Shopping for your first wetsuit is a large milestone in your scuba diving journey, however selecting that wetsuit isn’t at all times the best activity! In partnership with our buddies at Scuba.com, we’ve bought the last word information for the way to decide on a wetsuit for ladies.
1. Why ought to I select a ladies’s wetsuit?
First up, you is perhaps questioning why you want a selected ladies’s wetsuit. If you happen to’ve suffered via a course in a poorly becoming rental go well with, you’ll know why! Numerous wetsuits are minimize straight up and down, however quite a lot of our bodies aren’t.
Ladies’s wetsuits are created with our physique proportions in thoughts. Seams and panels are sometimes constructed in a option to enable more room for hips, boobs, and bums. This makes for a extra flattering go well with, however extra importantly, a greater functioning go well with.
Your wetsuit works by trapping a skinny layer of water between your pores and skin and the neoprene. That is then warmed up together with your physique warmth, and it’s really the layer of water which retains you heat. In a badly becoming go well with, water will simply flush via and make you chilly all through your dives, so a well-fitting go well with is necessary for security causes, too!
Having mentioned that, not all ladies’s our bodies are proportioned in the identical method, so it’s necessary to strive just a few manufacturers on to determine which wetsuits will be just right for you! A few of our curvier neighborhood members favour manufacturers reminiscent of Henderson and Naked, while we regularly hear that Fourth Component designs work effectively for slimmer our bodies.
2. What situations will you be diving in?
It is a fairly apparent one, however the temperature you’ll be diving in would be the greatest think about selecting a wetsuit. Will you largely be diving in colder water? Or are you a tropical traveller heading to hotter temperatures?
The colder the water temperature, the thicker the wetsuit you’ll need – extra on that in a second. Nevertheless, it’s not simply the thickness which shall be affected by water temperature. There are many kinds and lengths of wetsuit to select from, too.
If you happen to dive in assorted locations, you possibly can virtually consider your wetsuit as a part of an outfit. You’ll be able to layer collectively totally different wetsuits or items to attain extra customisable publicity safety. Equipment like hoods, gloves, and boots could make an enormous distinction to your tolerance to chilly.
So will one wetsuit be just right for you, or are you higher off investing in layers? Reasonably than simply going for one go well with and hoping for it to cowl a wide range of situations, take into account a few layers. You may select a 2mm shorty and a 5mm full go well with, for instance, to provide you choices for a number of temperatures.
3. What thickness must you select for the temperature?
So what wetsuit thickness must you select for scuba diving in several temperatures? Right here’s a tough information to make use of as a place to begin.
| Temperature ºC | Temperature ºF | Publicity |
|---|---|---|
| 30ºC or above | 86ºF or above | Divewear, rash guard, or swimwear |
| 27-29ºC | 80-85ºF | 2-3mm, both shorty or full |
| 24-26ºC | 75-79ºF | 3-5mm full go well with |
| 20-23ºC | 68-74ºF | 5-7mm full go well with and equipment (hood) |
| 17-19ºC | 63-66ºF | 7mm full go well with and thicker equipment (hood, gloves) |
| 14-16ºC | 57-61ºF | 7mm semi-dry |
| 13ºC or beneath | 55ºF or beneath | Drysuit |
Nevertheless, keep in mind that non-public tolerances to chilly can differ massively. If you understand you run sizzling, select one thing thinner. Really feel the coolness shortly? Go for the subsequent thickness up, or be ready so as to add a layer beneath or on prime.
4. What different options do you want?
When you’ve dialled in your wetsuit thickness resolution, you possibly can take into consideration among the different options to look out for when selecting your wetsuit. These could make an enormous distinction to your wetsuit’s match, consolation, and its suitability to your diving model.
Flexibility
As an entire, wetsuits have develop into much more versatile over time as neoprene know-how has superior. Nevertheless, some wetsuits are nonetheless extra versatile than others. Selecting a go well with which boasts a versatile materials shall be rather more snug above and beneath the water.
It’s additionally an awesome alternative when you’ve got any mobility points, because it makes getting out and in of your go well with lots simpler.
Zips
Sure, each wetsuit may have zips. However the place they’re could make an enormous distinction in how effectively you get on together with your wetsuit. Strive on a wide range of again zips and entrance zips to see which you discover simpler. On thicker fits, you would possibly even take into account kinds with diagonal zips.
Ankle and wrist zips will be one other nice characteristic to look out for. Once more, these could make donning and doffing a lot simpler, they usually may assist stop water flushing via your go well with.
Customized Sizing
If the scale charts aren’t wanting promising, take into account selecting a customized wetsuit. Though it’s not the most affordable choice, having an ideal match is a profit value paying for. With some customized wetsuits, you may also select so as to add options like particular zip placements, or inbuilt hoods.
5. Full size or shorty?
In relation to hotter climes, you possibly can both go for a full size wetsuit or a “shorty”. It is a wetsuit with brief legs and arms. There are variations of those, some with even shorter legs, some with vest-style sleeves, and so forth.
A shorty will be nice for permitting flexibility as you possibly can simply bend on the elbows and knees. If you happen to’re somebody who runs sizzling, having extra pores and skin uncovered to the water can assist you regulate your physique temperature in heat situations.
Nevertheless, neoprene doesn’t simply hold you shielded from the water temperature. Even divers with the perfect buoyancy may very well be caught in a sneaky present and swept right into a rogue hearth coral. Selecting a full size wetsuit even for heat water might assist to guard you from bumps, scrapes, and people pesky invisible stingers floating within the water!
6. What’s the take care of semi-dry wetsuits?
If the phrases “7mm semi-dry” left you scratching your head, we’ve bought you! A semi-dry wetsuit is thicker, and has extra superior zips and seals to stop water coming into the go well with. With a well-fitting semi-dry go well with, your core ought to stay dry through the dive.
Even staying a bit extra dry will make an enormous distinction to how chilly you are feeling. Semi-dry fits are a incredible choice for entering into barely colder waters for those who’re not able to make the leap into diving in a drysuit.
What wetsuit will you be selecting? Share your wetsuit journey with our neighborhood!
Disclaimer: This text is sponsored by Scuba.com, nevertheless all views are our personal. Sponsorships assist us develop the Ladies that Scuba neighborhood and frequently supply useful and provoking content material.
