Diving wetsuits
provide divers with warmth as water between the diver and the suit is warmed,
while drysuits are able to keep divers dry providing they fit well.
Unless one is fortunate to live in a
location which offers year-round warm weather, such as the Canary Islands or
the Caribbean, it is worth considering buying a wetsuit to wear whilst involved
in water-sports activities. When in water, heat is conducted away from the body
at a far quicker rate than when a person is on land. This is why the body
becomes cold if it is in water for a prolonged duration of time which is colder
than normal body temperature.
What is a Wetsuit?
A wetsuit is a skintight suit which is
normally made from neoprene and will usually come in a range of thickness.
Diving
wetsuits are aptly named because whilst wearing them one gets wet
upon entering water, although the water between the wetsuit and the body
becomes heated up through body heat, which in turn enables a person to stay in
the water for a far longer period than if without a wetsuit. The thicker the
material used in the wetsuit and the greater the amount of the body that it
covers, the warmer the individual becomes. In The Scuba Diving Handbook, Bantin
(2007) identifies that during warmer times of the year some people opt for a
'shortie' type of wetsuit which is around three millimetres thick and does not
cover the arms or legs while in cooler weather it is best to wear either a five
or seven millimetre suit.
Diving wetsuits are often available in
surf shops and some sport centres and as anyone who regularly participates in
water-sports will know, they can make a huge difference to the length of time
one is able to enjoy surfing, windsurfing or diving. Although
diving
wetsuits are not cheap to get hold of, it is worth shopping around
and online as well as waiting for sports sales to come out.
Semi-Drysuits and Drysuits
A semi-drysuit will often keep an individual
warmer than wearing a wetsuit and this is primarily due to the fact that this
type of suit allows less water in through the seals. Semi-drysuits may have
thicker neoprene in areas which do not require flexibility and less in areas
such as the elbows and knees. Although some water does get into semi-drysuits
the suit consists of skin seals at various location including at the wrist,
ankle and collar. These seals are used to as a means of preventing water from
being flushed in and out of the suit.
In contrast to
Diving
wetsuits and semi-drysuits, a drysuit is made of a combination of
neoprene and butyl rubber making it possible to remain dry. However, in order
for a drysuit to work properly it must fit well and be very hard-wearing as if
it gets punctured it will obviously no longer be effective. Drysuits are more
likely to be worn in colder climates and during the winter months.
As highlighted above, there are thee main
types of suits used by divers and in other water-sports such as sailing and
kayaking:
Diving wetsuits, semi-drysuits and drysuits. Each of these
suits offers the opportunity to be able to stay warmer in the water enabling
one to spend more time enjoying water-sports all year round.
