Wetsuits……..What, Why, Where, When, Help!
Wetsuits: one of the most common topics of conversation with clients. I’m regularly asked to recommend wetsuits, suggest places to try and buy, asked whether a suit fits……the questions can be endless. It’s not surprising, the wetsuit market is huge and can be baffling.
They’re always welcome questions, sharing my knowledge is what I love, but I’m often frustrated (and no doubt clients are too) that I can’t give straight “yes” or “no” answers. You see, as with many things in life, there are rarely simple answers. Through years of experience chatting about, fitting and proffering advice on wetsuits there are some common themes and tips that can help you find the right wetsuit for you. This article is structured around those common questions, hopefully you’ll find what you need.
I’m going to talk predominantly about full-length wetsuits here. If you don’t need a full-length suit or find them uncomfortable there are lots of alternatives which I’ll talk about in a separate article. However, the factors I discuss here are still important.
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In short, no. Please never think that you HAVE to wear any specific item to swim outside What to Wear What you wear to swim is your own personal choice. You do you! If you feel the cold easily whack some neoprene on, if you’re a perennially hot bod crack on without.
The only caveat to that is that certain swim events or open water swimming venues may require you to wear a wetsuit. Thankfully many events and venues are becoming more open minded to what people can wear so those situations are becoming few and far between. Just remember to check before you book or turn up.
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Very simply, they keep you warm and help you float.
Extra warmth allows you to spend longer in the water or make you able to swim in cooler temperatures than if you’re only wearing a thin layer of lycra.
Wetsuits keep you warm by holding a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit. That thin layer of water is heated by your body and insulated from the outside by the suit.
They help you float because wetsuits are made of neoprene……. a rubbery foam. All the tiny air bubbles create by that foam make neoprene buoyant i.e.it floats. If you add that buoyant material to your body it’ll make you a bit floatier. From a water safety perspective being able to float more easily is a good thing.
How floaty a suit will make you depends on how thick the neoprene is as well as how floaty a person you are. So, if you’re not a particularly floaty person wearing a wetsuit might make you feel less “sinky” in the water and can make swimming feel a little easier (and sometimes faster). If you’re a naturally buoyant person wearing too thick a wetsuit might make you too floaty. That, in turn, can make it harder to swim.
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In theory yes. Wetsuits of any kind will offer the two key features of warmth and buoyancy but not all will necessarily work well for swimming. There are wetsuits designed for many specific activities, each with their own key features.
What you buy comes down to what you’re using your suit for, how much money you want to spend and how comfortable you want it to be.
General purpose wetsuits can be picked up quite cheaply nowadays, even in supermarkets. These suits are basic, often quite hard wearing and, because they’re cheap, it feels like it doesn’t matter too much if it’s not quite right. But be warned, these might leave you feeling lacklustre about your swim through lack of flexibility or a poor fit that can make you feel cold. It’s also worth considering the environmental implications of a buy and throw approach (See “Sustainability of wetsuits” below).
Surf, dive and other types of suits are designed specifically for those activities taking account of the extra warmth, reinforcement or specific movements needed for each passtime. They’re OK but not ideal for swimming.
Swim specific wetsuits on the other hand have been designed to make your outdoor swim more enjoyable and, sometimes, faster. They’re usually made of higher stretch neoprene with varying neoprene thicknesses to keep you warm where you need it (around your core) but offer flexibility to maximise your swim stroke. Most also have a smoothskin coating which helps you glide through the water.
Be warned though, the flexibility and smoothskin that comes with swim wetsuits means they’re not as robust as surf/dive or general purpose suits. They damage quite easily and are not suitable for any activities where you’re likely to scrape them on anything hard or put pressure on areas for long periods of time e.g. kneeling on a paddleboard.
I’ve also found swim wetsuits dry faster than their cheaper general-purpose cousins. The higher quality, closed cell neoprene holds less water and sheds it well when exiting from the water. Who doesn’t want a faster drying wetsuit?
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Yes it can. I have a number of neoprene options depending on the type of swimming I’m doing. Look through the points below and work out where you fit.
Dips not distance.
If you want your suit purely to keep you warmer whilst bobbing around chatting to friends in the water and you’re not going to be swimming far, you could afford to be less choosy. You may find a lower cost general purpose suit works well for this more laid-back side of outdoor swimming. However, your suit should still fit well (see sections below on fit and body shape). Also bear in mind the impact of wetsuits on breaststroke swimmers outlined below.
If you find a general-purpose wetsuit doesn’t work for this kind of activity it’s worth contemplating a swim specific suit and taking into account the guidance below. Alternatively, you could look at a whole range of other options including neoprene vests, jackets, shorts, shortie wetsuits and others to help keep you warm. I’ll talk about these options in another article.
Fitness/distance swimming and triathlon or competitive open water swimming.
If you’re going to be in your wetsuit for prolonged periods of time, putting in some distance, you need to be looking at swim specific wetsuits. They’ll offer the right levels of warmth and buoyancy whilst also giving flexibility in the places you need it to maximise your swim stroke.
What’s your predominant swim stroke? Front crawl or breaststroke?
The back strokers and butterflyers are few and far between outdoors so this is a question of front crawl or breaststroke?
The basics: if you’re predominantly swimming front crawl your wetsuit wants to enhance your position in the water (streamlined at the surface) and give you good mobility around the shoulders. If you’re swimming mostly breaststroke, you want a suit that enables your legs to sit a little lower than your head in the water, and allows good movement through the shoulders, knees and hips.
A bit of background: swim wetsuits have largely come from the triathlon world where front crawl is the predominant swim stroke. Triathletes, at least at elite level, tend to have low body fat and strong, muscle heavy legs. Muscle is denser than fat and subsequently doesn’t float as well. In order to “hold up” and improve triathletes front crawl swim stroke many suits have been developed with extra buoyancy (4-8mm neoprene), around the hips and thighs to lift the legs and support a more streamlined position in the water.
Those triathlon origin wetsuits are great for the athletes they were designed for and for anyone who struggles with “sinky” legs, particularly in front crawl. However, if you’re naturally buoyant the extra buoyancy around the lower half can make swimming challenging and potentially, uncomfortable.
I talk from both personal and client experience here. I carry my body fat around my lower half, my legs float well. My original wetsuit had too much buoyancy around the hips and legs and raised my legs too high in the water when I swam. Initially it was uncomfortable but with time it led to continued lower back pain because it was forcing an arch in my back. I see this time and again with clients who are in the wrong style of suit for them. Women, who on average have a higher body fat percentage, tend to struggle with this more than men.
If you’re swimming front crawl only, your wetsuit needs good flexibility around the shoulders, allowing you to stretch through your stroke and reduce restriction that can lead to injury. Suits with thinner (1-2mm) neoprene through the sleeve, shoulder and underarm will offer this but be prepared for a little compromise on arm warmth. Some suits claim to offer panels that enhance the roll of your front crawl stroke too, allowing for easier rotation through the body which can add extra drive to your swim.
That’s front crawl covered. What if you’re swimming breaststroke? Breaststroke swimmers often struggle with wetsuits. The predominant design of consistent thickness neoprene all over the torso and legs or extra thickness around the hips and legs just doesn’t work well for breaststroke. These features can mean swimmers struggle to keep their legs submerged leading to an ineffectual and uncomfortable leg kick. Thicker neoprene on the leg can also make it difficult to bend the knee. Whilst you may not need quite so much flexibility in the shoulders for breaststroke you do still need good freedom of movement and, importantly, need to be able to stretch out on the “glide” part of your stroke. If you’re swimming breaststroke look for either a neutral buoyancy wetsuit (no extra buoyancy round the bum and legs) or one designed specifically for breaststroke.
If the thickness of each area of a wetsuit isn’t 100% clear from the description don’t hesitate to drop the manufacturer a line and ask them. In my experience 3mm of neoprene around the legs is the maximum you want for a comfortable breaststroke swim.
What if you swim a bit of both? My advice, is to go for one that works well for Breaststroke. You’ll have far more issues trying to swim breaststroke in a suit designed for front crawl than the other way around.
I do both, at work and in a personal capacity and I use a neutral buoyancy suit that works well for both swim strokes and by body composition.
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Yup.
A caveat here……..most of my experience of fitting wetsuits has been with women, because I’m a woman and so are the majority of my clients. However, the principles below are worth considering to support your wetsuit search regardless of gender.
Are you floaty or sinky in the water? Floaty people tend to be those with more body fat. Sinky folks are either bulked up and muscly or slender and very toned. That’ll affect the level of buoyancy (thickness of neoprene) you may want across your suit.
Each brand often adopts a shape across all their suits that work for a certain body type. For example, some brands suit curvy women, others suit a more straight up and down athletic build. Work out what shape you are, what brands accommodate your shape and go from there.
To give you a few examples, Blue Seventy and Zone 3 seem to suit a more curvy body, whereas Huub and 2XU tend to suit a more athletic build. In my experience Orca, sits somewhere in between. The yamamoto neoprene used by Orca has high stretch so can suit a curvier shape than the initial suit shape suggests. Please remember these examples are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many, many brands out there worth looking at.
Male and female suits are tailored to the average shape for each gender. Alongside differing shapes for each gender, buoyancy profiles are often adjusted too, so neoprene thicknesses in certain points in the suit may be different between the genders.
Whilst most of us would ordinarily go straight to our designated gender it’s worth bearing in mind there are some circumstances where broadening your search beyond gender might be useful. For example, I, for many years wore men’s suits because, at 6ft tall, I struggled to find a women’s suit that accommodated my height. The fit wasn’t perfect around my waist, hips and thighs but it was significantly more comfortable than feeling compressed by a suit that was too short. I know a few “apple” “inverse triangle” and big boobed ladies who’ve fared better in men’s suits too.
Pear shaped women in particular struggle. Trying to get a suit that covers the whole body to accommodate what can often be a significant size difference between top and bottom is sometimes impossible. Whilst there aren’t many options on the market, I know a few ladies who’ve fared well with two-piece wetsuits (leggings and long-sleeved top).
Whilst this seems much less common, I do know one petite gent who bought a women’s suit because the men’s ranges just didn’t fit as well.
Let’s talk a little bit about plus size bodies. Many people above a women’s size 14/16 dress size struggle to find suits that go up to their size. It’s a growing problem as more and more people enter the water. Wetsuit brands are very, very slowly catching up with demand. Orca, Zone 3, Yonda and Blue Seventy have all announced larger sizing in the last few years, however, only up to the size 18/20 mark. Lomo on the other hand offer wetsuits up to size 32 which are good quality, suit a range of shapes and are incredibly good value for money. They’re my definite go-to brand for larger swimmers who want a full wetsuit.
This great review on plus size wetsuits is worth a read https://outdoorswimmer.com/extra/review-plus-size-wetsuits/
It's always worth mentioning custom made wetsuits from Snugg http://www.snuggwetsuits.co.uk/ if you can afford one. Whether you struggle to find a suit because of size, proportions, height, or you just want the perfectly fitted suit, Snugg are really worthwhile investment. Clearly they come with a cost but I know many people who’ve never regretted the investments and their suits have lasted for year. They can also adjust the buoyancy profile to suit your preferred swim stroke.
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Breaststroke swimmers often struggle with wetsuits. The predominant design of wetsuits aimed at front crawl swimmers just doesn’t work well for breaststroke. Consistent thickness neoprene across the torso and legs or extra thickness around the hips and legs, mean breaststroke swimmers can struggle to keep their legs submerged. This can lead to an ineffectual and uncomfortable leg kick. Thicker neoprene on the leg can also make it difficult to bend the knee. Whilst you may not need quite so much flexibility in the shoulders for breaststroke you do still need good freedom of movement and, importantly, need to be able to stretch out on the “glide” part of your stroke.
If you’re swimming breaststroke look for either a neutral buoyancy (no extra buoyancy round the bum and legs) wetsuit or one designed specifically for breaststroke (usually thinner neoprene around the legs and hips).
If the thickness of each area of a wetsuit isn’t 100% clear from the description don’t hesitate to drop the manufacturer a line and ask them. In my experience 3mm of neoprene around the legs is the maximum you want for a comfortable breaststroke swim, though if you have particularly buoyant legs you may want to go thinner.
What if you swim a bit of both? My advice, is to go for one that works well for Breaststroke. You’ll have far more issues trying to swim breaststroke in a suit designed for front crawl than the other way around.
As far as your choices in breaststroke specific and neutral buoyancy suits go, you won’t have quite the same choice as for front crawl designed suits. The market’s getting there but still seems to be getting its heads around the idea that many people swim outdoors for leisure rather than simply to get fast at front crawl for a race. I’ve tried a couple of the breaststroke specific wetsuits on the market and, so far, haven’t been hugely impressed. From both a design and build quality perspective. However, they do come in at the lower end of the price range so maybe I shouldn’t expect so much of them.
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3/2, 2, 5, 1/3/2, 4/8, 5/4. Code? My PIN? Hat size? Nope!
These numbers are what you might see on wetsuit descriptions. The first number usually denotes the thickness around the torso, the second number the thickness of the arms and legs. A 3/2 suit should give you lower buoyancy around the legs and therefore might be suitable for someone who doesn’t struggle to float. A 4/6 would be a warm suit around the torso with extra buoyancy to help people with sinky legs to keep a good position in the water for front crawl.
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In short no. Everybody is different and one size, indeed a few sizes, doesn’t fit all. Size, shape, body fat to muscle ratio, cold tolerance, swim style, mobility are all important factors in your wetsuit choice.
In some very specific circumstances, there are one or two brands I can point people towards (see “Will my body shape/size affect what suit I need?”) but otherwise I’m afraid you’ll need to do your own research.
It’s always worth chatting to other swimmers about what suits they use and prefer. Sneakily sizing people up and working out what works for different size and shape bodies is a good idea too.
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Easy exit
Are you using the suit for a triathlon and need to make a speedy exit in T1 to get out onto your bike? Suits that claim particularly easy removal around the feet might be worth considering if you’re hoping to shave seconds off your time. Such features are also useful for anyone with quite rigid ankles who struggle to point their toes and often get wetsuits stuck around their feet. Frankly, easy exit’s always a plus point on a suit but you may end up paying a little more so it’s a balance between need and cost.
Some wetsuits include a smoother internal lining to make the suit slide off the body easier. Thay can make changing significantly easier but unless you have a particular need for speed or really struggle with changing they’re not an essential. Again, this is a convenience vs price consideration. Mine has an easy remove lining and I have to admit I do love it.
Zips
Most swim wetsuit have back zips. Contrary to some assumptions a back zip full wetsuit is much easier to get on and off than a front zip suit. Some people do struggle to zip themselves in and out though. Don’t be shy and always ask for help if you need it, swimmers are a friendly bunch.
Most wetsuit zips do up from bottom to top. However, some triathlon specific suits zip from top to bottom with quick releases to make for a faster transition. Unless you have a specific need for speed I’d steer clear of these types of zips. They’re impossible to do up on your own (unless you have weirdly flexible shoulders) and it’s easy to undo them by mistake.
Thermal suits
Either suits made of thicker neoprene or ones with a specific thermal lining. If you’re particularly sensitive to the cold or want a warmer suit for the winter months these are worth a look. Bear in mind that thicker neoprene will equal different buoyancy in the water so they may feel significantly different to other suits. Clearly they come with a price tag so it’s worth considering whether alternative additions to your existing suit might work instead. See “Do I need a different wetsuit for summer and winter”.
Neck height
Suits can vary widely in the cut around the neck. Some are very snug and thick in an attempt to prevent water entry as much as possible around the top of the suit. Others, whilst still snug, have a lower, more flexible, neckline. As a personal preference I prefer a lower cut neckline. High necklines make me feel like I’m being strangled. Others prefer this type of snug fitting though.
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How long is a piece of string? With a quick internet search for “swim wetsuits” you’ll find a range from around £100 - £700. That’s quite a choice!
At the bottom end of the scale, entry level, wetsuits will be relatively basic with limited features, potentially less flexibility and of lower neoprene quality. That said, there are some fantastic entry level suits that suit any swimmer from beginner to advanced.
In the mid-range, around £200-300, you’ll start to find great features such as specific buoyancy for different swim styles, more flexibility and things like stretchy ankle panels for easier removal.
Above around £300 you’re entering the arena of racing suits where tiny details are included to knock marginal time off your swim. If you’re racing, are concerned about time and performance and you have some cash to splash then it’s definitely worth looking at this level.
For most leisure swimmers though, suits in high price bracket are rarely necessary. My only caveat to that is if you opt for a custom made suit which range from £350-500 depending on what you need.
At every price point it’s important you do your research and work out what’s the right suit for your body and the type of swimming you’ll be doing. I always say, research well and spend what you can afford.
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I know, I feel your pain! When I started regularly swimming outdoors there were a handful of swim wetsuit brands. Now, I can’t name them all and more keep popping up each year. It’s one of the many reasons I’m, usually, reluctant to recommend specific suits, I’m just not on top of the market as well as I used to be.
Within each brand there may be 2,3,4 even 5 different types of suit to choose from. Many brands have an entry level, mid point and elite racing level suit, with the occasional thermal, breaststroke specific or swimrun suit thrown in for good measure.
Wetsuits aren’t commonly stocked in stores, most people source them online, hope for the best and make a few mistakes along the way but, there are other ways to help make that online order easier, or even avoid it all together.
So, what’s the best way to narrow down your search?
Ask around amongst swim friends and at swim venues. What suits do they like? Which have lasted well?
Ask to try friend’s suits on. Swimmers are a friendly bunch and are usually happy to oblige with kit help.
Are you a similar shape to someone else and what suit do they wear?
Get to a wetsuit try on session or shop that offers fittings. Swim the Lakes in Ambleside offer this service and there are likely to be others that just haven’t hit my radar. Tri wetsuit hire https://www.triwetsuithire.co.uk/ will match your swim style and sizing to a suit that you can hire and either keep if it’s right or return if it’s not.
Spend some time online researching the different suits.
Ask on swim facebook groups. Try and be specific about what you’re looking for e.g. breastroke/front crawl, rough sizing, male/female. Do bear in mind though that it can be hard to judge the experience behind any advice offered by complete strangers online.
Hire a suit at a swim venue. Some venues have a fleet of hire wetsuits of different brands and sizes. The venue staff can often advise on what might be right for you and you can take it for a spin without any commitment to buy.
Go to a shop to try wetsuits on. Places to try on wetsuits are unfortunately few and far between. Wetsuits are expensive specialist kit that are easy to damage when trying on. However, more and more sports shops have started to keep a limited range in stock including:
Swim the Lakes, Ambleside
George Fisher, Keswick
Alpkit (own brand only)
Decathlon
The Endurance Store, Wigan
Lomo, Glasgow (own brand only)
Huub factory shop, Derby (own brand only)
Yonda factory shop (own brand only)
Mailsports, Buckinghamshire
The Wetsuit Centre, Bournemouth
(please get in touch if you know of any others and I’ll happily add them)
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Simple - A wetsuit should be snug, shouldn’t restrict your movement and be designed for the type of swimming you want to do
Wetsuits should be snug but not so tight that you struggle to breathe or move freely. A poorly fitting wetsuit may not only not keep you warm but could also lead to injury as you strain against it.
The thin layer of water that sits between your skin and the suit needs to stay there for you to remain warm. If your suit is loose and fresh cold water can flow freely through the suit as you swim it won’t be as effective at keeping you warm. A too large suit which “floods” can also be very difficult, verging on dangerous, to swim in.
That snugness needs to be across the full suit so it’s important to find the right fit for you. Baggy legs and arms but a well fitting torso won’t do. Equally baggy bits around the shoulders, armpits, crotch, lower back and sleeves will leave you with cold patches and odd areas where water will “slosh”.
To test the flexibility around the shoulders and body see how it feels if you reach your arms up to the sky and when circling them like a windmill. If it feels very restricted it may not be comfortable to swim in.
Movement around the legs is important for breaststroke. Try squatting or sitting on a chair and doing breaststroke legs to see how it feels. If you’re struggling with these motions the suit may be too restrictive.
It’s important to remember in all of this that, once you’re in the water and some water’s entered the suit, it will loosen a little so better to be more snug than loose when on dry land.
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Places to try on wetsuits to buy are unfortunately few and far between. Wetsuits are expensive specialist kit that are easy to damage when trying on. Some venues have a fleet of hire suits to try before you buy. Whilst still limited, more and more sports shops are starting to keep a limited range in stock including:
Peak Tri Store, Tideswell, Derbyshire https://www.peaktristore.co.uk/
Swim the Lakes, Ambleside
George Fisher, Keswick
Alpkit (own brand only)
Decathlon
The Endurance Store, Wigan
Lomo, Glasgow (own brand only)
Huub factory shop, Derby (own brand only)
Yonda factory shop (own brand only)
Mailsports, Buckinghamshire
The Wetsuit Centre, Bournemouth
(please get in touch if you know of any others and I’ll happily add them)
It’s also worth looking into tri wetsuit hire who will match your measurements and needs with one of their hire fleet. You can hire sits for a period of time and if you like it can purchase the suit to keep. https://www.triwetsuithire.co.uk/
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One that fits you 😉
Wetsuits vary in sizing and shape both between and within brands.
As an example, imagine I have 6 women in one room who are all the same dress size. I provide one pair of jeans in that size to try on. That one pair of jeans might fit one, maybe two people well. For the rest they might be too long/short, big/small on the bum, belly or thighs, too high/low on the waist. We’re all different shapes even though we’re the same “size”. Magnify the jeans analogy to a piece of clothing that needs to fit over all of your body and you can see why it’s so hard to recommend the right suit.
Most wetsuit brands have size guides based on height, weight and sometimes chest, waist and hip measurements. Very few swim brands use female dress sizes, Lomo is the only brand I’m aware of.
Get your tape measure out and get measuring. Make sure you’re realistic in your sizing. If you fall between sizes check what the size guide for the brand suggests, some will suggest sizing up or down if you fall between.
In terms of weight, I’ve found many size guides to be some way out for me. I’ve exceeded the weight guideline by a good few KG on all of the swim wetsuits I own. That could be down to poor conversion for tall people (I’m 6ft) or other factors. The weight guides are also partly based on the level of buoyancy a person needs but, for many people and particularly women, as we get heavier we also get more buoyant. I do wonder if these weight guidelines haven’t been adjusted to allow for the difference in buoyancy between men and women (women are, generally, more buoyant than men).
With that in mind, I think it’s worth sometimes taking weight guides with a pinch of salt. They won’t be right for everyone but are a good benchmark. It’s why chest, waist and hip measurements, where they’re used, can be so important.
You may have a to try on a number of suits, of different brands and different sizes within a brand to find the right fit for you. It was a long process for me, but one that was ultimately worth it in the end.
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If you have a swim based smoothskin wetsuit the answer is, carefully. The flexibility of swim wetsuits makes them more prone to damage than surf or dive suits. Make sure you have short fingernails and take care when pulling the suit up, ideally using the pads of your fingers. If you don’t you could end up with small half moon shaped nicks or worse, holes and tears. If you’re particularly worried about damaging your suit as you put it on you can use thin gloves. Fabric ones are often provided with suits but rubber gloves are even better.
Now the basics.
Make sure the zip is at the back.
Flip the top half of the suit almost inside out so you can use the waist area of the suit to start pulling the legs over your feet.
Point your toes, if you can, and work the legs up as far as you can. You want to pull the legs up far enough that the wetsuit is snug into your crotch before you start putting on the top half.
Ease your arms into the suit and pull up over the shoulders.
At this point you may have to start pulling the suit further up your body to allow more space around your torso, arms and shoulders before you zip up.
Zip yourself in or get someone else to help you.
Again, adjust the positioning of the suit on your body. Shuffling more suit up along your legs, arms, front and side of your body. If you have a willing helper, ask them to “hoik” the back up a little too.
For anyone who struggles to point their feet and get them through the leg a plastic back on the foot can help it glide through.
That’s a very quick run-down and it’s hard to explain in words. There are myriad videos online to show you how to do it so go and have a search.
“How do I get a wetsuit off?”
First things first, a well-fitting suit will be easier to get off. One that’s too tight, whether all over or just on certain parts of the body will be harder to remove.
Peel it off inside out. Try and avoid letting the suit bunch up as the smoothskin coating can stick to itself. If you have stiff ankles and struggle to pull your suit over them, try putting a plastic bag on your foot to help it glide over or look for suits with stretchier ankles.
Avoid standing on your suit as you remove it as you may damage it.
You don’t have to be all bravado and stand up for the duration. Once you’ve got the suit beyond your bum do sit down if you can. There’s nothing worse than hopping round on one leg whilst wrestling the other leg out of your suit. It’s often entertaining for others watching but it will hurt if you fall over!
Try using some lubricant (see “do I need to use lube”) both on the inside and outside of your suit. Both sides will help the suit glide off.
Unquestionably the easiest place to take off your wetsuit is in the water. Water acts as a natural lubricant within the suit. Once you leave the water, much of that will drain out of the bottom and the suit starts to “stick”. It takes a bit of practice and make sure you’re in a safe water depth (standing depth but not too shallow) but once you’ve got the nack it’s really worth it. This is only for those who don’t get too cold and are happy having that extra little nip from the water at the end of your swim.
Once you’re out of your suit dry it inside out. You can turn it the right way round once the inside’s dry to dry the outside. Note, it’s good practice to store your suit inside out though to prevent risk of damage to the outer layers in storage.
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Swim wetsuits are significantly more fragile than surf, dive or general-purpose suits. The super flexible neoprene and smoothskin coatings are prone to small nicks from fingernails as well as tears, both in the main body and along seams. The material also seems to degrade more quickly than hardier types of neoprene. Some brands seem to fare better than others. My suits usually last me around 2 years before they need replacing due to holes and general degradation.
In the first instance, getting a suit that fits will help! A well fitting wetsuit will mean less manhandling over your body. I trashed the thighs on some of my earlier suits because they were just too snug in that place (it was a compromise I had to make at the time to ensure a good fit elsewhere). Friend’s who’ve had custom made suits have reported their suits last a lot longer because they don’t have to squeeze into certain parts of their suit.
Keep your nails short!
Try and use the pads of your fingers to pull up your suit. Easing up gradually in small nudges rather than trying to drag the whole suit up at once. See earlier section on “How do I get a wetsuit on?”
Rubber gloves are an effective and sticky way to avoid digging fingernails in when you’re getting it on.
Don’t use your swim wetsuit for cliff jumping/rock scrambling/kayaking or anything where friction might occur where it’s not supposed to. Get a rough, tough basic one for this kind of stuff……….yes, you might end up with a wardrobe full of wetsuits……..sorry!
Do I need a different wetsuit for summer and winter?
Maybe, maybe not. It really depends what suit you go for initially. Many people buy their wetsuits to use over the warmer summer months, when warmer temperatures allow long, leisurely swims. For some that suit might not suffice as the temperatures drop. Some people buy thicker, warmer suits for winter but, bear in mind, thicker neoprene equals extra buoyancy and your swim may not be as easy or comfortable. Personally, I’ve added a neoprene vest and hood to my normal wetsuit for that little bit of warmth round the all-important core and head without adding extra buoyancy around my legs. You might want to play around with various combo’s to find the right winter set up for you.
See thermal suits under “wetsuit features” too.
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Many people choose to not wear full length wetsuits but still add a little neoprene for warmth. The reasons are many and varied. It could be a desire to feel the cold more, getting too hot, feeling restricted, struggling to find a suit that fits well, excess buoyancy and physical disability. For these instances there are a number of options, which I’ll expand on a little more in a later article but things that you may want to consider include:
General purpose “shorty” wetsuits – often easier to get on and off than a full length suit. See “Can I just wear any old wetsuit” for the pros and cons of general purpose wetsuits.
Swim run suits – short and long sleeved options, usually with a front zip. These are made of the same, flexible, smoothskin neoprene that the full length swim wetsuits are made of. Versatility in terms of leg and arm length and a front zip work well for some people.
Neoprene vests, jackets, long sleeved tops, leggings and shorts. Separates allow for more flexibility in fit and you have options for warmer and cooler days.
Sea walking wetsuits with both front and back zips. These are usually made of fairly stretchy neoprene but without the smooth skin coating. The combination of both a back and front zip can make for easier access.
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Now, that’s a very personal question. Lots of people do. I do, sometimes! It comes down to personal preference.
It’s more common that you might think to find you feel the need to wee more when you’re in the water (wetsuit or not). It’s something called cold water diuresis and I’ll talk a little more about that elsewhere. So it really is something swimmers often have to consider more than other activities.
Given the increased awareness of water quality and our potential human impacts on it, I am trying to err away from weeing in wild waters. Urine is high in nutrients (phosphates and nitrates), which in high concentrations can contribute to algal blooms. Multiply one swim wee by many, many swimmers in one location and it could accumulate (this will depend on the type of water body you’re swimming in). Whilst water companies and agriculture are big contributors to water pollution, I firmly believe we can all do our bit to reduce our impact. Use the loo before you leave home, at your swim venue before you swim or take a wild wee away from the water (this will allow any nutrients to absorb into the land and slow it’s release to any nearby water body).
If you do wee in your suit. Make sure you give it a good clean afterwards……there’s little worse than that smell.
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Snigger. My childish brain aside, yes using a lubricant for your wetsuit can be really helpful. Not just to help with the most common area of rubbing on the back of the neck but also around the shoulders to help loosen the neoprene around the area you want the most freedom of movement e.g. the shoulders. Lube on both you and the outside of your suit can make it easier to get your suit on and off.
You’re more likely to need lube in salt water than fresh as salt water can be more irritating to the skin.
What lube you use comes down to personal choice. There are specific lubes branded for use with wetsuits. Vaseline is a good, cheap option, though opinions are divided on whether it may damage neoprene in the long term. Personally, I use a very lightweight, unscented moisturiser. I happened to have it to hand one day and found it worked really well for my sensitive skin.
As always, think about your impact on the environment you’re swimming in. Any lotions or lubricants you do use in the water have potential to cause harm. Unless you definitely need lube for something specific it’s probably best to avoid it for everyday swims.
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You should clean your wetsuit after every swim. This keeps it fresh and also prevents cross contamination of invasive species between waterbodies (link to check clean dry). A good rinse in fresh, clean water will do. If you want to clean it properly a non-bio washing liquid or wetsuit specific cleaner is good. I don’t machine wash swimming wetsuits because of the risk of damaging the smooth skin coating but I know others who have had success with this on more basic, non swim-specific suits. Just use a gentle cycle.
If your suit ends up particularly smelly a soak in some bicarbonate of soda or Milton should help eradicate any boggy whiffs.
To make sure you destroy any invasive species and to reduce residual damp smells hang your suit to fully dry somewhere warm but not hot. Do not put it on direct heat as this will damage the neoprene and seams.
Avoid storing your wetsuit with a hanger through the shoulders as this can stretch the shoulder area. I store mine, inside out, over a trouser hanger at the waist. This is the thickest part of the suit and is less susceptible to damage and prevents creasing elsewhere.
Small repairs to damaged suits are easy to do at home see “Wetsuit repairs”.
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Something more and more at the top of people’s lists when it comes to kit choices now, is the sustainability of products. There are lots of claims out there on eco credentials of wetsuits and the biggest impact from a sales point of view is the material they’re made from.
Neoprene is generally petroleum or limestone based. Both finite resources with significant impacts associated with extraction and manufacture. Not ideal.
There are a few suits available made from Yulex, a natural rubber based neoprene. A more renewable resource but again with manufacture and extraction implications.
More and more suits are coming onto the market with either 100% or partial recycled content. Whilst full or partial recycled content is good the recycling and onward manufacture will still have impacts.
So, you can begin to see here a potential environmental hierarchy of materials. As with most products it’s difficult to dig into the accuracy of many environmentally friendly claims. I used to do life-cycle analysis for a living (which is the gold standard of environmental impacts) and have yet to find a good comparison of each of the options above. Greenwashing has become a huge marketing tool so, whilst it’s good to be mindful of the benefits of recycled content or naturally derived materials, it can be difficult as a conscientious consumer to differentiate.
However, the BIGGEST thing you can do to improve the sustainability credentials of your wetsuit, in fact any kit purchase, is to buy right. Getting the wrong suit, throwing it away because it doesn’t fit and starting again has a huge impact. Waste is one of our biggest impacts on the planet.
If you get the wrong suit and can’t use it, do try and sell it on. If you can find your suit second hand that’s great too.
If you damage your suit, try and repair it. Smaller nicks are easily fixed with a spot of neoprene glue. Larger holes can often be fixed at home with a repair kit or sent off for repair to a specialist repair shop such as https://www.bodylinewetsuits.co.uk/surfing-wetsuit-repair/ and https://alpkit.com/pages/repair-station
Old suits that are beyond repair can be repurposed to patch other suits or have been turned into thermal sleeves for flasks. There are numerous specialist recycling options out there for any neoprene I can’t re-use. A quick online search for “wetsuit recycling” will find you plenty of options.
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It’s really common for to get small nicks and eventually tears or holes in swim wetsuits. The sooner you find and fix a hole or nick the less chance it has to expand and turn into a bigger problem.
You can make small repairs at home. Often just a spot of neoprene glue such as black witch, will do. For larger tears neoprene patches and glue can also work well.
A few home repair guides are linked below.
Lomo, a long but detailed watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B4JFYIwwWg
Wetsuit centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8bU4RTCGdc
GTN, good for small holes and nicks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VmhKqhDct4
If your suits beyond a DIY job there are a few wetsuits repair services out there. Both Bodyline https://www.bodylinewetsuits.co.uk/surfing-wetsuit-repair/ and Alpkit https://alpkit.com/pages/repair-station offer great service but if you ask around your local swim groups you’re likely to find something closer to home. Dive and surf shops often offer repair services too.
If your suits is truly beyond repair try and find a wetsuit recycling service. Alpkit take donations via their shops and there are a number of retailers looking for old suits to re-manufacture into other products or brand new suits, just search online.
And there you have it, the Peak Swims guide to wetsuits. I’ve covered some of the most common questions but if you have any more please don’t hesitate to drop me a line and I’ll do my best to add to the list.
Happy wetsuit shopping!
