and since we can not breathe underwater a jump into the sea is always also a bit of a jump into the unknown. Of course fear is not the reason to wear a wetsuit, there are many much better reasons, but a wetsuit will also give you some comfort.
So what are the main three reasons why should you wear a wetsuit? I will list them here and then we will take a look at each one of them in more depth. 1. Wetsuit will keep you warm. 2. Wetsuit will give you extra protection. 3. Wetsuit will improve your buoyancy.
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. I suggest you also check this wetsuits guide. Actualley here are a few links that I suggest:
- the most comprehensive wetsuit guide on the web: http://www.wetsuitmegastore.com/wetsuit/58-wetsuits-guide.html
- water temperature guide and chart for wetsuits - http://www.wetsuitmegastore.com/wetsuit/6-wetsuit-temperature-guide-and-chart.html
- more wetsuit info - http://360guide.info/wetsuits.
2) Wetsuits as protection. I covered protection against cold but wetsuits also act as protection against physical damage. The soft, rubbery neoprene will dampen the blows if you hit a rock, coral or your own or somebody else's equipment. For instance in surfing really shallow reef, if you are not 100% confident that you will make it, wear a wetsuit and save some skin.
3) And finally there is buoyancy. I already mentioned that neoprene is full of air filled bubbles, so wearing a wetsuit will help you float better. Here I would like to warm you that before you take on any water sports you need to know how to swim - swim good! Wetsuit is not a life vest.
And this is why it is hard for me to imagine what the water sports world would be like without wetsuits.
Showing posts with label wetsuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wetsuits. Show all posts
Wetsuits used in Pro Surfing
We wanted to do a shorter post about the wetsuits that are used in pro surfing. Not all ASP WCT tour locations require pro surfers to wear a wetsuit. Some are really warm and surfers can only wear boardshorts. Performace wise - this is the best since no wetsuits means no restricitons for the surfers. On the other hand there are surf spots and world tour locations that require a full wetsuit, sometimes even a thicker on liek a 4/3 wetsuit.
So what kind of wetsuits do pro surfers wear?
First of all - they are basically the same wetsuits that you can buy in the surf shop. If they have special the very best of the very best shapers hand made input driven surfboard that you can not get your hands on even in your dreams (at least until the pro models comes out lol) the wetsuits are pretty much the ordinary stuff that is available on the shelves. Of course the op of the line model.
What do pro surfers look for in their wetsuits?
Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility! This is the first and the most important wetsuit feature. You know that wetsuits that are the most flexible are usually not the ones that last the longest. Since getting new wetsuits is not an issue for pro surfers :)... it's all about flexibility.
Flexibility of the wetsuit means how stretchy it is and how much does it hinder the surfer when he performs his maneuvers.
Wetsuit thickness and warmth only comes second. Of course most of the pro surfers are sponsored and among there sponsors are also wetsuit companies. So they wear and promote wetsuits from their sponsor. And they can also give feedback and input when it comes to development of new wetsuit models.
So what kind of wetsuits do pro surfers wear?
First of all - they are basically the same wetsuits that you can buy in the surf shop. If they have special the very best of the very best shapers hand made input driven surfboard that you can not get your hands on even in your dreams (at least until the pro models comes out lol) the wetsuits are pretty much the ordinary stuff that is available on the shelves. Of course the op of the line model.
What do pro surfers look for in their wetsuits?
Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility! This is the first and the most important wetsuit feature. You know that wetsuits that are the most flexible are usually not the ones that last the longest. Since getting new wetsuits is not an issue for pro surfers :)... it's all about flexibility.
Flexibility of the wetsuit means how stretchy it is and how much does it hinder the surfer when he performs his maneuvers.
Wetsuit thickness and warmth only comes second. Of course most of the pro surfers are sponsored and among there sponsors are also wetsuit companies. So they wear and promote wetsuits from their sponsor. And they can also give feedback and input when it comes to development of new wetsuit models.
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