When looking for a wetsuit there are a few things to consider.

The thickness in millimeters (MM)

The material used (stretch, closed cell, open cell)

How its put together, seals, zippers, hoods.

Why do we need wetsuits?

People lose heat in the water about 4 times faster than in the air. That’s why everyone goes swimming when its hot outside. It doesn’t take long to cool off when you’re in the water. If the water is 60 degrees that may not sound very cold, but your body will continue to give off heat until it matches the surrounding environment. Your body only needs to cool a few degrees from the normal of 98.7 to enter hypothermia. Even if it was a 60 degree day outside in the air, you would wear protection, like clothes. Since your jeans and t-shirt don’t offer much in the way of thermal protection in the water, we wear wetsuits instead.

I don’t want to be cold, how thick of one do I need?

Generally, a 3MM wetsuit is good for 85-75 degrees, 5MM for 75-65, and 7MM into the 40’s. This greatly depends, on the individual, how many dives you are doing, how often you are diving, and the quality of the suit. Not all 3MM wetsuits are equal, for example. The best way to find out is ask what everyone else is using then calibrate from there.

How are they made? What does that mean for me?

Modern wetsuits are made from neoprene, and there are different types, and qualities of both wetsuits and neoprene. Freediving wetsuits are a little different than surfing, SCUBA diving, or triathlon wetsuits so make sure you get the one made for what you need. A special freediving or spearfishing wetsuit takes into account the need for warmth and maneuverability. A diver could be in the water for several hours yet needs to be able to dive and swim naturally. To accomate this, the wetsuits are lined with open-cell neoprene on the inside. Meaning less water moves around inside the suit allowing your body heat to stay with you and not get lost out to the water. This type of wetsuit tends to be warmer but you need to take special care to clean it and protect it from rips. The open cell neoprene can make the suit hard to put on and you will need to use a lubricant such as a mix of hair conditioner and water. Usually there are no zippers on the wetsuit and instead they come in two pieces.

What are the alternatives?

There are many choices in wetsuits but generally the higher quality ones are warmer and more comfortable, however you will have to pay more for them and replace them more often, as they tend to be less durable. SCUBA uses closed-cell neoprene these need to be bulkier and less flexible they may have more seals, zippers or attached hoods to make them warmer and they will be easier to take on and off than a open-cell freediving suit.

Top three spearfishing wetsuits

SEAC Men’s Sea-Royal HD

SEAC Men’s Sea-Royal HD Free Diving Wetsuit

This two-piece john and jacket design features a built-in hood. It is offered in 7mm, 5mm, and 3.5mm It has open cell interior which provides the most amount of warmth and sets it apart from SCUBA or surf wetsuits. It is preformed around the natural shape of the body giving it a snug fit while giving you large and natural range of movement in the water. Check out the women’s version in SEAC’s Diana SEAC Women’s Diana Neoprene Free Diving Wetsuit

Benthos Wetsuit Yamamoto 39

Benthos Black Wetsuit,Yamamoto 39, Open Cell, Freediving Suit

The Benthos uses top quality open cell neoprene throughout the suit making it very high quality and very warm. They use nylon on the wrists, ankles, and snaps, to protect these areas from ripping. This suit comes in 1.5, 3, 5, and 7mm thicknesses.

OMER Black Moon 3D

OMER Black Moon Spearfishing Wetsuit

The Omer Black Moon uses a very effective black and grey camouflage design. It has open cell neoprene on the inside of the wetsuit for warmth, and nylon exterior for durability. It only is available in 5 and 7mm thicknesses so it isn’t for use in very warm water. This is great as a stealthy hunting suit.