Scuba Wetsuits
Posted on Sep 22, 2008 under scuba wetsuits |
Scuba wetsuits are worn by scuba divers to keep themselves warm when they are in cold water. They also protect the diver from sun exposure, jellyfish attacks and coral. They can also be worn by snorkelers and windsurfers.
Wetsuits trap a thin layer of water between the skin and the rubber of the wetsuit. Your body heats this water which insulates you against the cold and helps your body retain its heat.
To work efficiently and provide good thermal protection a wetsuit must hug the body forming an all over seal, particularly on the torso. It should be a comfortable and snug fit and not sag when worn. Water will escape from between the suit and the body if the wetsuit is too loose a fit, taking the bodys heat with it. Water retention is aided by the flexible seals at the suit cuffs.
Modern wetsuits are mainly made from thin neoprene, a stretchy synthetic rubber that is extremely durable, or a combination of neoprene and lycra. These are measured for the conditions by their thickness, basically the colder the water the thicker the neoprene required. Scuba wetsuits made of dense neoprene offer great warmth and protection. Neoprene comes in different thicknesses, from 2 mm to 6 mm.
A thicker cold water wetsuit will be required if you are diving in particularly cold diving spots, or if you are descending to a depth of 30 feet at least. The trade-off in terms of restricted mobility and better insulation was in the past a major consideration to the wearing of thick wetsuits. However, thanks to modern technology, wetsuits designed with a higher torso thickness are now just as flexible as wetsuits designed with lower torso thicknesses.
The choice of wetsuit you make can affect not only your recreation, but also your life. A diver has to be very discriminating as to the quality and material that goes into the manufacture of a wetsuit. You just can’t afford to take any chances with poor quality ill fitting scuba wetsuits.