All About the Surfing Wetsuit

On the market for a new surfing wetsuit so you can comfortably ride the next set of waves? Cool. First though, it’s important to know about a thing, especially if that thing is something you use on a near daily basis. Allow Wikipedia to drop some knowledge about that wetsuit:

A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on water, primarily providing thermal insulation, but also buoyancy and protection from abrasion, ultraviolet exposure and stings from marine organisms. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material, which reduce its ability to conduct heat. The bubbles also give the wetsuit a low density, providing buoyancy in water. 

Hugh Bradner, a University of California, Berkeley, physicist invented the modern wetsuit in 1952. Wetsuits became available in the mid-1950s and evolved as the relatively fragile foamed neoprene was first backed, and later sandwiched, with thin sheets of tougher material such as nylon or later Lycra/Spandex. Improvements in the way joints in the wetsuit were made by gluing, taping and blindstitching, helped the suit to remain waterproof and reduce flushing, the replacement of water trapped between suit and body by cold water from the outside. Further improvements in the seals at the neck, wrists, ankles and zippers produced a suit known as a "semi-dry". 

Different types of wetsuit are made for different uses and for different temperatures. Suits range from a thin (2 mm or less) "shortie", covering just the torso, to a full 8 mm semi-dry, usually complemented by neoprene boots, gloves and hood. 

The difference between a wetsuit and a dry suit is that a wetsuit allows water to enter the suit, while dry suits are designed to prevent water from entering, thus keeping the undergarments dry and preserving their insulating effectiveness. Wetsuits can give adequate protection in warm to moderately cold waters. Dry suits are typically more expensive and more complex to don but can be used where protection from low temperatures or contaminated water is needed.

Now that you’re that much more informed about surf wetsuits, cruise on over to your local surf shop online (why get up from your computer unless you’re headed to the beach?) and scoop up that wetsuit. While you’re there, a new surfboard bag may be something you’d like to look at as well. The selections and options at The Surfboard Warehouse are pretty much endless.