Wetsuits

Wetsuits / Surf Suits

Without it, surfing in northern Europe would not be possible – the wetsuit. But not all wetsuits are created equal, and the thickness of a wetsuit is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to warmth.

We'll explain the differences you need to consider:

Smoothskin or Lined?

Just a few years ago, this question didn't exist – surfing meant a smoothskin wetsuit.

Now, it looks as if the question will die out again in a few years – more and more surfers are wearing lined suits, and manufacturers are increasingly limiting the selection of smoothskin suits.

Yet, these are actually considered the warmest suits, but they are sensitive to damage, e.g., from fingernails, and not as flexible as lined suits.

The main reason for the advantage in thermal performance lies in the so-called wind chill effect, or more correctly, in the interplay of the wind chill effect and evaporative cooling.

Smoothskin suits absorb much less water than lined ones, so less water can evaporate and thus less energy is drawn from the body.

 

The effect occurs especially at air temperatures below 10°C. High-quality lined suits reduce the effect compared to those with coarser material.

Meanwhile, the combination of very good workmanship and special inner linings provides such good thermal performance that even in winter, appropriate lined suits are easily sufficient.

Only in the lower price segment are smoothskin suits still ahead of lined ones. The material. Neoprene is a rubber material that is ideal for watersports clothing due to its good thermal insulation, flexibility, and waterproofing.

Often, mixed forms are used, which influence thermal insulation, flexibility, and price. For example, more flexible material is often used in the shoulder area, and warmer material in the torso area.

The inner lining. In the area of the inner lining, most of the development has certainly happened in recent years. In the simplest case, it is about achieving a more comfortable feel, ranging from a certain type of water storage and conduction to the reflection of thermal radiation.

The seams.

Wetsuits consist of several joined parts. Smoothskin neoprene is welded together, so the seams are waterproof. Lined suits are sewn.

Since a hole is pierced in the material by the seam, water can penetrate here. That's why there is the so-called blind stitch technique. Here, the neoprene is not pierced through, but only pricked.

Water can then only penetrate through the joint of the two parts. This, in turn, can be sealed with special tape. With a certain effort, a lined suit can therefore be sealed just as well as a smoothskin suit.