Eshin Direct

Thinking of Buying?

So you’ve decided to splash out on a bit of kit? After the mask and snorkel, this is usually what most people consider buying. Fins maybe…but the wetsuit often adds the extra feeling that now you’re a diver. Okay, shallow people like me consider these things important.

It’s big advantage to get your own wetsuit, if you’re serious about diving. It means that you’ll have a suit that fits you and works right for you. Most diving outfits will provide you with one but they will often only have the standard sizes that cater to the lowest common denominator. Out-of-the ordinary sizes may be hard to rent. Having a wetsuit that doesn’t fit right defeats the purpose of wearing a wetsuit. Also, having one that fits right for you will also make your diving experience more comfortable. Afterall, aren’t we diving to enjoy ourselves? Rental suits also see a lot of use, and inevitably they will be damaged. Hygiene is also a concern.

Ensure a Tight Fit

It is important that that the wetsuit that you pick fits tightly. This is because of the basic principle behind how the wetsuit works. The material making up the wetsuit is made of neoprene which has miniscule cavities or bubbles in its structure. When you go diving, these cavities fill up with water from the surrounding environment. However, as they are trapped within the structure of the wetsuit, your own body heat warms up the water in the wetsuit. This serves as a barrier against the surrounding water and making your body believe it is warmer. If you don’t have a tight fitting wetsuit, this action won’t work and essentially you’ll have bought yourself a nice piece of clothing that you can swim in.

So make sure its a tight fit – when you’re in the shop, it shouldn’t feel too comfortable but it should feel tight. When you’re in the water, you’ll get more movement so don’t worry overly about it feeling tight. Make sure that the ankles and cuffs are secure because if it is too loose, it will circulate cold water through the suit drawing heat away from you.

Consider Your Diving Style

When shopping for a wetsuit, it is important to consider the type of diving that you will be doing and where you’ll be doing the diving. For a warmer climate, I suspect that a 3mm wetsuit will be perfectly fine for most types of diving. If its warmer, you might want to consider using a shortie (a wetsuit using shorts and short-sleeved) or a less thick wetsuit.

However, do consider that a full wetsuit helps protect you from the environment to a certain degree. When you go deeper, it tends to get colder, so you might want a full wetsuit if you plan to go deep diving. Additionally, if you plan to go diving for long periods of time, even in warm water, prolonged submersion might draw heat away from your body without you realizing.

At the end of the day, the best way to consider your purchase is to think about how much you want to enjoy your dives. Do you really want to cut short the dive of a life time because you were cold?

What I got

My own wetsuit is ScubaPro SilverSkin 3mm TPF 26. It’s kept me warm when I’ve dived in Hong Kong. The suit has a silver layer on the inside providing “reflective” qualities to the suit which helps with retaining heat. It also has rubber shin pads which help protect your suit when you’re kneeling on the bottom.

It’s black and that suits my vanity fine. Some recommed that you have a wetsuit that gives you high degree of visibility but its not essential. Looking good is part of the fun right?

Tags: Scuba