Neoprene Guide - Beginner's guide to Neoprene Products

For the various types of water sports that exist, there can be found equally as many different kinds and types of highly important equipment. Each carefully made to safeguard the ones who so bravely ventures out on the sea in all types of cold, windy, warm or rainy weather.

With such a vast amount of possibilities and variants, both for young and old, boys and girls, as well as other important factors that plays a role for more than one thing. With all this, it's quite understandable that one may be a bit overwhelmed before getting the hang of it.

Because what does one choose under those circumstances, and what goes best for that particular sport, and does that sport require certain things first, and what of the four seasons, how much gear is truly needed, wetsuit or dry-suit, does water temperature matter somehow and what of the wind, will what it has to say blow me away?

Fear not and be not dismayed, whatever you got of questions or might be in doubt about this simple guide will cover in detail down here below.

Neoprene - What is it and what does it do?

The international firm DuPont invented the material back in the beginning of the 30s. Some years later the material was used by more and more and in time it became the material that today's wetsuits are made of.

Neoprene is also used in a long range of other products useful within the water sports, these products are for the sake of some examples surfing shoes, gloves, vests and hoods.

Neoprene, also called polychloroprene, is elastomer that is a part of a division of various plastic types, which are categorized as elastic, flexible and with great isolation abilities. This makes it ideal and highly useful for wetsuits, where it of course is a delight to not get cold or too wet.

Neoprene Products - What sort of products exists and what are those for?

As mentioned it is important to get yourself the necessary gear and equipment for your water sport, so that you are more than ready to be out on and under the water. The absolute most important gear to get in order for you to enjoy your sport throughout a year comes in two types.

Dry-suits and wetsuits. However, dry-suits costs more and aren't particularly well-suited for the various of water sports, but far better suited for the different types of sailing sports, rowing and so on.

Dry-suits are often not as tight and can therefore cause trouble for an example a surfer.

We have chosen to only include quality wetsuits in our great selection of all sorts of products, this means that this guide won't go in-depth concerning dry-suits due to the fact that it doesn't really matter all too much when having to do with water sports. However, the major difference between the two suits is that a dry-suit keeps you dry, while a wetsuit keeps you warmer than without.

Wetsuits

Wetsuits, like dry-suits, are often made of neoprene and is the most used protection against the sometimes colder weather. Unlike dry-suits however, wetsuits are a tight fit on the body, which gives a great and free mobility that will help you stay on top of the game throughout the year, depending only on the type of wetsuit you got.

The way wetsuits works is that a small portion is allowed to enter in between the body and the suit. The water then warms up using your body heat. As long as there no holes in your wetsuit you will be kept nice and warm.

Furthermore, with a wetsuit you'll be protected against sharp rocks and other minor objects, scratches, bruises and scabs that might occur when out on the sea or under the water.

The wetsuit is most important equipment for water sports since it makes the sports a lot more comfortable, but also because it allows you to enjoy your particular sport during all the four seasons. It is therefore recommended for everyone who loves these types of sports to buy a wetsuit.

Besides just acquiring a wetsuit, lots of extra equipment is available in the form of gloves, rashguards, surfing shoes/boots and finally hoods. These all contribute to making the water sports easier, funnier and safeguard you with just the protection you require.

Surfing shoes/boots

The essential about the shoes and boots is that they are non-slippery. The boots are used in the colder Spring and Autumn months, even during the winter if the weather allows it. However, when it's winter you have to be extra careful protect yourself properly against the cold. The shoes are for the Summer months. It is recommended to use boots without a zipper as water can slip through, which mildly put is no treat for your feet.

Gloves

Gloves for water sports is smart as it keeps your hands warm, but also because it gives a better grip on the board compared to the holding onto it with wet and cold hands.

Hoods

Hoods are really great during the colder months as it ensures the heat doesn't seep out through your head. It is not recommended to buy a wetsuit where the hood is part of the wetsuit, buying a hood separately allows you to use the wetsuit during the warmer months as well.

Different types of wetsuits for each seasons weather - Which wetsuit for what weather?

There's many different types and variants of wetsuits, which comes in various levels of thickness and versions. Which one to choose, depends a lot on the season you expect to do your sport.

Since the weather plays such an important role for the conditions and whether a particular water sport even is possible to do on any given day. Are the things that matters most and always should be considered the water temperature and the wind chill factor. What the wind chill factor is, is the actual air felt on bare skin when the wind blows the heat away.

Another factor is the particular water sport you want to do or already enjoy doing. If perhaps you're a windsurfer or into kitesurfing your body will mainly be above the water, whereas a surfer often will be in the water. So if the water is cold and the air warm, the surfer would prefer to wear a thicker wetsuit and the kitesurfer would most likely choose a thinner wetsuit with short sleeves. If the water warm, but the air cool, then a surfer would go for a wetsuit with short trousers, whereas the kitesurfer rather would choose a wetsuit with longer trousers.

But the above is only guidelines. Some might like to feel the wind on their arms or legs, while others much rather enjoys being well-packed and warm. Our bodies are build differently and your own preferences also matters. Being comfortable in your own wetsuit is important, if you're too hot or too cold those annoyances will impact your fun and experience. The only way to know this, however, is trying out some wetsuits, while keeping these guidelines in mind when out in wind, water and weather. As long as you protect yourself well enough for the weather conditions, you won't have any dangerous health risks or experience damaging consequences for your well-being.

Seasons

There is a general relation between the seasons and the temperatures of the water and wind. During the Summer thinner wetsuits with more visible bare skin than during the Winter, where you need a thicker layer of neoprene as well as more gear such as gloves, hoods and longer sleeves and trousers. These two season are faily easy to figure out. The difficulty lies in in during the months of Spring and Autumn. Here your own preferences and personal judgement plays a part, so you're not too cold or warm.
We therefore recommend that if you live in a place where the weather changes regularly to go for a wetsuit that allows to be adapted to the various seasons.

Down below you can find the different types of wetsuits, what they are best for and when they are best to use.

Shortie Wetsuit

A shortie, also spelled shorty, is best during the Summer months or when the water temperature is warm. It is best suited for surfers or other water sports in water or where the weather is hot.

The wetsuit consists of short arms and legs, which gives the best possible mobility and flexibility. Since a shortie is for the Summer months, the layer of neoprene for the arms and legs is about 1 mm-1.5 mm thick. The thickness of the chest is about 2 mm, so it better and optimally can protect the vital organs.

Summer Wetsuits

What is meant by a Summer wetsuit is a wetsuit with just the required thickness to be used during the warmer months. Depending on how cold or warm you'd like to have it, such a wetsuit would be sufficient throughout half the year.

Should you get too cold is it of course much better to swap your wetsuit out with a thicker than to freeze. A Summer wetsuit is well-suited for most of the various water sports and covers more skin than a shortie wetsuit, which alloes it to be used even if the wind should have a cooler temperature.

A Summer wetsuit comes in full body lengths. What that means is the it covers the whole body, arms and legs. They are often described as 3/2 mm wetsuits, though that varies a bit. However, what it means is the very thickness of the layers of the body, the and the legs. The 3 mm is the thickness of the torso and the 2 mm is the thickness of both the arms and legs. The reason for why it's thicker on the torso is so the wetsuit protects your vital organs properly.

Winter Wetsuits

The technology for wetsuit has throughout the years developed so much that we can now practice our water and wind sports all year round. However, to do this you must first get yourself a wetsuit made for the colder months. This is something everyone who enjoys surfing, kitesurfing and on should consider doing. As this will allow you to enjoy your sport for the other half of the year, or at least for about 5 months depending on both the weather and personal preferences concerning cold and heat.

Pretty much all wetsuits for Winter lies between the 5/3 mm or 6/4 mm of thickness. Wetsuits for the colder months are of full body length too, meaning they cover the entire body as well as the arms and legs. Typically the variants of thicknesses range and combines as 6/5/4 mm or 5/4/3 mm. As mentioned earlier the first number is the torso thickness and the second number is the thickness of the legs and arms. Should there be a number between those two, as with 6/5/4 mm, then that number usually is the thickness of the thighs. As with both the Shortie and the Summer wetsuits the torso thickness is thicker to ensure the protection of the important and vital organs.