The suit is essential for anyone who goes surfing or kitesurfing and doesn't live near the equator! At our latitudes, a wetsuit is much more than an accessory : wearing a neoprene wetsuit is essential for most outings during the year, except for some sunny summer day. The concept is simple: a wetsuit has the task of keeping your body warm, preventing it from losing heat, so that you can use all your energy to surf. At the same time a good wetsuit must not impede the movements, behaving a bit like a second skin. In recent years, giant strides have been made by wetsuits manufacturers who are now able to produce increasingly warmer and more comfortable wetsuits and kitesurfing, using increasingly thin neoprene, going up to levels that until a few years ago were unthinkable .
So let's see which muta to buy and what are the most important aspects to consider to choose the perfect wetsuit .
Wetsuits for surfing, kitesurfing or diving: they are not all the same
First of all, if we want to use a wetsuit for surfing or kite surfing, we have to buy a wetsuit or kitesurf and not a wetsuit ! It seems obvious ... but unfortunately this is not always the case. Did you find the decathlon a beautiful diving suit for a few tens of euros? Well, forget it: they are wasted money because a diving suit is not what you need. You say: but if a wetsuit is made to keep a scuba diver warm during diving in the water, why shouldn't he keep me warm while surfing? The point is not only heat, but also freedom of movement. The movements of a diver are rather limited compared to those of a kitesurfer or surfer. Choose a diving suit and you'll find yourself stuck worse than in a straitjacket!
The differences between wetsuits, kitesurf wetsuits and windsurf wetsuits are much less obvious. Kitesurf suits generally offer a better defense against wind, while wetsuits tend to be more elastic and therefore offer better freedom of movement.
Neoprene thickness
In this guide we will only take into consideration the most common category of wetsuits: wetsuits in neoprene, also called wetsuits . These are not the only wetsuits, as there are also dry suits that are made of materials other than neoprene.
Speaking of neoprene wetsuits, a fundamental element is the thickness of the neoprene that makes up the surf or kitesurf suit. The thickness of the neoprene is indicated in mm and is expressed with numbers that typically are 5/3, 4/3, 3/2 etc. A 4/3 suit, for example, is a wetsuit made up of 4mm neoprene panels on the trunk and 3mm on the arms and legs. The more neoprene is often the more it keeps you warm, the lighter it is the less it bothers you ... a bit like a coat.
This concept is true in principle, but it must always be borne in mind that not all neoprene has the same quality, so it happens that for equal heaviness a given type of neoprene can hold warmer than another, or a neoprene can be more rigid and therefore hinder the movements while another neoprene can be more elastic and flexible and therefore better follow the movements. In addition, neoprene is often combined with special linings made of ultra-technical materials that improve the comfort and performance of a wetsuit.
At this point you may be beginning to see how choosing a surf suit is not as simple as a layman might think!
Types of wetsuits: a wetsuit for each season
In an ideal situation, a surfer or a kitesurfer who lives in our latitudes and goes out into the Mediterranean Sea should have 3 moults : a summer wetsuit, a mid-season wetsuit (spring and autumn), a winter wetsuit, plus some lycra and shorts for the summer.
Lycre and rashvest
Lycre or Rashvest do not contain neoprene and do not serve to prevent your body from losing heat but to protect your skin from sun and paraffin in the event you surf or trapeze if you kitesurf. Of course you can avoid wearing neoprene only if you are in the tropics or on the hottest summer days at our latitudes. Generally they are recommended when the water temperature exceeds 23 °.
Shorty summer wetsuit
The summer wetsuit, also called shorty , is a short-sleeved wetsuit and short leg usually about 2mm thick to be used in the summer months. If you want you can opt for a neoprene top instead of a real wetsuit. Depending on your personal taste and sensitivity to the cold, you can choose a long sleeve version or with neoprene panels even of just 1mm. A summer wetsuit is generally used in the Mediterranean Sea from June to mid-September, with water temperatures between 19 ° and 23 °.
On many summer days you can easily do without, but it's still useful to have one at home and then decide on the beach whether or not to wear it based on the weather.
Mid-season wetsuit
The wetsuit for mid-season is the wetsuit most used at our latitudes since it is used both in spring and in autumn, when the water temperature remains between 17 ° and 22 °. Moreover, in case of a holiday in the Canary Islands, in Morocco, in the south of France or Spain or in Portugal, it is the suit to take with you almost always. Typically the midseason wetsuit is a 3/2 long sleeve and long leg wetsuit. Not all 3/2 wetsuits are the same though. Depending on the quality of the neoprene, some details that are anything but negligible like stitching, the presence of zips on the back or on the chest and possible variations like 3/4 or short sleeves, can be more or less warm and therefore can afford to go out even in late autumn, however, repairing yourself well from the cold, or almost until the summer without letting you die of heat ... The choice obviously depends on your personal sensitivity to the cold, from the spot where you go out (it is certainly not the same thing to live in tuscany or sicily) and above all by how this suit will fit into your quiver.
Winter wetsuit
When winter comes and the water temperatures drop below 15 °, any wetsuit is no longer enough. It is important that the suit is really of good quality to keep you warm without imprisoning you in a straitjacket. For those coming out in the Mediterranean at our latitudes the best choice is to buy a good 4/3 plus the various accessories: gloves, shoes, hood. Quality in the case of the winter wetsuit is essential: if the neoprene is not of good quality there is no thickness to hold ... you will have cold even with a 6mm wetsuit! In general, however, unless you go out in the lakes of northern Italy, or you are not really chilly, or if you do not want to resign from the water after 2 or 3 hours, a 4/3 suit is sufficient for full exits winter, provided you use the right accessories (shoes, gloves and hood) and above all to adequately protect yourself from the cold in the most delicate moment, that is when you change.
The progress made by the producers of wetsuits and kitesurf in recent years are truly remarkable: increasingly elastic, water-repellent neoprene, thermal linings, GBS seams and many other precautions and innovations mean that it is no longer necessary to buy wetsuits with high thicknesses. A good 4/3 suit (and by good we mean a high-end product) of new conception is able to keep you warm as much as a 5 mm wetsuit, with the advantage of better supporting your movements. What is really important, as already mentioned, is to cover all the ends and then use shoes, gloves and hood ... because if your feet are frozen there is no wetsuit that allows you to stay in the water !.
Are you looking for a winter wetsuit? Take a look at the best 2018 winter wetsuits we've selected for you on amazon.
In principle the scheme to bear in mind is the following:
| Water temperature | Muta |
|---|---|
| over 23 ° C | Lycra and shorts |
| 19 - 23 ° C | Summer wetsuit - shorty |
| 15 - 20 ° C | 3/2 long suit |
| 10 - 17 ° C | Wetsuit 4/3 wetsuit |
| 9 - 13 ° C | Suit 4/3 or 5/3 + shoes, gloves, hood |
| below 9 ° C | sure??? |
It should be pointed out that the above temperatures refer to water and it is the only temperature found in the surf suit usage tables, although it is not the only element we should take into account. The air temperature obviously affects a lot, as does the presence of wind . In general, when there is wind we need more protection. You will think then that kitesurfing requires a heavier suit than for surfing, but this is not always the case. A good level kiters, who sails quietly and does not often fall into the water, will remain drier than a surfer and therefore will probably suffer less cold, despite the strong wind.
Type of zip
The type of zip is not a minor detail in a wetsuit because it is the opening that allows you to enter the wetsuit, but also to the water. The zip in fact is generally less waterproof than neoprene and is a port of entry for water. The longer the zip is, the easier it is to wear the wetsuit, but it is also easier for water to enter. A small amount of water always enters the wetsuit, but one account is a few drops that filter little by little and immediately heat up in contact with your skin, a different matter is a bucket of icy water that runs on your back to the first duck dive of the day!
Back zip
The zip on the back is the most common type for wetsuits for beginners and for temperatures that are not too rigid. Excellent for a summer wetsuit ... not so much for a winter wetsuit
Chest zip
The zip on the chest makes the wetsuit a little more uncomfortable to wear, but also warmer as it is more difficult for the water to enter.
NO zip
Wetsuits without zips are ideal in terms of waterproofing but are also more difficult to wear. The absence of zip is generally made possible by the excellent quality of the neoprene used, which must be very flexible and elastic to allow the wetsuit to be slipped from the neck. It is generally a system used for wetsuits until 3/2
Type of stitching and other important details
The technique used to put together the different panels that make up the suit is fundamental. Quality wetsuits have seams in strategic points so as not to compromise the elasticity and seams that prevent water from penetrating through the holes in the needle. Let's look at the most common types of seams.
Flatlock seams
The flat seams are normal seams that pass through the neoprene and are found on summer wetsuits. Water filters through the holes in these seams, but this is not a defect in a summer suit, rather it prevents the body from overheating.
Cuciture GBS (Glued and Blind Stitched)
GBS seams are special seams that do not pierce the neoprene. The neoprene panels are first glued and then sewn only on one side without the needle piercing the neoprene, so the seam is more resistant to water. Some models may have a further seal made with a special tape.
Neoprene SL single lined o DL double lined
Other details that should not be underestimated concern the use of linings and other materials in combination with neoprene. The single- lined SL neoprene , for example, has a rubberized side on the outside and a side lined in contact with the skin. This type of neoprene is generally more suitable to protect from the wind, so it is used on the back and back of kitesurf suits. It also tends to dry more quickly. On the other hand, it is more likely to get ruined quickly. The DL neoprene is lined on both sides. Today neoprene is used in combination with increasingly high-performance, water-repellent, fast-drying linings, with titanium paints that incredibly improve the performance of new wetsuits and so on and so forth ... all innovations and technologies that make it possible use of increasingly thin, warm, elastic and comfortable neoprene .
Choose the right size
A surf suit, to keep warm and not to hinder movement, must fit perfectly, like a second skin. This means that choosing the right size is essential . A wetsuit too big will let too much water enter, while a too narrow wetsuit is very tiring to put on and take off as well as being annoying in movements.
A bit like in clothing, each brand has its own measurements, so if you need an M for a Brand, you might need another MT or even an L of another brand. all you have to do is consult the size chart of the wetsuit you have chosen and measure yourself well.
If you are buying your very first wetsuit I suggest you take a ride in a good surf shop and get advice from those who know, but if it is not possible or if you prefer to buy online, carefully check the size chart of the brand you've chosen.
Here is, just to give you an idea, the links to the size tables of some of the most famous surf wetsuits producers:
Quiksilver size guide for wetsuits
Oneill size
guide for Wetsuits Roxy size guide for wetsuits for women
Xcel
wetsuit guide for wetsuits Billabong wetsuit table
Still undecided? Take a look at the best 2018 winter wetsuits we've selected for you on amazon
Pubblicato il 23 ottobre 2018 | Blog > Equipments: KITESURF | SURF