There are many reasons and occasions when it is wise to wear a wetsuit. And there are times when wearing a wetsuit can even save your life. One thing is sure - without wetsuits the world of water sports today would be much smaller that it is.

So in this article I will list the main reasons why should you wear a wetsuit and what are the benefits of wearing one.

1) Hypothermia. You might not think this is a serious problem, especially to those who only surf in the summer. However, you will find that the risk of contracting hypothermia is still there even when you are swimming in warm waters at noon. It’s due to the fact that water is 25 times more heat-conducting than air, making you lose your body heat. So, the longer you stay in the water, the more body heat you will lose.

Wetsuit keeps you warm by catching a thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene. This water is heated by your body heat and acts as insulation together with the neoprene itself. Neoprene is full of small closed cells - bubbles that are filled with air and act as insulation. The only danger here is that your wetsuit is to big for you and that fresh cold water will constantly rush in and flush the warm water out. So be careful when you buy your wetsuit.

2) Wetsuits can also serve as protection against your own equipment, somebody else’s equipment, rocks, corals etc… So even if the water is warm it is sometimes wise to wear a thin wetsuit for protection. There are for instance special swimming wetsuits that protect you from jellyfish if you are swimming in areas that have lots of them.

3) Wetsuit improves your buoyancy. Because it contains many air bubbles it will help you stay on the water surface. But this effect is not so big that you could depend on it as you would depend on a life vest. Before enjoying water sports you need to know how to swim. And not just swim - you need to know hot to swim good! Wetsuit can help you be more confident in the water when you are learning how to swim, but it is not a substitute for your swimming abilities.

Especially when it comes to protection against cold the wetsuits played an important role in the popularity of water sports today. Without them these sports would only be limited to a few lucky warm places and would never grow so popular.

Tags: Diving