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BODYBOARD HQ- BBHQ WETSUIT BUYING GUIDE

TYPES OF WETSUITS FOR SURFING & BODYBOARDING
On this page we will explain all you need to know to get an excelent wetsuit that will keep you warm and toasty, even in the coldest of months

Here is an introduction to the world of warmth! A well fit wetsuit can make an incredible difference to the length of time you can spend in the water. Wetsuits are generally divided into two camps, Summer suits which are available in shorty (short arm, short leg) or the steamer (full arm, full leg) & Winter suits which are always full arm, full leg.

RULE NUMBER ONE. NEVER TRUST SIZE CHARTS ON WEBSITES!!!!

We have found that most companies size charts are unrealistic to the actual fit of the suit. Suit sizing can change from year to year to so It is far better to call and get some advice on the fit or better still go to a reputable shop for proper advice. Make sure you are speaking to someone who has the experience and the sales wisdom to get you in the right wetsuit for you.

  
   

FIT IS EVERYTHING IN A WETSUIT

A wetsuit should fit like a second skin, almost too tight with no pockets where fresh cold water can flush in and out of the suit. The idea is to trap a small amount of water in the suit. The body warms the thin layer of water between you and the rubber and this will keep you warm. If you have a loose suit then the body will be constantly trying to reheat cold water that is flushing and moving around the suit. You will loose both warmth and energy quickly in a loose fitting wetsuit. So make sure you buy a wetsuit feels almost too tight at the time of purchase.

Be aware that the new wetsuits have a lot of stretch so they will feel very different as soon as they get wet. Add to this the fact will the suit will physically stretch too. Here at BODYBOARD HQ we believe there is no such thing as 100% memory in the more flexible neoprene (even though others may tell you different) so take this in account when trying it on for the first time, it will definitely feel a lot different in the water and will stretch a bit more after a few times use.

A good fitting suit will rash less too. The suit will move with you instead of you moving inside it. You will be far warmer & more comfortable with the right fitting wetsuit.

You should only need a rash vest if you get a rash. Sadly, a lot of shops will try and sell you a rash vest as an essential.
   

QUALITY

We have all seen those wetsuits hanging up in supermarkets and thought, wow, a shorty for £19.99!

The truth is you'll be buying a suit that has less neoprene content (the insulative rubber) than the suits you find in a surf shop. Softer better quality neoprene will be far more comfortable and far less likely to rash, it will be warmer too. When you think you can buy a great quality shorty wetsuit for £39.95 that will easily do all your holidays for the next 5 years plus then its easy to see that it is worth the investment, that's £8 a year. It would cost you that to hire a wetsuit for a day. Nobody will have urinated in it either!

When you get to around £60 plus you start to get some great full arm, full leg steamer wetsuits that work well from mid may (SW England) to Mid October. The suits will be of flat lock construction which is a strong stitch but not a waterproof seam. Look for wetsuits that have features like a smooth skin neck for less neck rubs & a better neck seal. wetsuits like the Alder Impact are as flexible as any under £100. A great suit at £64.95.

When you start to spend a bit more cash then you get into the realm of Blind stitched seams. Blind stitch is a more watertight seam due to the fact the stitch goes ¾ of the way through the neoprene and the two edges of the neoprene are glued to create a more watertight seam. These suits will be warmer & are always found on winter weight wetsuits. Blind stitch is however not as strong a seam.

Some suits are double blind stitched (stitched from both sides). This is fine but after a while the perforations of the stitch will meet and allow water through. Wetsuit companies get round this by strengthening the seams using liquid weld or tape. This will lengthen the life of the seam on a stretchy wetsuit, keeping the seam in better condition and help the suit to last longer.

The best combination for a warmer wetsuit is a glued and blind stitched seam fully backed by stretch tape. All of these features do come at an extra cost due to the extra labour used in manufacture.

 

  
HOW DOES A WETSUIT WORK?

Wetsuits work by using thermal insulation. A good fitting wetsuit will trap a very thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene. Your body heat will warm this layer of water and keep you warm and comfortable. The better the fit of the wetsuit, the less new cold water will enter the suit.

Sometimes it is unavoidable especially at times when you fall off, duck dive etc. When cold water floods into the suit your body will have work a lot harder to try and reheat it. You will get colder quicker and loose energy faster too

The main areas for water to enter the wetsuit are the following.

  • Through the neck, arm holes & leg holes.

  • Through the seams of the wetsuit

  • Through the zip, essentially the biggest hole in the suit.

You need to decide which thickness of wetsuit to go for, here is a rough guide based on the water/air temps of the South west of the UK. Where we have a water variance between 8 degrees Celsius mid winter to 18 degrees high summer.

The first digit refers to the thickness of the torso, second to the thickness of the arms & legs.

3:2mm full steamer mid May to mid October

4:3 full steamer April to December, possibly too hot on the warmest summer days

5:3 full steamer All year, Personally I think too hot for summer.

  
   


WETSUIT THICKNESS

The thickness of a wetsuit will dictate the thermal insulation of the suit. Wetsuit thickness is usually given with two numbers like 3/2, 4/3, 5/3, or three numbers like 5/4/3.

The purpose of mixing thickness is to allow freedom of movement where you need more flexibility, arms legs etc. and warmth around your core (Torso, kidneys etc.) Most of your heat is generated around the top of the kidneys so its very important to keep this area warm.

Thicker wetsuits are available for extreme cold water conditions but they need to use the best grade neoprenes and features available so they will be more expensive.

 
   


COLD WATER FLUSHING

As mentioned earlier, if a wetsuit doesn't fit you like a second skin you will get flushing. The tighter the wetsuit fits, the less flushing you will get through the neck, arms and ankles. Cold water entering the suit will mean your body will be constantly working to stay warm. You will feel heavier in the water and your constant reheating will drain you of energy.

Fit is everything so they need to be almost too tight. We find that nearly every size chart, irrespective of brand seems to be wrong nowadays, mainly due to the flexibility of the neoprene used. Most times you will be one size down from a size chart to get a warm fit. Modern neoprene is stretchy and elasticated so it will fit and hug your body better than the old wetsuits.

  
 
TYPES OF NEOPRENE    
   
DOUBLE LINED NEOPRENE

This means the rubber has a layer of nylon on both sides of the rubber. The stretchiness of the nylon will dictate the flex to some degree. Double lined neoprene is always more durable than the single lined neoprene which is far more likely to rip.		    
   
SINGLE LINED NEOPRENE

Single lined neoprene is warmer due to the fact that water can easily drip off the rubber whereas it gets trapped in the nylon on double lined. Single lined is much less durable so it often only appears on the areas of a wetsuit that receive less wear
    
   
MESH SKIN / SMOOTH SKIN

A lot of wetsuits include a chest panel made of single lined neoprene. This is often referred to as mesh. It is included as it gives a little extra warmth, some definition to the suit and makes it more aesthetic to the eye. Sadly this panel will often be one the weakest on the suit so pay attention to how you put your suit on & off, Mesh panels will tear far easier than double lined neoprene. As long as you take care with the suit it will not be a problem
   
   
SUPER STRETCH NEOPRENE

Most wetsuit companies are using new super flexible neoprenes that allow maximum freedom of movement in the water. It is easier to get a good fit with this type of neoprene. These come in a variety of different names and branding.

Super stretch is far more comfortable and you can get a closer fit. Less resistance also means more water time.

It is not as durable so you have to take more care of your suit. You may want to weigh up durability versus flex when purchasing your new wetsuit.

Seams are more likely to pull as the density of the super stretch neoprene is less, the seam has less to grip on to & even less when the suit is stretched over your skin. Liquid seal will help prevent this and keep the seam more watertight, Flexible tape is even better.
    
   
WETSUIT SEAMS & ZIP ENTRY

A good thing to note when researching your new wetsuit is this – the less seams the suit has the more overall stretch you will have in your suit. Neoprene will always stretch way more than the seam. There are many different types of stitching on a wetsuit but here we will deal with the 3 main types:
    
   
FLAT LOCK STITCH

Flat lock stitching is strong & cheap to do, but the thread is exposed on the outside of the wetsuit and is therefore more likely to tear. The stitch leaves thousands of perforations in the neoprene hence allowing water to enter through the seams. Most Sub £80 wetsuits use this kind of stitch.

 
     
GLUED & BLIND STITCHED SEAMS (THE BEST)

When you start to spend a bit more cash then you get into the realm of Blind stitched seams. Blind stitch is a more watertight seam due to the fact the stitch goes ¾ of the way through the neoprene and the two edges of the neoprene are glued to create a more watertight seam. These suits will be warmer & are always found on winter weight wetsuits. Blind stitch is however not as strong a seam. Some suits are double blind stitched (stitched from both sides). This is fine but after a while the perforations of the stitch will meet and allow water through. Wetsuit companies get round this by strengthening the seams using liquid weld or tape. This will lengthen the life of the seam on a stretchy wetsuit, keeping the seam in better condition and help the suit to last longer.

This is the warmest type of stitch available. First the neoprene panels are glued together. Then a curved needle brings the thread through the neoprene in such way, that it exits on the same side that it went in, without going all the way through the neoprene.

The result is watertight stitch with no perforations through the neoprene. Blind stitched suits are often regarded as the warmest and always appear on winter suits.
 
     
CRITICAL TAPE

Spot taped or critically taped, this means the seams have strategically positioned tape patches on the inside of the suit to help improve the longevity of the suit.		  
     
LIQUID SEAL (WELD)

Liquid solution that is run along the seam to improve the longevity of the whole seam. Some of the stretchiest suits have this both on the inside and out to improve life of the seam. This is highly effective way of preserving the seams. It can inhibit the flex a bit tho.		  
     
FLEXIBLE TAPE

Flexible neoprene tape. A more flexible alternative to liquid seal, however its more expensive to produce so only appears on the most expensive wet suits. It does not affect the flex so much as liquid seal		  
     

DOUBLE BLIND STITCH & GLUED

Double blind stitch is basically blind stitch from both sides of the neoprene. This stitch is often found on cheaper GBS summer & winter wetsuits. The main problem with this type of stitch is the fact the stitches eventually link from constant wear and cause perforations which then let water flush in. Better than flat lock but not as good as single glued and blind stitched seams.

    
     

FRONT ZIPS VERSES BACK ZIPPED SUITS

There is a lot of debate regarding the benefits of front zipped wetsuits over back. Front zips do offer a lot more flexibility on the back of the suit but you need to stretch the suit far more to get in and out of them. Fit really is super crucial if you choose front entry suits.

I know as a bodyboarder that I often suffer cold water flush through the open side of the front zip design so I choose the back zip with a back flap system.

The front zipped suits which have both sides exposed are the least warm of the zip designs. Any area where water can enter can be a problem so check the design closely before you buy.

  

     
EXTRA FEATURES    
     

BAT FLAP / BAT WING

A lot of better back zip suits have a barrier system that stretch across the back of the suit from one shoulder to the other. This neoprene wall is thin and stretchy & helps prevent flush through the biggest hole in your suit, the zip! The best bat wing systems come up & over the head and also act like a rash guard, meaning less flush and more comfort. More expensive suits also have a drain hole that allows water to quickly escape from the gap between the barrier and the zip. All our suits over £80 have a bat wing barrier system.

  
     
ZIPPERLESS WETSUITS

Some wetsuit companies offer a zipperless entry system instead of a zip. The benefits are less flushing & potentially better fit and flexibility. These suits can be hard to get into and can have issues with the Velcro wearing out quicker.		    
     
POLYFIBRE PANELS (FIREWALL)

A lot of better wetsuits these days have at least one fleece lined panel inside, more often on the chest. The fleece has great thermal insulation qualities and can help to trap water and air close to the skin. A good feature, especially in a winter weight suit. Fleece panels can be produced from poly fibres (low density plastic) or Bamboo.		    
     
AERO CORE

A new technology, neoprene is gas blown rubber, in the manufacturing process another layer is added with bigger pockets of air. This will give much higher insulation plus add more flexibility to the suit too. Not as durable. Found in the more expensive suits available.		    
     
REINFORCED KNEES

Knee pads are a good addition to a wetsuit, helping the knees to last longer. Some suits use a separate higher density ribbed neoprene panel which lasts even longer. Any kind of extra knee pad is better than none though. The so called Kevlar panel seems to be the best, hard wearing without compromising flexibility of the knee.		  
     
     
   

 

 

BODYBOARD HQ, All rights reserved©. August 2010