Complete Wetsuit Guide

The wetsuit neoprene surf wetsuit was created in the 1950s by Jack O’Neill after experimenting with WWII era diving vests in Northern California. Before this period, surfers were very limited in terms of where, when, and for how long they could surf without becoming dangerously cold. Near our headquarters here in San Diego one older legend surfer recalls how he would stay warm in the pre-wetsuit era saying, “Before we’d paddle out, we’d go to the junk yard and grab an old tire, put it in the back of the truck and bring it to the beach to burn it on the sand. It would burn for hours and if we ever got cold, we’d go inside and gather around the tire to warm up.” Safe to say we are very thankful for the development of the wetsuit! 

With so many options available today it can be hard to traverse your way through the often technical lingo that you may come across when deciding which wetsuit to buy. The goal of this blog is to help you clarify the type of wetsuit that you need for your respective region. 

Wetsuit Thickness

Wetsuit thickness is counted in millimeters. The majority of wetsuits have two measurements represented, with the thicker part of the suit being around the torso for added warmth, and the thinner part of the wetsuit being around the arms and legs for increased mobility, and subsequently, performance. As an example, a wetsuit that is 3mm in the torso, and 2mm in the arms and legs is called a “3/2.” The larger number also goes first. 

Thickness and design of wetsuits are based upon water temperatures. A wetsuit in Alaska will be much thicker with different design elements as opposed to a wetsuit in San Diego or Hawaii. For this reason each type of wetsuit will be described starting with warmer temperatures suits moving to suits for colder temperatures.

Note: To find the water temperature in your area, we recommend checking Surfline.com – a very useful website for surfers that offers precise data on all things waves and weather related.

 

75+° (F) 

If you are in a region with water temperatures this warm, first off… lucky you. In temperatures like this, no wetsuit is required. Instead, opt for a good rash guard and board shorts. If you are someone who gets cold easily even in these temperatures, you can choose a 1mm wetsuit top. A wetsuit top is like a neoprene shirt that surfers wear to keep them comfortable in warmer water surf spots.

Wearing a thicker wetsuit in warm temperatures like this should be avoided. Due to the exuberant amount of energy spent while paddling and riding waves, wearing a thick wetsuit can cause you to dangerously overheat. Imagine running a Florida summer marathon in your ski gear… this is a similar effect that wearing a thick wetsuit will have in very warm water. 

71-74°

These water temperatures are still considered to be very warm so for some of you, you might opt to only wear trunks and a rash guard or wetsuit top. After longer exposure to these temperatures, however, you can still become too cold to surf, especially if the air temperature is cooler in the mornings or evenings. To alleviate this, we recommend wearing a spring suit or a 2mm wetsuit top. A spring suit is a wetsuit that has short legs and short arms. This keeps the torso area warm, but helps you to not become so warm that you overheat. As for the thickness of a spring suit, these are generally 2mm which is considered to be thin and flexible.

65-70° 

Once the water temperature enters below 70°a wetsuit becomes much more necessary. The type of wetsuit, however, can range. On the warmer side of the spectrum, a shortsleeve full or shortleg full wetsuit is optimal. Hence the name, these are full wetsuits that have either short legs or short arms, not both short like a spring suit. These are great for staying warm, but also remaining flexible. These suits are usually 2mm all throughout. 

On the colder side of the spectrum, a 3/2 full suit is recommended. The 3/2 is by far the most popular and versatile wetsuit time. As we introduced above, this wetsuit is 3mm in the torso area which helps you remain comfortable in colder waves and winds. 2mm in the arms allows you to not overheat, and to have the added benefit of flexibility for paddling. 

55-64°

Once the water temperature gets this low, wetsuits become not only about comfortability and longer surf sessions, but physical necessity. Especially in the 50’s end of this spectrum, hypothermia can occur through prolonged exposure. According to one study, death may even occur within 1-6 hours of exposure without a wetsuit. For this important reason, a full wetsuit that is at least 3/2mm suit is necessary to continue surfing safely. For below 60° we recommend adding thickness by opting for a 4/3mm suit. 

Additionally, when the water temperature hits the 50’s, wetsuit booties are also recommended. These are the equivalent of wetsuit shoes that keep your feet from becoming numb.

45-54°

At this level of cold, a 4/3 to 5/4 wetsuit is required in order to stay comfortable and safe in your sessions. Not only will you need a wetsuit, but you will also need booties, a wetsuit hoodie (to keep your head and neck warm), and wetsuit gloves to protect your hands. Without these things, blood flow can stop flowing to your extremities which will make your hands and feet feel like bricks. This is not only detrimental to your surfing, but is dangerous.  

40-47°

Much respect to all of you who continue surfing in temperatures this cold! The type of wetsuit required for surfing in these temperatures is a 5/4 to 6/4. The best type of suit for these temperatures will also have a built in hoodie. Without a built in hoodie, water can subtly enter through the neck area which might be okay for warmer water, but certainly not for temperatures this low. Additionally, thick gloves and booties are required (4-7mm)

 

39 - °

We do not envy you if this is the temperature at your local spot. Shoutout to our customers in places like Alaska who experience these temperatures as the norm. Even with the thickest possible wetsuit, you will still be cold. But on the bright side, I suppose crowd is never an issue in these temperatures. 

To stay remotely comfortable, a 7/6 mm wetsuit is required with equally thick wetsuit hoodie, booties and gloves. If this isn’t enough, there are also wetsuit warmers that you can purchase. These are essentially water proof battery powered vests that you wear underneath your wetsuit to keep you warm as possible. 

Proper Wetsuit Sizing 

An improperly fitting wetsuit will negatively affect your comfortability in the water for two reasons. If your wetsuit is too tight, you may still be warm, but you will be unnecessarily restricted which will greatly hinder your performance. On the other side of the spectrum, if your wetsuit is too big, water will fill into your suit which removes the entire purpose of a wetsuit in the first place. For this reason, finding a properly fitting suit is crucial. 

The best fitting suit will be one that is not baggy, but tight around your body/ all water entry points. If there are folds in the wetsuit, the suit is too big for you. To make sure the suit is not too small however, move around your arms and legs to see how restricted they are. If you can still move comfortably, this is a good fitting suit. Obviously if you can barely fit in the wetsuit, best to look for a bigger size. 

Additionally, just like shoe and clothing brands, each wetsuit brand has a slightly different fit. In order to know the exact sizing for their specific brand, there are sizing charts which match the size of the wetsuit with your height and weight. These sizes usually range from XS to XXL, with “tall” sizes in between. If you are still unsure about sizing after looking at one of these charts, or if you find that you are in between sizes, we also recommend you head into a surf shop to try on some wetsuits in person. This is the equivalent to the “under the arm” test when looking at purchasing a surfboard. 

Lastly, it is worth noting the difference between front zip wetsuits and back zip wetsuits. A back zip wetsuit is easier to get into because the zipper opens wider for you to put your legs through. The front zip wetsuit, on the other hand, is more difficult to get into but is usually more flexible in the torso area which helps for performance surfing. 

Recommended Wetsuit Brand

There are many great wetsuit brands on the market, all flaunting the latest and greatest technologies and materials, but at the end of the day, the best wetsuit for you will be one that fits you properly and suits your needs and budget. Every surfer seems to gravitate towards different wetsuit companies based upon these factors. For example, I’ve had a few RipCurl wetsuits in my day, but I’ve found that the legs of the suits are too small for me. I have friends, however, that love Ripcurl and do not have this issue. The same applies to nearly all other wetsuit companies. 

Based upon our estimation, the most ideal wetsuit company that blends proper fit, warmth, performance, durability and budget friendly options is Manera Wetsuits. Manera is a company that is making waves in the surf world because of their commitment to high quality products and care for their customers. They also have a large variety of wetsuit types that match all of the wetsuit types listed above for men, women, and children. 

We’ve teamed up with Manera – so you can buy one of their suits directly from us by clicking here.

We hope this content has been helpful and informative. If you have any remaining questions, please give us an email at surf@degree33.com or give us a call at 800-920-2363