DIVING EQUIPMENT: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WETSUIT FOR DIVING

Choosing the right scuba diving equipment is a big decision for any diver. We have put together some top tips for choosing the right wetsuit for scuba diving.

The main areas for any diver buying a wetsuit to consider are:

WARMTH
Wetsuits for scuba diving or snorkelling come in a whole range of warmths and thicknesses. What you need will depend on where you are going to dive. Warmer sea temperatures require thin suits, or even just shorty wetsuits, whilst colder temperatures obviously need thick suits or even dry suits to ensure the diver is comfortable. The best thing to do is to ask other scuba divers who have dived in the area you are visiting about the kinds of wetsuits they usually dive in. This will help you to choose the right thickness of wetsuit. Combo suits are good, because they can be adapted to work with diving in various different water temperatures. These include a full suit, detachable hood and wetsuit jacket.

FIT
Choosing a well-fitting wetsuit is really important for scuba divers. If the wetsuit does not fit properly, it is possible that fresh water will continue to enter the suit whilst diving, which will mean that it never warms up. The wetsuit should be snug to the diver’s skin, and all openings must not gape. Whilst the wetsuit must fit like a second skin, it should not be so tight that it constricts the diver. Wetsuits tend to feel tighter on when they are dry than they do underwater in the middle of a dive, so bear this in mind when trying on a suit in a dive centre.

QUALITY
As with all diving equipment, any wetsuit you buy should be built to last. There are various things that divers should look for when choosing a wetsuit.

Ensure that the wetsuit has inside stitching as it will reinforce the seams, and make it less likely that holes will form in the suit.

Wetsuits with leg zips and wrist zips are far easier to put on than those without.

Zip fixings should be metal, not plastic, as they are less likely to break.

There should be a loop at the base of the main zip, as then you can hold the bottom of the zip whilst you do up the wetsuit. This will make it less likely for the suit to tear, as there is less weakening at the seams.

Wetsuits with side panels reduce the restriction that can be felt around the chest, and make for a more comfortable diving experience.

The Neoprene used to make the wetsuit should be stretchable and should also have been gas blown induced instead of chemical blown induced.