Wetsuit

A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed <a href="/facts/Neoprene/MtLEdFvE">neoprene</a>, and is worn by <a href="/facts/Surfing/HfA0c4GS">surfers</a>, <a href="/facts/Underwater_diving/yhjLjF1H">divers</a>, <a href="/facts/Windsurfers/Sgcm69KW">windsurfers</a>, <a href="/facts/Canoeists/s1FosAg5">canoeists</a>, and others engaged in <a href="/facts/Water_sports/yCYepMEJ">water sports</a> and other activities in or on the water. Its purpose is to provide <a href="/facts/Thermal_insulation/j7tVT4uv">thermal insulation</a> and protection from <a href="/facts/Abrasion_(medical)/cDrHUjy3">abrasion</a>, <a href="/facts/Ultraviolet/kncBUqn5">ultraviolet</a> exposure, and stings from marine organisms. It also contributes extra <a href="/facts/Buoyancy/9dIQwlrh">buoyancy</a>. The insulation properties of neoprene foam depend mainly on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material, which reduce its ability to <a href="/facts/Conduction_(heat)/5vRktgcS">conduct heat</a>. The bubbles also give the wetsuit a low <a href="/facts/Density/92p6hh9I">density</a>, providing buoyancy in water.
<a href="/facts/Hugh_Bradner/yh6Tpjmd">Hugh Bradner</a>, a <a href="/facts/University_of_California,_Berkeley/MXVEjklr">University of California, Berkeley</a> <a href="/facts/Physicist/cQcgvSIm">physicist</a>, invented the modern wetsuit in 1952. Wetsuits became available in the mid-1950s and evolved as the relatively fragile foamed neoprene was first backed, and later sandwiched, with thin sheets of tougher material such as nylon or later <a href="/facts/Spandex/rcId3DYb">spandex (also known as lycra)</a>. Improvements in the way joints in the wetsuit were made by gluing, taping and blind-stitching, helped the suit to remain waterproof and reduce flushing, the replacement of water trapped between suit and body by cold water from the outside. Further improvements in the seals at the neck, wrists, ankles, and zippers produced a suit known as a "semi-dry".
Different types of wetsuit are made for different uses and for different temperatures. Suits range from a thin 2mm or less "shortie", covering just the torso, upper arm, and thighs, to thick 8mm semi-dry suit covering the torso, arms, and legs, usually complemented by neoprene boots, gloves and hood. The type of the suit depends upon the temperature of the water and the depth of the planned dive.
The difference between a wetsuit and a <a href="/facts/Dry_suit/s5fU9JYf">dry suit</a> is that a wetsuit allows water to enter the suit, though good fit limits water circulation inside the suit, and between the inside and outside of the suit, while dry suits are designed to prevent water from entering, thus keeping the undergarments dry and preserving their insulating effectiveness. Wetsuits can give adequate protection in warm to moderately cold waters. Dry suits are typically more expensive and more complex to use, but can be used where protection from lower temperatures or <a href="/facts/Contamination/RC0L7KRy">contaminated</a> water is needed.

Wetsuit open-in-new

Wetsuit