The wetsuit guide - WestWind Guide

Everything you need to know before buying a wetsuit

Fit and body

It is important that your suit fits you well, and as you spend more hours on the water and gain more experience, you also get an individual preference for what a good suit is for you. However, there are some general things you can look for when you need to find your perfect wetsuit. The suit must fit tightly; this will ensure that the water exchange in the suit is as small as possible, so that your body does not have to give off too much heat and use energy to – again and again – heat up a new batch of water. In a suit that fits close to the body, the amount of water in the suit will decrease and the replacement will be less. The body will thus use less energy to heat up the water in the suit. However, the suit must not be so tight that it reduces your freedom of movement. The ideal is a close-fitting but flexible suit that follows the athlete's movements and ensures the least possible heat loss. To ensure freedom of movement in a close-fitting suit, the material of the suit is of great importance. The material must be as flexible as possible, and have as much stretch as possible per square centimeter. In addition to the material itself, the stitching and zipper are also important for the suit's flexibility (read more about materials, stitching and zippers on page 10). It is important to try on your future suit so that you know that it fits your body. The different brands have different fits. When you are aware of your fit, you can go for brands that cater to your shapes when you go to the fitting room.” who need room for shoulders, thighs and buttocks will find that a C-skin or O'Neill suit fits better. In addition, each brand has a number of different models, and you will be able to find one that fits well on all body types," says Jens Møller, matches surfers with the right suit at WestWind. Precisely because the brands cater for different fits, you can advantageously ask in the store which brand you are recommended to take into the fitting room.

Windsurf, kitesurf, surf, SUP or other water sports?

When you have to choose a new suit, you also have to think about which discipline it will be used for. A surfer who lies and waits for waves on the surface of the water has different needs than a kite- wind- or wing surfer, who spends less time in the water at a time, but on the other hand is exposed to a high windchill factor. As a surfer, you need as much flexibility as possible and that the suit fits snugly. You don't want too much air in the suit or too much water exchange. Conversely, as a windsurfer, you may need more space in the suit around the upper and lower arms, so that you don't strain your forearms and find that your hands start to fall asleep. Here, a tight suit may well affect how quickly you get sore in the forearm. At the same time, you also want a suit that protects you extra against the windchill factor. A good tip is therefore to know the manufacturer's roots. Ripcurl, Billabong, C-skins, Quiksilver/Roxy and O'Neill are to a greater extent "core surf brands" that originate from surfing and are developed for surfing. While brands such as Ion, Mystic and Prolimit are brands that have grown up with wind sports. The windsports-oriented brands can also often be recognized by the fact that they produce accessories for windsports activities, such as neoprene shoes/boots, gloves, trapeze etc. Today, however, many of the suits you can buy in the shops are multi-purpose suits that can be used across the various sports, but the manufacturer's focus in developing the suits is different.

The thickness

When you take a walk through West-Wind, you can see suits in all sorts of shapes, sizes, materials, price points and thicknesses. It is often the thickness that is the big question when you need a new suit. "If you only have one suit, I would recommend a 5.4/5.3 for Danish conditions. It will keep you warm most of the year. On the very hot days, you can climb out of your upper body and windsurf in your vest and a suit down to your waist. But if you have the opportunity to have two suits, I would recommend a 4.3 and a 6.5, then you are well covered for the different conditions in Denmark," says Jens Møller. Summer suits typically have a thickness of 3 mm or less. Winter suits typically have 6 mm on the body and 5 or 4 mm on the legs/arms. In between are the suits that are used most often in Denmark: suits between 4 and 5 mm. On the suits, the thickness is indicated as 5.4 or 5/4, typically on the sleeve. The division marks the difference in the thickness of the body, where there is less need for flexibility and more need for warmth, and legs/arms, where the thinner neoprene gives you more flexibility. Below we have made a rough overview of which wetsuit thickness is suitable for the different water temperatures. It is based on the personal experiences of Westwind staff and should not be seen as a definitive conclusion.

Water temperature	Neoprene thickness	Wetsuit type
22-25°C	2/2mm	Shorty
20-22°C	3/2mm	Shorty or fullsuit summer wetsuit
18-20°C	3/2mm	Fullsuit summer wetsuit
15-19°C	4/3 mm	Fullsuit all-round wetsuit
13-17°C	5/4mm	Fullsuit all-round wetsuit + thin neoprene shoes
10-13°C	5/4mm	Hooded winter wetsuit + thin neoprene shoes + thin neoprene gloves
0-11°C	6/5mm	Hooded winter wetsuit + thick neoprene shoes + thick neoprene gloves

Size guide

 

"It's important to try on your future suit so you know it fits your body"

Materials

Neoprene is still the most widely used material in the production of wetsuits. The neoprene comes in different qualities, where it i.a. How much air is in the neoprene is important for the softness and flexibility of the material. "Each brand has its own range of suits, where the quality of each has been gradually increased. neoprene, stitching etc. And the price goes up the more work that has gone into processing the neoprene, cutting out the panels, gluing, sewing and taping seams and so on," says Jens Møller.

“Regarding the neoprene, the brands use different layers – for example, nylon, wool, spandex, bamboo, and polyester. The lining of the suits also varies in material. The balance between the materials differs from brand to brand and model to model.”

Neoprene is a material that is costly to make on several parameters. Therefore, several brands are working to find alternative materials. At WestWind there have been, among other things, Patagonia suits in the range, but a very small customer demand for these alternative suits has so far meant that they had to wave goodbye to the product. At WestWind, they try to reduce the environmental impact of neoprene by sending suits into circulation i.a. with "exchange for new" on children's suits bought in WestWind. In addition, you can make a small effort yourself to extend the life of the suit by maintaining it well (see section page 12) and thus reduce the environmental impact.

Stitching

While a one-piece wetsuit might be ideal, there will always be joints in the suit. You work with different types of joints, the most widespread being Flatlock stitching, GBS (Glued & blinded stitches), taped seams and welded seams. In relation to stitching, you must remember that the neoprene is more flexible than the stitching, and therefore it will always be advantageous to have the fewest possible seams - and thus the largest possible neoprene surfaces. The cheaper the suit you buy, the more panels there will be in the suit because you are dealing with a material that is stiffer. This will also result in more stitching. However, you can promote flexibility in the design of the course of the stitching, where a stitching that curves and for example follows the movement pattern of the arm, will be more flexible and will be able to give more than a straight stitching.

Flat lock stitching
This type of joint is mostly used only in summer suits. With flatlock sewing, the neoprene pieces are put together via zigzag stitches, and you sew through the material, just as you would sew ordinary fabric together. Often the seams are also glued, but it is the fact that the seams go through the material that is special about the flat lock seams. This makes the breathability great, and equally water exchange is great in suits assembled by this method. They are therefore best suited for summer use and surfing in warmer climates. The stitching is strong and comfortable against the skin due to the flat construction.

GBS
Glued and Blind stitching is the most widely used method for assembling high quality suits. At GBS, the panels are laser cut and then glued together, then they are blind-stitched and possibly wallpaper at the end. The special feature of blind stitches is that the stitches do not go all the way through the neoprene, thus avoiding unnecessary water exchange through the seams in the suit. Suits with GBS stitching are therefore particularly suitable for colder temperatures.

Taped seams
Many manufacturers lose their stitching. The tape can be in the form of a liquid tape or an ultra-thin layer of neoprene that is taped over the seams to keep you dry, ensure comfort and protect as much as possible against "rashes". Several suits assembled with the GBS technology are also taped on the inside.

Welded seams / Liquid seams
Welded seams are also hugely effective joints. They are primarily seen in the brands' most expensive models, where the assembly ensures the greatest possible flexibility. In this type of assembly, the neoprene pieces are combined with a silicone-based material and "glued" on both sides. Suits with this type of stitching are probably the closest you'll get to a one-piece suit.

Children's suits

When it comes to children's suits, the advice in WestWind is quite clear: buy a thick suit, a 5.4 or 5.3 with GBS seams, so that the child doesn't freeze - it's not fun to be in if you're freezing. And because the children quickly outgrow the suits, and the WestWind shops know how important it is that juniors have the right equipment, the shops have made the agreement "exchange for new". In the case of children's wetsuits, it is also better that the suit fits 'to' the body, while it is less important whether the sleeves and legs are a little too long or short.