The human body loses heat several times faster in water than outside it and that is one of the main reasons why having a wetsuit is almost always necessary when we go diving. Both being cold and being hot is especially uncomfortable when we are diving, making a pleasant experience such as diving a torture that you want to end. It is very important that you know which wetsuit to buy and which one we should use at all times.

What are wetsuits?

Neoprene is a type of flexible synthetic rubber invented in 1930 that has excellent insulating ability. In our case, that of divers, the millions of gas bubbles (normally nitrogen) stored in this tissue allow the diver’s skin to be isolated from the circulating water around it, reducing the speed with which the water “steals” heat from the body. This allows us to stay underwater longer without getting too cold. The wetsuit makes diving in cold water possible.

But as we already know, the more we go down the more the air compresses and that is exactly what will happen to those gas bubbles that it houses, offering less insulation since there is a smaller separation between the skin and the water, something that we have to have Keep in mind when choosing the diving suit. Other aspects that will determine the body heat that we lose will be the thickness of the suit, the quality of the closures or how well or poorly we fit the suit. All this means that more or less water enters us, that we keep more or less heat.

What types of wetsuits are there?

Wetsuits are classified according to the temperature in which we are going to dive, which will determine the type of suit to buy and its thickness. Each manufacturer uses different fibers and qualities in the manufacture of the suit, gluing and sealing of the zippers, technology in the design of the joints for the entry of water … there are many factors that determine its quality and price. As if that were not enough to the suits, elements are added that allow greater flexibility in different areas, reinforcements in areas such as knees and elbows, reflective materials for night dives, hoods, zippers in different places, etc. Indeed, choosing a diving suit is not an easy task and it is necessary to try several to find your suit, exactly the same as with diving masks.

Shorty

These suits are used in very warm waters, between 20ºC and 30ºC. These suits leave the legs and arms uncovered (although some shorts cover the arms but not the legs) and are intended to keep the stomach and chest warm. They also do a very important job protecting from chafing and knocks from the bottle, the jacket or the leads. Being for warm waters its thickness varies between 1 mm and 4 mm and they are often used a lot for snorkeling

5mm or 7mm full wetsuit

These are the suits that we all associate with the image of wetsuit or diving suit. They are garments that cover the entire body (legs and arms included) and are used for water temperatures between 12ºC and 20ºC although it is true that very possibly with a cheap or poor quality wetsuit you will get cold below 15ºC. These suits are manufactured in thicknesses of 5 mm and 7 mm, the 7 mm being suitable for less than 15º and in many cases, the latter are equipped with hoods. If you are cold @ it can be a good option.

Semi-dry between 5 mm and 7 mm

The semi-dry suits are used when the water temperature drops below 15 degrees and depending on the value you have and the quality of the suit you can hold up to 8ºC or 10ºC. The difference with wet suits is that the entry of the water is minimal or none since they have watertight closings for hands, feet and back. Of course, out of the water we will pass much more heat than with a wet one.

Dry suits

The big difference between dry and wet suits is that in dry suits the water does not enter the suit since it manages to maintain total insulation. These suits are used for dives in very cold waters, below 12ºC and for deep dives since from 30 meters, as we have previously mentioned, wetsuits lose much of their insulating capacity and the temperature is lower . Of course, by not sticking to the body they allow you to dress in thermal garments under the suit.

The drysuit is equipped with valves with which air is introduced or removed into the suit and heated by your own body. This suit is only recommended for experienced divers, who know how to properly control their buoyancy since you will be removing and adding air to the suit while you are diving, which will greatly affect your buoyancy.