Info About Wetsuits

Wetsuit technology has boomed in recent years, allowing surfers all over the world to enjoy long periods in the water even in the depths of winter!
The technology that is in wetsuits these days has opened up new doors of surf exploration to the far north and south, surfers can now go on surf trips to places like Iceland and Antarctica and know that with their highly developed wetsuit they will be able to go for a surf and actually stay in the water for a number of hours!!

Wetsuit Jargon: when buying a wetsuit you will encounter all sorts of sayings and terminology that you are unfamiliar with, here is a short list of some of the things to look out for:

Blindstitched Wetsuit:

This is the wetsuit stitch that really makes winter surfing happen. Two pieces of neoprene are butted against each other edge to edge, but as they are stitched together the needle only goes half way through the neoprene before then going back out. The edges of the wetsuit are usually glued when they are butted up against each other before stitching. The glue and the fact that the needle never goes all the way through the neoprene, makes the blindstitch an essentially waterproof seam, and thus the only way to go for a real winter wetsuit. Often the blindstitch is done from both sides of the suit, inside and out, in the so-called double-blindstitched construction, adding extra strength.

Wetsuits with Glued and Taped Seals:

On thicker winter wetsuits, heat welded tape is sometimes applied over the blindstitched seams on the inside to further strengthen and waterproof the wetsuit in key stress areas. Blindstitched, glued and taped wetsuits are very warm, but because it is a much more involved construction process they are significantly more expensive, sometimes nearly twice the cost of a more basic over lock wetsuit but if you are wanting to surf in cold conditions these top end surf wetsuits are worth every penny.

Wetsuit Thickness:

Wetsuits are measured by the thickness of the material used, Usually Neoprene and titanium. You will hear the term 3/2 or 5/4/3 this basically means the wetsuit is made up of some material being 3mm thick and other parts 2mm thick, the different thickness’ are placed in areas where the body is more likely and less likely to loose heat. A 5/4/3 wetsuit will be one that is made up of 5mm material 4mm material and also 3mm material. The thinner wetsuit material will be placed where maximum movement is needed, like the arms.

Super stretch Wetsuit:

You will probably hear all about this if you are looking at wetsuit that are made by Xcel. They are probably the starchiest wetsuits on the market giving you maximum comfort and increased manoeuvrability so that your surfing performance doesn’t suffer and you can keep your highest level of performance even in the coldest of conditions.

Different types of Wetsuit:

A full wetsuit is exactly that, Long legs and long arms so it covers all your body just leaving your feet, hands, neck and head exposed.
A shorti is a wetsuit that has short arms and short legs for when the water is too warm for a full suit but not quite warm enough to wear Boardshorts.
Long arm short leg is a wetsuit with long arms all the way to the wrists and short legs ending at the your knee.
Short arm long leg, again a variation of a full wetsuit and shorti with short arms to the elbow and long legs to the ankle. The difference between the last 2 suits are this: a long arm short leg will offer better paddling ability whilst keeping your legs warmer and a long arm short leg will offer better upper body heat where you are more likely to loose it whilst keeping your legs more free for doing turns.

Nowadays with Wetsuit companies such as Xcel producing wetsuits that are Glue, Blindstitched, and tape sealed they are keeping us dryer and warmer than ever, Not only do they offer great seals but the stretch that wetsuits offer these days is out of this world. A winter suit that is around 5mm thick these days offers the same amount of stretch and movement that a 3mm suit offered only a few years ago.
For those people who are lucky enough to not have to break out a 5mm suit for the depths of winter and can get away with a 3mm suit when their home is at it's coldest are loving life. 3/2 wetsuits are super stretchy these days so your performance is hardly hampered at all plus they keep you very toasty for their thickness.

To buy the best wetsuits available on the market at the lowest prices check out yakwax.com for a full range of Xcel Wetsuits