I will try and put all the important wetsuit information into this one post. I think it is the best if I make this post and give info in the form of questions and answers. We will start at the beginning and work our way down :)! Lets go!
What is a wetsuit?
It is a suit made out of neoprene that is designed to keep you warm in cold water.
How does the wetsuit work?
There are two ways how wetsuit keeps us warm:
1. Neoprene is a very very good insulating material since it has a lot of air bubbles inside. These air bubbles act as insulation. More bubbles the better the neoprene (and warmer) it is. It is also important how thick the wetsuit is. Thicker neoprene means more insulation and warmer wetsuit.
2. Wetsuit is not a dry suit :). So some water will get in. And neoprene will catch this water and a thin layer o water will become trapped between your body and the wetsuit. It will be heated by your body and you will stay warm. Here is also a good time to tell that you do not actually want water in your wetsuit. Since water will come in anyway. If too much water comes in it will constantly fush out the warm water and it will be replaced with cold one. And you will be cold, not warm. So look for a wetsuit that has a snug fit.
Damn, I forgot all about this post. I allready did a full and complete wetsuits buying guide over here. I just posted this for some aditional info if anyone is interested.
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Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Rent a Wetsuit
Before we go the our complete wetsuit guide and give you all the "before you buy" info you need I want to cover one more thing - renting a wetsuit. First thing you need to be aware off is that if you rent a wetsuit you will not be the first person to wear it. I mean... this is not a problem in any way it's just that some people might be uncomfortable wearing something that is really tihgt and others have worn. With that clear let's take a look at why would you rent a wetsuit:
- You will only need it once and never again - like you will go rafting or canyoning, you will go diving on your vacations...all the activities that require a wetsuit and you know you will only do them once - just rent a wetsuit.
- Trying something for the first time - you want to try surfing, diving etc... but you do not have the equipment (wetsuit). Now the smart thing to do is to rent it the first couple of times so you see if you like it. Later you can buy your own.
- Travel - often you just don't have the space to take all the things you might need with you. A wetsuit can take a lot of space. Once you get there you see that the waves are perfect but surely you will not buy a new wettie if you have one at home, so you rent one.
- And lots of other situations...
What to look for when you rent a wetsuit?
You need to look at all the same things as when you buy one:
- What kind of wetsuit do you need - for what sport?
- How thick and warm wetsuit do you need - where will you go and how cold will be the water and the air?
- Check the seams - are they waterproof?
- How flexible is the wetsuit?
- Make surf it fits you right!
Usually wetsuits that are available for rent are not the best quality... I mean nobody buys the best wetsuits (and the most expensive ones) for renting them.
Besides that, also check that:
- rented wetsuit has no holes, no broken seams, it's not torn...
- it doesn't look to old
- it doesn't look to streched out and
- it still feels flexible.
What about the costs? How much does it cost to rent a wetsuit?
This depends so I can not really help you. But I can tell you this - if you will rent a wetsuit for a longer period like for a week or maybe even two weeks then:
- You should get a big duscount
- You should calculate if it isn't best if you just buy a wetsuit, you can still sell it later.
That's all I have to say about wetsuit rental. In the next post I will cover all the main things that you need to be aware of when you are buying wetsuits. Cheers!
What wetsuits info do I need before I buy a wetsuit?
So you want to buy a wetsuit and you know nothing about them? You have come to the right place and I hope you can find your answers here. What kind of wetsuit information, what knowledge is necessary to buy a wetsuit?
Well, it can be quite simple, just go into the shop that sells wetsuits and ask the guy who sells them what does he recomend. You will be probably just fine. On the other hand... if you like to do some online research and learn a few things about the stuff you buy then read on.
Before you buy a wetsuit ask yourself the following:
- Why do I need a wetsuit?
- Where and when will I use it?
- How often will I use it and
- How much money do I want to spend on the wetsuit?
Why do I need a wetsuit?
To keep you warm of course :). Wetsuit traps a thin layer of water between your body and the neoprene and your body heat warms this water and you are warm. But this is not what we are talking about. You might need a wetsuit for diving, maybe for surfing, windsurfing, rafting, kitesurfing, triathlon, swimming? Each one of these sports needs a slightly different wetsuit and your sport will determine the type of wetsuit you need. If you need a diving wetsuit go into the diving store. Not a surfshop. Surfing wetsuits are great but they are made for surfing, not diving.
OK, now for the next thing...
Where and when will I use the wetsuit?
If you will only go into the water in summer when it's hot and the water is warm, maybe you don't even need a wetsuit :)! Or you probably need a shortie or a really thin wetsuit. If you want to use it in winter you need a thick one and probably also wetsuit boots, gloves and a hood. If you will travel then check what is the water temeprature there. There are places where eneven when it's really hot outside the water is cold. So: check the water temperature of the place where you will mostly use your wetsuit and reat the time when you will be in the water. For instance I need a wetsuit for surfing in summer in San Diego where the water temps at that time are around 66F.
How often will you use a wetsuit and how much money are you willing to spend?
These two are connected. If money is not a problem then get the best wetsuit you can. Top of the line wetsuits are the warmest, most comfortable, most flexible, the softest...etc. If you don't have a lot of money that ask yourself how often will you use a wetsuit. If you will use it all the time then it is still nice to invest a bit more money and get a quality wetsuit. If you are only going to use it here and there, once in a while then just get a regular wetsuit. Even the cheap ones today are still pretty good and much better than a good wetsuit used to be a few years ago (as long as you are buying one from an established wetsuit company). Just don't buy some no name cheap wetsuit from a company that primarily makes sun umbrellas.
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