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Wetsuits
The kind of wetsuit a surfskier generally wants for cold conditions is “surfing” style (or one made specifically for paddlers - a style that is becoming more common). Scuba suits (at least the thicker ones) are made of different quality neoprene than surfing suits. As neoprene compresses its ability to keep you warm gets reduced, as does its buoyancy properties. So Scuba suits are typically made of more dense neoprene (more material versus air bubbles) to resist compression better at depth. At the same time this denser material makes the suit less stretchy, restricting your movements more than you want in a surfski. There seems to be more overlap between the material and construction of Scuba and Surfing suits as time goes by, particularly in the lighter suits built by scuba wetsuit companies, but scuba wetsuit makers still tend to put more emphasis on stopping water wash through their suits often with tighter and more constrictive openings at the wrist, ankle, and neck. Carefully try out any suit made by a scuba suit maker to make sure it allows the amount of comfortable movement you need for your paddling..well, this advice is not bad for any suit you are considering, but if you are looking at a suit that is probably scuba style (used previously for diving, made by a manufacturer known primarily for scuba style suits,…), be forewarned.
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Important Purchase Decision Variables
Expense/Quality/Value
“Buy Cheap, Buy Twice ”
- Buying Wetsuits 2021 article written for surfers with a lot of good information for anyone looking at wetsuits, including important variables that affect expense and quality.
- Best Wetsuit 2024 Notice this is also based on surfing so you will not see wetsuits made specifically for paddling. Also they probably only considered major brands. But it may still be informative in terms of what improvements/state of the art they mention.
- One of the most important lessons about neoprene and wetsuit quality:
- If you only know how inexpensive neoprene tops, bottoms, and wetsuits perform, you will tend to rely on that performance to tell you when and how long you can be comfortable with colder weather and water. You will probably use your cold water gear less often, for shorter periods of time, and during a smaller portion of the year. Wetsuits with good neoprene and quality construction can be an eye-opener in terms of how much more time you can spend enjoying your favorite water sports each day and each year.
Construction Material
Neoprene
is technically a foam, consisting of bubbles of air or nitrogen trapped in a layer of industrial rubber. Not entirely different from a sponge, but more dense. Most neoprene is made from petroleum, but it is also made from calcium carbonate (most common source - limestone) and limestone based neoprene is common in high end surfing and triathlon wetsuits. Neoprene from lime stone is generally warmer, more durable, softer and is more water impermeable - approx. 95% versus 60-70% for petroleum based neoprene.
- Limestone based neoprene is in some aspects more environmentally friendly than petroleum based, but all neoprene requires a lot of energy to produce and is still not usually recycled (Finisterre was probably the first to recycle neoprene, in 2024 Manera also started eco friendly neoprene recycling at some of their outlets in France), so your discarded wetsuit will probably end up in a landfill somewhere. Make sure that you make a well grounded choice if you buy neoprene and take good care of your suit to maximize it’s lifespan and minimize your environmental impact. Environmental advantages of Yamamoto's limestone neoprene manufacturing. Patagonia says that chemically limestone and petroleum based neoprene are equivalent, so any performance difference is coming from the manufacturing technique of the neoprene foam. Perhaps this is what seems to set the performance of Yamamoto limestone neoprene apart - not specifically the chemical source, rather the manufactured end product.
- Limestone Neoprene Grades- Yamamoto's grades of limestone neoprene -as far as we can tell the descriptions and stats about comparative qualities are all over the board at different wetsuit websites. Yamamoto's own website is known for making exaggerated claims also. Most wetsuit users agree that the warmth and stretchiness of limestone neoprene is noticeably better than the same thickness of traditional neoprene. But by how much, and how much different grades of yamamoto differ from each other??? We are not sure. #38-#40 description from triathlete.com:
- Yamamoto #38
- What you get: Good buoyancy, durability at a low price
- What you don’t: Flexibility
- Used in many low- to mid-priced suits, #38 is just as buoyant as the much pricier #40, but requires 22 percent more force to stretch the rubber by half its length. The result is a stiffer, more constrictive feel.
- Yamamoto #39
- What you get: Best buoyancy, easiest flexibility
- What you don’t: Durability
- This mid-priced material is actually the most flexible in the Yamamoto line, requiring 8 percent less force than 40 to lengthen by half. It’s also a whopping 24 percent more buoyant than 38 and 40.
- Yamamoto #40
- What you get: Moderate durability and buoyancy; potential for elite flexibility
- What you don’t: Low price or best-in-class performance in any category
- Equal-sized panels of #40 are slightly less flexible than #39, but the toughness of #40 makes it the material of choice for extremely thin panels across areas such as the back
- Yamamoto #45
- Super soft and stretchy, but more easily damaged
- Calcium Carbonate Alternatives to Limestone Base
- Bioprene & Oysterprene
- As of 2020 Sooruz offers
- “Bioprene” & “Oysterprene” their newest take on improving neoprene made from calcium carbonate (first made from limestone). Limestone neoprene is made from fossil limestone that comes from quarries. It limits the use of petrochemical materials but requires a very energy-intensive and non-renewable extraction process. In 2018, Sooruz carried out their first tests for crushing oyster shells. This research led to the creation of 2 new materials: “Bioprene” mainly biobased (composed of a mix of oyster powder, natural rubber, sugar canes & non-food vegetable oil) used in their new Green Line suits (marketed since March 2020) and “Oysterprene” available in shops since the end of July 2020 in their Guru Pro suits. Sooruz is also now collecting and recycling old neoprene into a product for other uses. Their collection sites are currently (2021) only in France.
- Eicoprene
- Picture of France offers “Eicoprene” a non-petroleum based synthetic foam derived from a mix of oyster shell powder, limestone, and recycled tires
Natural Rubber
- Green Neoprene more recent, environmentally friendlier options made from natural tree rubber. Patagonia first developed Yulex for wetsuits in 2016 then offered to share their techniques with other wetsuit makers. Patagonia, Finisterre and a few other brands now offer Yulex wetsuits. Vissla offers another natural tree rubber, NaturalPrene. Although the “stretchiness” of Yulex has been improved, it is not considered as stretchy as the most modern versions of neoprene. Can Neoprene Be Green?
- Natural Rubber Options (Yulex, NaturalPrene, Greenprene, etc.) You will have to decide for yourself which companies are the most sincere about their environmental commitment and which are just practicing “Greenwash” as PR to attract environmentally concerned customers. We don't have first hand experience with many of these companies, but our current impression is that most of these that offer natural rubber suits are sincere. Does the company you are looking at do everything it can to make wetsuits more durable? Is the wetsuit lining made from recycled materials and do suits use water based glues? But don't give up comfort and the best function for “Green”, because if you don't wind up using your green wetsuit gear, you haven't gone green at all and you are giving up time from what you love to do… for More to consider…
- Finisterre UK - one of a few companies as of 2020 that can recycle neoprene and Yulex. Ultimately promises to offer buy back option for old wetsuits.
- Patagonia US - only company as of 2020 with lifetime warranty on all of their wetsuits
- SNS (Sen no Sen) France Yulex and limestone neoprene suits
- Vissla US recycled rubber, limestone neoprene, other green manufacturing aspects
Built-in Liners
can contribute to comfort, ease of getting on and off, and faster drying although some have been known to rub some folks the wrong way. If liners become more brittle over time (as some reportedly do), they may contribute to rubbing and chafing problems. It can be less problematic and less expensive to layer with your own separate lining layers that you have tried and trust.
Warmth
Primary Function - Reduce Conductive and Convective Heat Loss
Typically you get a measure of wetsuit thickness in millimeters. If this is more than one number like 3/2 or 4/3 - the first number is the thickness for the body trunk or some portion of the body core which is most critical for heat retention, the second number is the thickness for legs and arms. Three numbers (5/4/3 etc.) means Torso/Legs/Arms thickness. However wetsuits vary widely in terms of how much coverage the torso or core gets with the thickest material - make sure you get good torso coverage and not just your chest. Full body wetsuits on the warmer end of the warmth spectrum are sometimes called “steamers”. Also consider if you are a surfskier that you may want some more thickness in your legs where you get and stay wetter in rough conditions - wetsuit configurations may not serve this and you might want to look at some kind of layering with some additional liner leggings or stretchy shorts??….
Better suits go to more expense to make seams more waterproof (and therefore warmer with immersions) with blind-stitching, double blind stitching, tape, or liquid tape. Overlock and flatlock stitching are most commonly used in cheaper wetsuits and do not prevent water entry very well. Overlock stitching also often can create rubbing spots.
Body warmth can be retained by the insulation provided from wetsuits. However, that retention via reduced heat conduction can be overwhelmed by the heat loss that can occur from water that flushes through a wetsuit. If a wetsuit is too loose, or allows water to pass freely through holes or seams that are not sealed, far more body heat can be lost when you are in the water than can be saved via insulation.
New Additional Heat Conservation - Reduce Radiant Heat Loss Via Reflection
Titanium and some other materials purportedly reflect heat when incorporated into wetsuits. The main material in wetsuits - neoprene, etc. with its dead air bubbles works as insulation that slows heat conduction away from your body. Theoretically radiant heat (infrared radiation) can be also be conserved by reflection back to the body (how mylar emergency blankets are intended to function). How much heat is protected in this manner (in comparison to the conductive heat conservation from wetsuit insulation) by a wetsuit with radiant reflective material is not completely clear to us currently - despite the claims of manufacturers. It is possible that this kind of material may function proportionately better in the air than when you are submerged and subject to greater conductive and convective heat loss - it won't help you that much in the water if your suit fits poorly or your seam sealing is ineffective (cheap or worn out) and you get a lot of water flush through.
To test if a seam is sealed, tightly hold the arm of a wetsuit at the elbow. Blow into the wrist like a balloon and trap the air with your other hand. If it remains inflated, it’s a sealed suit.
Options
You may be able to give yourself a greater range of comfort with just one wetsuit through the addition of accessories, such as a separate wetsuit hat or hood, or a wetsuit vest that will add another couple of millimeters of insulation for your trunk so that a 3/2 wetsuit with a 2 mm vest added inside becomes a 5/2 for colder weather/water. The great advantage of a separate hat or hood is that you can put it on ( Conditions and skill allowing ) if you get colder or wind up swimming or take it off as you warm up from exertion. Wearing a hat or hood that covers your ears can interfere with hearing.
Usability
- Entry and Closures Back zip wetsuits are considered by some to be somewhat easier to get in and out of than chest zip and no zip. But chest zip can be somewhat more flexible in the shoulders and back. Chest zips also tend to permit less water entry. Practice and technique can definitely help in getting in and out of a wetsuit. Your mileage may vary - try the different options and see which work better for you. A zipperless wetsuit should be the most waterproof in the entry area of a suit, but there are very large differences in ease of entry and exit in zipperless suits. You really should try one on before you buy.
- External Variables for Usage - Weather and Water Condition - one big problem for paddlers is choosing between a) comfort when upright - and - b) safety for the risk of being in the water for an extended period. In rougher conditions/colder weather/colder water your choice needs to strongly tilt toward the safer option - dress for immersion. If you are “overdressed” or overheating, take periodic dips or wet your head to cool off as needed.
- Personal Variables - Comfort, fit, individual preferences (pay attention to manufacturer's advice on fit as well as information you can get from reviews - but be careful with reviews because subjective bias is hard to avoid.
- Fit - It is much better if you can try on in store to determine your specific fit variables. The general advice that the suit needs to be snug and without bagginess is accurate if you want your wetsuit to really slow down waterflow through your wetsuit and provide its advertised warmth properties during immersion. The good news is that quality wetsuits of recent vintage are much stretchier - so they can still be comfortable and unrestrictive when sized properly and fitting snugly.
- Suit Break-in - some users of higher end suits that seem initially less stretchy than the most touted “stretchy” suits, report that their suits adjust with use and become more stretchy and easier to get on and off than they were in the beginning. One problem with this is that it is probably not universal for all wetsuits, so it is not wise to count on break-in stretch of a tight wetsuit unless you or a trusted source has experienced this with the particular wetsuit model you are interested in.
- Rotation - some surfskiers wear board shorts or paddle shorts over their wetsuits to provide more slide in their seat and allow for the hip rotation that should accompany leg extension in the surfski stroke. Board shorts, paddle shorts or some other slicker shorts with thin or minimal seams will also reduce wear on your wetsuit seat and possibly reduce/eliminate any chafing that might occur with wetsuit seats that do not slide adequately with hip rotation. Surfskiers who are racing or want to be most efficient in their downwinding typically opt for snug fitting paddle shorts instead of board shorts because board shorts can catch a fair amout of water when surfskis dive, potentially causing drag.
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Expected Product Durabilty and Usable Lifetime
(pay particular attention to proper care - see below)
- Insulation Effectiveness Over Time
- all wetsuits compress over time so your 10 year old 5mm suit may be 3mm now
- Frequency of Use
- Avid Surfers - may only get a season or two out of their wetsuits - possibly more if very well cared for, but the seams tend to start leaking after a certain number of uses, and your suit will no longer protect warmth as well once the seams leak. The difference is immediately apparent to surfers in the water, but not necessarily to a surfskier until they happen to fall in and discover the effect of leaking seams.
- Surfskiers - usage typically not as rough as surfers, so should be able to get more seasons out of a suit. But beware seams that will ultimately start to leak and provide less protection in immersion. Test periodically in the water to insure you still have the degree of cold protection you need. If necessary move your older suit into use only for warmer water temperatures - you will get your original cold protection only if you add layers from vests, hoods,…
- Expense vs Durability
- Some wetsuit companies will tell you up front that their more expensive, ultra stretchy wetsuit materials are built to perform but are not as durable as the stiffer, cheaper wetsuit fabrics. Patagonia is not cheap and their Yulex is not as stretchy as the high end neoprene used by other companies, but as of 2020 Patagonia has the only lifetime warranty (does not cover abuse or normal wear and tear. it does cover defects or failures such as blown seams, failed power seals (the inner neck cover to make better neck sealing) and broken zippers. Warranty items are repaired free of charge.)
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Proper Care
Wetsuit Maintenance Tips
Wetsuits
- Rinsing
- Salt or chorine will cause detrioration so you want to rinse with fresh water after every use.
- Some folks advise only to hand wash - definitely do not rinse/wash in a top load agitator washer. Rinsing in a front loader with a delicate cycle may be acceptable. You be the judge about how careful you want to be given the expense involved. Some have noticed seam tape starting to come off after many front loader rinses, but it is not clear that the same would not happen with an equal amount of use and number of rinses by hand. Use cold or lukewarm water.
- Immersion Diuresis - When you enter water colder than the ambient air temperature, vasoconstriction occurs (narrowing the blood vessels), and extra blood is sent to the central organs. The body interprets this as fluid overload, causing an increase in urine production. While peeing in wetsuits as been known to cause rashes for some people, holding your pee can also be unhealthy. We recommend that you flush water through your wetsuit post-pee if the water is not too cold, and definitely do a good job rinsing your wetsuit after your paddling sessions.
- Drying - dry inside out first. Do not put in clothes dryer. It is recommended to fold over a hanger bar for drying rather than by the neck or shoulders - to avoid neck and shoulder stretch and wear.
- Use Changing Pad - Do not stand on your wetsuit on the ground when you are taking it off (keep a pad or tub with your vehicle to change on)
- Beware Laying it Down Inside Out - Better to not take it off or lay it down on any kind of loose ground material when your wetsuit is inside out. Wetsuit interiors that have a lining can pick up and embed any kind of small matter, some of which may not easily wash out, for example small pine needles can embed in lining and provide an extended period of scratchy discomfort.
- Store - dry and out of direct sunlight
Booties
- Dealing with Odor facebook Surfski Kayak group discussion
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Repair
- Leaks
- Finding Holes
- General leakage can be found by treating arms, legs like balloons - blowing air into them and seeing how fast they deflate.
- Specific leaks like along seams can be located by shining a flashlight along a seam and looking for spots where more light shines through
- Wingfoilers Discussion Dec. 2024 (facebook)
- Seam Leakage
- Neoprene Glues
- Camaro, Aquaseal
- Tears
- Repair Tape
- Gear Aid Tenacious Tape
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