Wetsuits are one of the excellent pieces of equipment that let divers stay in the water for a long time. They are usually made of neoprene that should last for years if you take care of it. They help you keep your body warm underwater so that you can avoid hypothermia.
You may hear something like this: the more the thickness of your wetsuit, the more warmth it can generate. We all know that there are a variety of temperatures around the world. So, picking up the thickness, depending on the current diving location, is pretty much essential.
Only choosing the best wetsuits for diving is not enough for you if you can determine the accurate thickness of yours. If you can select the right thickness of the wetsuit, you will be warm and happy. Here, we’ve come to provide you some information about this matter.
What Thickness of Wetsuits Do You Need?
One of the essential aspects when considering wetsuit is the thickness of the neoprene. It’s measured in millimeters and represented with 2 or 3 numbers separated by a slash.
While the first number shows you the thickness of the neoprene in the torso area, the second and third numbers represent in the extremities and the arms, respectively.
Besides, you will find 3 types of thicknesses of wetsuits, such as 3mm, 5mm, and 7mm. The flexibility of the movement depends on how thinner wetsuit you’re wearing. On the other hand, if you want to get more warmth, you need to wear thicker wetsuits.
Different Types of Wetsuits Based on Thickness
There are different types of diving wetsuits for a variety of purposes. As there are plenty of water sports out there, wetsuits are made for fulfilling various demands of the divers. Now, let’s have a look at below to know some of them.
Shorty Wetsuit
A shorty wetsuit made of 2.5 to 3mm neoprene is ideal for the warmest water. It comes with short arms and legs. When you wear this wetsuit, you see only the body is covered. That’s because this wetsuit is the easiest to put on and take off.
Full-length Steamer
This excellent piece of diving equipment is almost the same as a shorty wetsuit. But the difference is that this wetsuit has full-length arms and legs. It offers extra warmth and abrasion protection to the users. Besides that, it’s ideal for diving near wrecks so that you can avoid severe injuries.
Neoprene Alternatives
Since some divers react to neoprene, there are wetsuits available on the market, which are made from different materials. They usually catch water against your skin and prevent it from entering into the wetsuit. You can only equate them to 2 to 3mm wetsuits.
Semi-Dry Suits
These are one of the unique wetsuits in this list, which comes with almost similar features of a drysuit. These wetsuits come with neck, wrist, and ankle areas made of unique material. They allow cold water to enter into the wetsuit so that it can decrease the flushing effect of the water.
Conclusion
While 3mm wetsuits are ideal for the tropics, 5mm steamer suits are suitable for the Red Sea. If you want to do the UK summer diving, 7mm suits will be the right choice for you. When you’re going diving anywhere much colder, you should look for drysuits with under layers.