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How to Buy a SCUBA Diving Wetsuit
Lauren Belt January 27th, 2016 Posted In: How-To Tags: SCUBA
How to Buy a SCUBA Diving Wetsuit
You’ve got your next dive all planned out but need to buy a SCUBA diving wetsuit. Not sure what you need in a scuba wetsuit? No worries! You’re probably thinking, “What wetsuit thickness do I need?” or “what type of wetsuit do I need for diving?” We’ve mapped out the basics on how to buy a SCUBA diving wetsuit to make your experience a little bit easier.
As a starter, we have this handy wetsuit water temperature guide below which can help you map out just what wetsuit you need for your dive!
Switch to Celsius
| 40°+ | 48°+ | 52°+ | 58°+ | 60°+ | 65°+ | 72°+ | 80°+ | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Watersports (Surf, Wake, Kite, Etc.) | 6/5/4mm Sealed | 5/4/3mm Sealed | 4/3mm Sealed & Taped | 4/3mm Sealed | 3/2mm Sealed | 3/2mm Flatlock |
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| SCUBA |
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| Triathlon & Lap Swimming | 5/3mm Full | 5/3mm John | Neoprene Vest | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kayak & Paddle | 5/4/3mm Sealed | 4/3mm Sealed | 3/2mm Sealed | 3/2mm Flatlock | Neoprene Top | Neoprene Vest | Rash Guard | |||||||||||||||
| General Watersports (Surf, Wake, Kite, Etc.) | SCUBA | Triathlon & Lap Swimming | Kayak & Paddle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°+ | 6/5/4mm Sealed |
| 5/3mm Full | 5/4/3mm Sealed | ||||
| 48°+ | 5/4/3mm Sealed | 4/3mm Sealed | ||||||
| 52°+ | 4/3mm Sealed & Taped |
| 3/2mm Sealed | |||||
| 58°+ | 4/3mm Sealed |
| 5/3mm John | 3/2mm Flatlock | ||||
| 60°+ | 3/2mm Sealed |
| Neoprene Top | |||||
| 65°+ | 3/2mm Flatlock |
| ||||||
| 72°+ |
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| Neoprene Vest | |||||
| 80°+ |
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| Neoprene Vest | Rash Guard |
Keep in mind that some factors other than water temperature could affect the wetsuit thickness or type of scuba diving wetsuit needed.
Tolerance for Cold:
A thicker or thinner wetsuit may be required or desired as everyone’s tolerance for the cold varies. If you are someone that tends to feel cold, err on the side of going with a thicker wetsuit. Otherwise, using the wetsuit thickness table should be a very good place to selecting the right wetsuit style and thickness.
Performance Expectations:
Something you will have to take into account is the demand for high performance. The less wetsuit (meaning thinner and less coverage) worn will translate to high performance. If performance is at the top of your wetsuit requirement list, you may be inclined to buy a slightly thinner wetsuit or go with reduced coverage as applicable. Alternatively, if budget can accommodate, a higher-end wetsuit can provide you with appropriate insulation and very high performance.
This now leads us to types of wetsuit products!
Lycra Rash Guards, Poly Fleece, Baselayers, etc.:
Rashguards and baselayers are primarily worn under wetsuits or alone, as sun and/or abrasion protection. These items do not provide thermal protection when worn alone, although baselayers do add some warmth, so they are only appropriate for water that is typically 75F+.
Springsuits, Short Johns, Short Janes, Tops & Jackets, and Bottoms:
These items provide wetsuit coverage to areas of the body. When a little insulation is needed and water temps are in the high 60’s, any springsuit, short john (or jane), top or bottom would be perfect. They also work well in heated swimming pools that just aren’t quite heated enough!
Long Johns & Long Janes:
Johns (men’s) and janes (women’s) are essentially sleeveless fullsuits. This style of suit is popular in layering applications, like SCUBA and kayaking. Johns & janes are also a popular style in triathlon/swimming style wetsuits, as this cut allows for full range of motion in the arms and shoulders.
Fullsuits or Full Wetsuits:
Fullsuits come in a variety of thicknesses for all water temperature conditions. In most cases, the thickness will be described with two numbers, such as 3/2mm. This means the majority of the suit is made of 3mm neoprene (wetsuit material) and the flex points 2mm. Manufacturers do this to enhance the comfort and flexibility of the suit.
We also offer SCUBA Combos so you can mix and match your scuba diving wetsuit!
From here you should be well on your way to choosing the right scuba diving wetsuit for your next dive. If you need some more help, we’ve got you covered! Give us a call, email (service@wetsuitwearhouse.com), or live chat!
Lauren Belt
Contributor at Wetsuit Wearhouse
Lauren (LoLo) has been turning words into blog posts for Wetsuit Wearhouse since 2014. She learned to surf for the first time ever in Costa Rica but she gravitates more towards SUP. When she's not scouring the web for travel deals, you can find her either hiking, running, gardening, tending to her animals, or reading a good book outside on a beautiful day.
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Hello, Just received my Pinnacle King 1, I’m a big guy and it fit perfect until the head and shoulders/arms all the measurements matched me well when I was researching it, but I wasn’t expecting the hood to be so small. I am considering returning it because of how bad the squeeze was on my head and face and that I couldn’t move my arms, but my question would be, would it loosen with use? How tight should it be for an 8mm Semi Dry? I suspect my next option would be switching to long johns, jacket and my own hood. Thoughts?
Hi AJ! Thanks for reaching out. When shopping for a wetsuit, especially for a particularly thick one with an attached hood, you might find that not all the components fit perfectly throughout as you describe. Wetsuits will break in a little as you wear them in the water, but the adjustment will be very minimal, and the wetsuit should fit like a (comfortable) second skin from the get-go. If you find that the sizing isn’t working out in a one-piece, separates can be a great option because you can customize sizing for each piece to your measurements so you know it will all fit perfectly! If you are an avid SCUBA diver, you might also want to consider ordering a custom suit made especially for you. Good luck!
Metal detecting in rivers here in the NW. Rivers avg between 50 to 60 degrees My only concern is size Im tall and thin @ 6ft 130lbs 29in waist Im thinking 4/3 but I want it tight to my body.
From sizing charts it seems Im too tall for a small and to thin for a medium. and, ST is again too big for my weight and waist size. I need a straight suggestion can you please advise me on proper size…Thanks for your response!
Hey JayDee,
What’s your chest measurement in inches? We always go off of chest measurement first when choosing a wetsuit size followed by height and weight, we don’t really pay too much attention to the waist measurement. Once you get that measurement to me, I can steer you in the right direction for what size suit to get!
Im a large OZZY bloke, 6″3 and 189kg (416 pound) dived all my life but its impossible to dive in the colder months due to never having a big enough wet suit last one i owned was 20 years ago and it was 3xl, im preying that you can help me
Hey Adam,
What is your chest measurement? From the sounds of it on your height and weight, you may need to consider a custom size wetsuit. Let me know your chest measurement and I’ll help! Thanks!
I rented a Henderson 3MM women’s full suit that fit well. I believe it was a size 10. Can you tell me the measurements that
would correspond to this suit size? My height is 5′-4″. Do you make suits for people that are not as tall?
Hi Laurie,
If you’re interested in a Henderson suit, their size 10 measurements are as follows:
Chest: 35 to 37 inches
Height: 5’5 to 5’8
Waist: 30 to 32 inches
Hips: 38 to 40 inches
I hope that helps you! As far as suits for petite heights, some brands do offer Short sizes which would be perfect for you. Feel free to let us know if you need additional help or information!
Are any brands tailored better for skinny people? I am 5-9, 135 pounds, 36″ chest, 28″ waist. I had an old O’Neill 3mm size men’s small that was super tight in the arms and legs but allowed me to carry around a gallon of water sloshing around the waist – hoping to find something more form fitting. Thanks!
Hey Dan,
Honestly, you should check out HyperFlex men’s full wetsuits. We have a great selection of size XS, which would fit your measurements. Check it all out here: https://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/wetsuits/category/hyperflex-wetsuits.html