Not all wetsuits are designed to withstand the same type of movement. Some are built for heavy use of the knees and shoulders while others are more restrictive in the joint areas. The panels that a wetsuit is made from are stitched and glued together, creating more flexibility. Panels that come together in high motion areas can cause additional chafing, which can be very uncomfortable.
When water becomes trapped between your skin and the suit, you may feel a slight chill at first, although it's not the same shock of jumping in unprotected. In a moment, the water that is trapped warms up as an extra layer of insulation, creating additional warmth.
There are numerous different sports that require wetsuits when the water (or the air) becomes too chilly for swimming but you still have enough warmth to keep you in the game. Surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, jet skiing, water skiing and wake boarding, and of course, swimming are just a few of the main sports that will find you picking through your options early and late in the season.
If you live in a northern area you will probably need a wetsuit all year long. A simple shorty or spring suit will most likely suffice during the summer months, but having it can mean the difference between staying on the water for an hour and staying out for three or four hours. If you're in a southerly climate you might only need a light suit or even a skinsuit for much of the year, with a heavier suit for the midwinter months. Most people have more than one suit to help get them through each season.
The different styles offer you different ways to protect your body from the cold. A full suit covers you from wrist to ankle and may even come with a well fitted hood. For additional protection you can certainly add gloves and boots in order to keep all of the exposed skin covered and warmer for your sessions. Wear what is comfortable and appropriate for you and the water temperature.
A shorty is a suit that offers core protection. It has shorts, usually to just above the knee, and short or three quarter sleeves. Using three quarter sleeves gives you the option to pull the sleeves down over the elbow or push them up a bit for more arm movement. Sports like windsurfing and kiteboarding require a lot of arm movement and most people find a three quarter sleeve below the elbow to be constricting.
A "John" or a "Jane" is a suit that offers full leg coverage and core protection while it also allows for total arm movement. It's sleeveless. A light suit like this can be beneficial not just when you need a little bit of lower body warmth, but can come in handy when stinging nettles take over the water.
You will probably need more than one style and one weight when it comes to the perfect suit. You will have days when a shorty is perfect and then there will be days when a heavy, thick full suit with a hood is called for. Having multiple options extends your season and your session options. With every suit, you have to ensure that you have chosen well and have a back up on hand. Participating in a water sport with a suit that is too light can hamper your ability to perform well and can hamper your ability to swim to safety if needed. - 29892
When water becomes trapped between your skin and the suit, you may feel a slight chill at first, although it's not the same shock of jumping in unprotected. In a moment, the water that is trapped warms up as an extra layer of insulation, creating additional warmth.
There are numerous different sports that require wetsuits when the water (or the air) becomes too chilly for swimming but you still have enough warmth to keep you in the game. Surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, jet skiing, water skiing and wake boarding, and of course, swimming are just a few of the main sports that will find you picking through your options early and late in the season.
If you live in a northern area you will probably need a wetsuit all year long. A simple shorty or spring suit will most likely suffice during the summer months, but having it can mean the difference between staying on the water for an hour and staying out for three or four hours. If you're in a southerly climate you might only need a light suit or even a skinsuit for much of the year, with a heavier suit for the midwinter months. Most people have more than one suit to help get them through each season.
The different styles offer you different ways to protect your body from the cold. A full suit covers you from wrist to ankle and may even come with a well fitted hood. For additional protection you can certainly add gloves and boots in order to keep all of the exposed skin covered and warmer for your sessions. Wear what is comfortable and appropriate for you and the water temperature.
A shorty is a suit that offers core protection. It has shorts, usually to just above the knee, and short or three quarter sleeves. Using three quarter sleeves gives you the option to pull the sleeves down over the elbow or push them up a bit for more arm movement. Sports like windsurfing and kiteboarding require a lot of arm movement and most people find a three quarter sleeve below the elbow to be constricting.
A "John" or a "Jane" is a suit that offers full leg coverage and core protection while it also allows for total arm movement. It's sleeveless. A light suit like this can be beneficial not just when you need a little bit of lower body warmth, but can come in handy when stinging nettles take over the water.
You will probably need more than one style and one weight when it comes to the perfect suit. You will have days when a shorty is perfect and then there will be days when a heavy, thick full suit with a hood is called for. Having multiple options extends your season and your session options. With every suit, you have to ensure that you have chosen well and have a back up on hand. Participating in a water sport with a suit that is too light can hamper your ability to perform well and can hamper your ability to swim to safety if needed. - 29892
About the Author:
Clement writes for the wetsuits information site where you can learn everything you need to know about buying wetsuits. Just check this wetsuit buying guide for instance.
