If you are going in the water regularly (particularly in the UK) you should definitely get your own wetsuit. The better the fit, the warmer you’ll be and the better time you’ll have in the sea / lake / river / puddle.
Also, there are two types of people in this world: those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie! Those rental wetsuits can get a bit whiffy!
Choosing the right wetsuit is a trickier problem and will vary from person to person and indeed will depend on how often you’ll use it and of course what you are doing; surfing, diving, wakeboarding, triathlon-ing, canyoning, or just swimming!
I think most in the UK opt for a full length wetsuit that is 2 or 3mm in thickness often called a 3/2… but this is definitely a spring/summer suit… if you are keen and are going to jump in during the winter months – maybe you should opt for something thicker.
I don’t recommend ordering online. Go into a proper shop, get measured up and try a few on. The fit is crucial to a comfortable and warm suit and you are chancing things buying on the internet.
There are loads of blogs giving you more detail about buying a wetsuit;
- Carve Mag
- The Surf Academy
- Sport Fitness Advisor (looking particularly at swim wetsuits)
- Ocean Sports – Hove
- Ocean Leisure – London
- The Wetsuit Centre – Bournemouth
- Ann’s Cottage – Newquay
- Shark Attack – Manchester
- Lomo – Glasgow
There are also a few videos about showing how to be measured and what the fit should be like;
Remember! Life is better in rubber… go get some Vitamin Sea!
