Guide to buying the right surf wetsuit for your needs

One of the first things we must do to start surfing is to choose the wetsuit we will use. Here is a complete guide with everything you should take into account.

If you have any doubts, in our surfcamp in Lanzarote we will personally advise you to choose your wetsuit.

How to choose the right wetsuit for surfing?

The first thing to know is that it was a Californian invention. Although it is still not clear who made it, it is thought to have been Jack O’Neill or Bob Meistrell of Body Glove, but it began to be marketed between 1950 and 1960. It was one of the elements that made it possible to promote the practice of surfing, since thanks to it, it ceased to be a seasonal and geographically limited sport, and could be practiced in any season of the year, as well as at any latitude of the planet.

It is in this sense that you should know that the wetsuit is manufactured with a synthetic rubber filled with nitrogen micro-bubbles. We are talking about a gas that has a great capacity to preserve the temperature, so that your body is kept at the same conditions constantly.

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That is, thanks to these micro-bubbles, it is a light and very elastic material. Not only will it preserve the temperature, but it also makes it comfortable for surfing, swimming, etc. Recently there are surf suits without neoprene, such as these created by Patagonia.

At the same time, we know that wetsuits can be found with different combinations of sleeves and legs. However, we know that the most common is with long arms and legs, which is called integral. However, there are also wetsuits with short arms and legs (short suit), with long arms and short legs and with long legs and short arms. Another option is to use a jacket with or without sleeves and overalls, so you will have a wide range of possibilities until you find your ideal suit.

Choosing the ideal wetsuit for surfing: what to look for?

When choosing a wetsuit, there will be several features to consider:

Neoprene thickness

One of the most important features in wetsuits is the thickness of the neoprene sheets that make up the suit itself. This is a measurement that is usually between 1 and 6 millimeters, all according to the suit. A difference of 1 millimeter in the thickness of a wetsuit means a different experience in the water, since the more millimeters the better it will protect from the cold, although it will also make movement more difficult and decrease comfort.

It should be noted that most of the suits are usually manufactured thanks to the combination of neoprene sheets of different thicknesses. For example, we can see that on the chest, back and legs, a 3 mm neoprene is used. On the other hand, in the shoulders and arms a 2 mm neoprene, so that the suit can be more comfortable for paddling, and warm in the areas of the body that need it most.

Generally, the thickest area is in the chest area, which will be useful to increase the warmth of the central core of the body. In the extremities, the thickness is decreased, so as to increase flexibility and range of motion when paddling.

Depending on the water temperature, you could opt for the following options:

23ºC or more – Swimsuit and T-shirt or lycra.
21ºC to 23ºC – 1mm or more neoprene wetsuit and bib.
18ºC to 21ºC – 2 mm shorty suit.
17ºC to 18ºC – 2 mm suit may have short sleeves or legs.
14ºC to 17ºC – 3/2 mm long suit.
12ºC to 14ºC – 3/2 mm or 4/3 mm wetsuit with booties.
10ºC to 12ºC – 4/3 mm wetsuit, with booties and neoprene gloves.
8ºC to 10ºC – 5/4/3 mm wetsuit, with booties, gloves and neoprene cap.
8ºC or less – 6/5/4 mm wetsuit, with booties, gloves and neoprene cap.

At the same time, thicknesses can be segmented into seasons:

6/5 mm (winter)
5/4 mm (winter)
4/3 mm (autumn – winter)
3/2 mm (spring – summer)
2/2 mm (summer)

Neoprene seams

At the same time, the suit must have good seams. This is the section that will determine whether more or less water enters inside the suit. . Lo que necesitas saber es que los neoprenos básicos suelen estar fabricados con costuras planas, lo cual implica que se deje pasar bastante agua en el traje. En cambio, verás que los neoprenos de gama media-alta se fabrican con un sistema de pegado y costuras ciegas.

This involves first gluing the edges of the neoprene sheets together and then sewing them together on one side without the seams going through the neoprene sheet. This prevents water from entering through the seams. At the same time, we see that high-end suits have the seams sealed with a special rubber, which makes them even more watertight.

Neoprene sizes

As for the size of the neoprene, the ideal is that it fits snugly to the body, as this will be more effective. This implies that there should be no wrinkles or creases, but it should also be comfortable and easy to put on and take off. Before you buy it, you should try it on several sizes until you can find one that you feel comfortable with and fits you really well.

It is important for you to know that there are special suitsfor boys and girls, with the characteristics that best suit the body of men and women. Girls’ suits are usually wider in the hips and chest, to adapt to the shapes of each one.

The sizes in which the wetsuits are generally manufactured are:

XS – Extra small size.
S – Small size.
MS – Size medium in width and small in height.
M – Medium size.
MT – Size medium width and large height.
LS – Size large in width and medium in height.
L – Large size.
LT – Large in width and extra large in height.
XLS – Extra large in width and medium in height.
XL – Extra large size.
XXL – Super oversized size.

Suit with or without zipper

At the same time, the possibilities of customization are related to the tastes of each individual. One of the main choices is the two systems for putting on and taking off the neoprene. The back zipper system (which is the most common) and the “collar” or zipperless system.

When we refer to the latter, we will notice that the suit is put on by putting the body through the neck of the neoprene, which is made of a very flexible material that stretches enough for it to pass without difficulty. At the same time, the advantage is that, as there is no zipper in the back, less water enters. However, the main problem is that it is more uncomfortable to put on and take off.

Suit complements

We are not only talking about the wetsuit, but also about neoprene accessories. That is, everything that will be useful to protect our feet, hands, head and chest from the cold. The booties, for example, are neoprene booties that in addition to protect us from low temperatures are very useful for walking on rocky or volcanic bottoms. There are also neoprene gloves and hats that will be useful to take care of areas of your body in intense cold. At the same time, there are bibs, which are like neoprene shirts that protect you from the cold when the water is not cold enough to wear a wetsuit.

Ecological wetsuits

It is also worth noting that, at the same time that we are becoming more aware of the planet, there are different options to take care of the environment. Hence the appearance of ecological wetsuits, manufactured with new materials that allow the use of less petroleum-derived composition, as well as new eco-friendly glues, which make them less polluting. In fact, there is more than one brand that has already joined these new manufacturing methods.

That is, these wetsuits are used thanks to special glues or rubbers, which in the case of the ecological ones are eco-friendly, being water-based without chemical ingredients or solvents. In other words, harmful components are eliminated from the suit. In this way, not only the environment is respected and protected, but also the health of workers is taken care of.

In addition, above the seams we will come across the materials that are the neoprene of a lifetime. It should be noted that neoprene is equal to polyloroprene, a petrochemical product refined from crude oil, which is not good for the health of the water. For this reason, ecological neoprene is used, created from natural rubber, which are compounds that come from a material derived from sap.

How to choose a wetsuit

At this point, you will have to ask yourself some questions. Among them, what time of the year you will use it, also depending on the temperature of the water where you will surf. For example, here is a possible combination in addition to the previous ones:

Less than 3ºC – 7 mm long neoprene, complemented with booties, gloves and neoprene cap.
Between 4ºC and 7ºC – 6/5 mm long wetsuit, complemented with booties, gloves and neoprene cap.
Between 8ºC and 11ºC – 5/4/3 mm long wetsuit, complemented with booties, gloves and neoprene cap.
Between 12ºC and 17ºC – 4/3 mm long wetsuit, complemented with neoprene booties and gloves.
Between 12ºC and 17ºC – 3/2 mm long neoprene – 3/2 mm long neoprene
Between 18ºC and 20ºC – 2 mm neoprene with sleeves and short legs.
Between 21ºC and 25ºC – Swimsuit and neoprene lycra of 1mm or more.
Above 26ºC – Swimsuit and T-shirt or lycra.

Let’s suppose that you surf in summer on the Cantabrian coast, where the water temperature usually varies between 17 and 19 degrees. Depending on how cold you feel you will choose, although, at first, you could opt for a model in its 2mm short sleeve version or a 3/2mm.

Another point is to see how often you will use it. If you will only use it on weekends or vacations, there is no need to invest too much money. Or, on the other hand, since you will be looking for durability, you may want to make the investment, to make sure you have a quality suit for a long time.

If you want to learn to surf in Lanzarote, we encourage you to sign up at our surf school in Playa de Famara.