How To Dedice Which Wetsuit To Buy Summer or Winter

Wetsuits are essential if you plan on participating in any water sport which involves being in cold water. Advancements in wetsuit technology have helped water sports users to keep warm in cold water for extended periods. It is now possible to participate in water sports throughout the year with a well made wetsuit even in winter. If you want to keep warm in the water throughout the winter months it is essential that you purchase a good quality winter wetsuit.

Winter wetsuits are made up of thicker neoprene compared to summer wetsuits, this thicker neoprene helps keep in and insulate the body’s heat. The neoprene works by trapping a thin layer of water between the neoprene and your body. This layer of water conducts the heat from your body and provides warmth within the wetsuit. If you wear a summer wetsuit in the winter it is most likely you would get extremely cold and end up with painful cramps in your muscles. This is because the neoprene is too thin to effectively keep the water inside the wetsuit warm. It is as important to also get the correct fit as a wetsuit that is to big will let in water which will cool your body to quickly and make you cold. A wetsuit that is to tight will stretch out the neoprene making it thinner and a colder wetsuit. Below is a guide to which wetsuit to wear in different water temperatures.

20C’22C  2mm Shorty Wetsuit
18C’20C Short or 3/2mm Full Wetsuit
15C’18C 3/2mm Full Wetsuit
12C’15C 4/3mm Full Wetsuit
9C-12C 5/3mm Full Wetsuit with Wetsuit Gloves & Wetsuit Boots
9 C ‘ Below 6mm Full with Hood  and Gloves & Boots

As you can see if you are the colder the temperature of the water requires a thicker wetsuit and in water below 9c you will need to wear a wetsuit hood and gloves. The wetsuit hood insulates the head and helps stops essential heat escaping. Also the wetsuit hood prevents ‘Ice cream headaches’ when being submerged under the cold water. The wetsuit gloves are used to stop the cold water from physically hurting the hands through coldness and to give them warmth.

Choosing a winter wetsuit also may depend on how prone to cold you are and if you find yourself getting cold you could wear a thermal rash vest to go underneath your wetsuit. A thermal rash vest is normally made from a material called ‘Polypro’. This material is like a close knit fleece and provides and extra layer of insulation underneath a wetsuit. 

If in any doubt please feel free to call the guys at www.wetsuitcentre.co.uk 

e-mail: info@wetsuitcemtre.co.uk

Tel 01202 302943

Which Winter Wetsuit to Buy for Under £140

Which Winter Wetsuit to Buy, Wetsuit Centre takes a look at the best choices on the market

The first thing you should consider when buying your wetsuit for winter months is how much you are going to be using it. In other words there is no point buying a top end wetsuit if you are only using it for an hour every couple of weeks. Saying that if you do feel the cold more and are willing to get the best wetsuit on the market it will keep you warmer. All winter wetsuits are 5mm of neoprene on the body and 3mm on the arms. They are also all GBS, which means on the seams they are stitched and glued together minimizing water getting into the wetsuit.

In terms of do you get what you pay for in winter wetsuits then it’s a big yes, the more expensive the wetsuit the more flexible then become as higher grade neoprene is used which is softer and if it fits well the warmer you will be and less tired. It will also have added thermal lining properties, which are designed to wick water away from your body and act in much the same way as thermal underwear and retain your body heat.

Most of the entry level wetsuits now have certain critical areas such as arms, lumber region & certain parts on the legs with the high grade neoprene. They also contain the thermal lining on the chest & kidney areas. So we have come up with what we consider to be a really good buy if your looking for a mens winter wetsuit, ladies winter wetsuit or kids winter wetsuit

So lets take a look at a few recommendations:

Billabong Foil / Synergy Winter Wetsuit Range

Billabong Wetsuits produce a really good value for money entry-level winter wetsuit in the foil range as above for Ladies, Men & Kids. They all have a good amount of high-grade flex material where you need and include thermal properties. Smooth skin is on the chest panels and is designed to stop wind cooling the body down on winding cold days. This has proved to be a good cost effect with a decent amount of style. The mens & Ladies range are both £134.99 and the Kids £79.99 so they wont break the bank.

O’Neill Epic Winter Wetsuit Range

O’Neill Wetsuits are the market leaders in Wetsuits and for good reason these guys invented the first wetsuit. Since then the modern day wetsuit has been continually modified to get warmer and warmer. The Epic range again all 5/3 wetsuits all have thermal material on the chest and lumber regions and good flex on the arms and good quality neoprene on the legs so not to stiff. They all have smooth skin neoprene on the chest and kidneys which is designed to stop wind getting into the wetsuit once it is wet. Prices start at £119.99 for the men & ladies and £89.99 for the kids. Great value and great back up from the people that know all about wetsuits O’Neill.

Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Mens, Ladies & Kids Winter Wetsuit Range

Rip Curl are another company at the fro front of wetsuit technology and in recent years have produced the flash dry thermal lining which is designed to wick water away from the body and retain heat unlike other thermal linings it is also designed to be the fastest drying lining meaning you don’t have to wait a age to get it back on again for your next splash. All companies keep pushing the boundaries which means now even the entry level wetsuits have the technology and features that a top end wetsuit would have had a few years ago. As before on the other brands Rip Curl also has good levels of stretch material in there entry level wetsuits. Prices start at £139 for mens & ladies and £99 for the kids.

Hope that this brief run down on the wetsuit centre recommendations for 2013 but should you have any questions please feel free to contact us info@wetsuitcentre.co.uk or call 01202 302943

New Wetsuit Technology

 

Patagonia Inc and Yulex Corporation have introduced a guayule ‘natural rubber’ based wetsuit, that is being positioned as the first alternative to traditional fossil-based neoprene. The key test will be producing a Mens Winter Wetsuit that is warm enough for the coldest of waters.
Patagonia is a leading designer of core outdoor, surf and sport-related apparel, equipment, footwear and accessories. Yulex Corporation is a clean technology company developing agricultural-based biomaterials for medical, consumer, industrial and bioenergy products.
“When we started to build wetsuits we knew that neoprene, by nature of its production, was the most environmentally harmful part the product,” said Jason McCaffrey, Patagonia’s Surf Director. “Our initial approach was to use innovative materials, like wool, that are highly insulating and allowed us to use as little neoprene as possible. But we quickly realized that we needed to create a new material that could be a true alternative to neoprene.”
He continued, “After four years of working together, Patagonia and Yulex have co-developed a unique material that allows us to make a wetsuit that is 60% guayule (plant) based. Our goal is to have the formula 100% plant based, but we feel that for now this new material is a big enough step forward to let the world know it is possible to buy something cleaner.
“This is just the first step; it’s our hope that other brands see this as interesting and join the effort to innovate and implement alternatives to traditional neoprene that is used in wetsuits.”
Yulex’s biorubber material is made from guayule, a renewable, non-food crop that requires very little water, is grown domestically in the US, uses no pesticides, and in comparison to traditional neoprene, is reported to have a very clean manufacturing process.
Essentially a desert shrub, guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a renewable biorubber that has been identified as an alternative to traditional Hevea (Hevea brasiliensis) rubber for many years. Recently, the guayule plant has seen a small but growing resurgence due to its hypoallergenic properties. While traditional rubber contains proteins that can cause severe allergic reactions in a few people, guayule reportedly does not.
Initially, the new Patagonia suits will be available in Japan only. Given that Patagonia’s main market is in surf wear and watersports, this will be the primary area of activity. In spring 2013, surfers will be able to order custom suits out of Patagonia’s wetsuit facility in Ventura, California, with a global roll-out to follow.
The application of guayule in triathlon wetsuits has yet to be fully commercialised. Although, this could present an interesting opportunity.
Earlier this year, De Soto Clothing Inc claimed to have pioneered an alternative to petroleum-based wetsuits. Billed as a first in the industry to introduce limestone rubber into triathlon wetsuits, all T1 Wetsuits now incorporate GreenGoma limestone rubber technology. However, while it is seen as a better option than petroleum-based materials, limestone is still a non-renewable resource.

Made & Harvested in the USA
Given that the guayule plant is home grown in the US, there may also be heightened consumer interest for a ‘Made & Harvested in the USA’ product in the world’s largest triathlon market.
Yulex has developed a portfolio of biomaterials derived from the US grown guayule plant. The company’s technological innovation is designed to replace traditional tropical or petroleum based rubber for consumer, industrial and medical markets, with the residual agricultural materials utilized as a feedstock for bioenergy.
“Yulex commends Patagonia for supporting the advancement of a sustainable, low-carbon future by embracing agricultural-based, biomaterials to replace petroleum-based synthetics,” said Jeff Martin, CEO, President and founder of Yulex Corporation.
“Patagonia is guiding the action sports industry to a new level and setting an example for the importance of sustainable practices. Yulex views this partnership as a major step towards a future where use of our renewable, guayule-based biomaterials is the industry standard.”

Article by 
www.yulex.com
www.patagonia.com

Advice on whether you should buy a Wetsuit or Drysuit

Drysuits & Wetsuits for the Winter Months

Don’t let the winter months stop you from enjoying your watersport as it doesn’t matter whether your into sailing, kayaking, or kitesurfing ,the evolution of wetsuits and drysuits is enabling these sports to be taken to depths of endurance.

Winter Wetsuit

If we firstly take the winter wetsuit, over the last 6 years we have seen a revolution in wetsuit technology and the speed of change has been amazing. A top end wetsuit of 6 years ago would not considered to have enough technical features to be an entry level wetsuit. So if your now looking to buy your first wetsuit or your debating the worth of spending a little more, do you get additional features to make it worth the extra spend or are you paying for brand names. The simple and honest answer especially when dealing with winter  wetsuits is a massive yes.

The more you spend the more flexible / lighter the material becomes and the more technical warmth properties you get. So lets have a look to see what some of these technical features actually mean.

Thermal lining – a material designed to act in the same way as thermal underwear but inside a wetsuit. It wicks water away from the body whilst heating the core areas.

Air Neoprene – Small air pockets that are in built into the neoprene, the theory behind this is air is a better insulator of heat so your body heat warms up the air pockets and in turn this maintains your heat.

Smooth Skin - This is the top layer of neoprene when it is made, it has been used as the smooth layer that manufacturers have used on chest and kidney panels to prevent wind cooling down these areas. This has recently become less important due to double lined neoprene’s becoming so good.

Double Lined Neoprene – Is the double weave of the jersey that comprises the neoprene and In recent years has got so good that it now prevents wind from penetrating the wetsuit thus keeping you even warmer. It also means that rather wind and kite surfers having to buy all smooth skin wetsuits, everyone can now use the one wetsuit and use it for different sports such as surfing, sailing, kayaking etc

Super Stretch Material – This type of high grade neoprene is becoming more and more prevalent as the majority of the neoprene that makes up a wetsuit. In a nutshell it makes the neoprene extremely stretchy thus making movement in the wetsuit easier so you don’t get tired and the better it fits to your body the warmer you will be. This has been the one revolution that has made wearing a wetsuit a joy rather than a pain.

Drysuits

Drysuits are much better for surface watersports such as Sailing, Kayaking, Kitesurfing etc or diving.  In simple terms a dry suit is designed to seal the suit preventing water entering at any point. Should not be used for sports such as surfing due to the bulk of a drysuit.

The main difference between dry suits and wetsuits is that dry suits are designed to prevent water entering. This generally allows better insulation making them more suitable for use in cold water. Dry suits can be uncomfortably hot in warm or hot air, and are typically more expensive and more complex to don. For divers, they add some degree of complexity as the suit must be inflated and deflated with changes in depth in order to avoid "squeeze" on descent or uncontrolled rapid ascent due to over-buoyancy.

For surface watersports drysuits have a geo textile material that allows the material to breath so you sweat less and its generally more comfortable to use. The next choice is socked or non socked drysuits and this generally comes down to preference and wether your sport also requires boots. Generally kite and wind surfers users the non socked drysuit. Drysuits are more expensive than a wetsuit and a little more cumbersome. Usually with a dry suit they come with a thermal suit that is like thermal underwear in a front zip suit.

Advice on Caring for your Wetsuit

How to take care of a wetsuit?

 

Wetsuit users usually think that if you rinse it off with fresh water and hang up, you're doing everything you should to improve your wetsuits life. Almost but there are other things you can be doing

 

A good wetsuit nowadays with all the new technology can be expensive. The investment can easily reach the £400 so you should treat your wetsuit with as much care as possible. If you use your wetsuit 100 days per year plus, it's easy to understand how much pressure you're putting in the neoprene.

 

Salt, sun rays, urine, sand and frequent stretching. Wetsuits are always working for you and, therefore, after you have spent so much money a little more care is a must. That means a special kind of shampoo for neoprene wetsuits.

 

Wetsuit cleaner and conditioner is the best way to ensure your Wetsuit will live a couple of years more. Products such as O’Neill wetsuit cleaner & Rip Curl wetsuits cleaner named ”piss off”” work as disinfectant and cleaning catalysts, by eliminating all small offensive particles. It's like a soap specifically designed for wetsuits.

Remember that hot waters destroys the wetsuit flexibility and that you should dry it inside out. Never wash your wetsuit in the washing machine or put it in a tumble dryer and dry it indoors, as quickly as possible and away from sunlight.

 

No ironing or drying machines, of course. Also, always use a plastic bag to put your wetsuit on.

Looking after your wetsuit requires patience, but it is worth it. You will get more life out of the wetsuit in the long term saving you a bit of money, and will feel a better to your skin whenever you put it on.

 

The O'Neill Wetsuit/Drysuit Cleaner And Conditioner is the best product and is available, here.
The Rip Curl Piss Off Wetsuit Cleaner is a very good pick and can be bought, here.
The McNett Wetsuit & Drysuit Shampoo leaves neoprene articles free of organic residue, chlorine, salt deposits and is available, here.
Discover the best wetsuits in the world, here.

What Beginner Surfboard to Buy?

Bic surfboards have been around now for many years; they sell really well for us and have done so for many years. These surfboards are renowned for being super durable because of their indestructible construction. The board is made from a hardwearing plastic, which is then injected with foam to make the surfboard more buoyant. Due to the hard waring nature of these boards they are ideal for beginners and children. If you smash the nose into the sand, the nose won’t dent, or crack unlike a conventional glassed surfboard. Even though the Bic surfboards are geared towards the learner market, we do see surfers of all abilities using these boards in the water. They are relatively cheap, which is ideal if you want to buy a surfboard which has more volume to pick up the smaller summer waves.

 

The Bic Magnum is a surfboard which ideal for the waves here in the UK. It has lots of volume to offer and has a really nice Mini Mal shape. The Magnum’s nose is wide which follows through to the body of the surfboard to provide great float. Also the thickness of the surfboard is over 3 inch thick which is plenty of volume to make paddling, take off and standing up a breeze.

 

Buy one of these board for under £300

Cheap & Quality Winter Wetsuit, What is a Good Wetsuit?

A really good wetsuit less than £100

C-Skins is a UK wetsuit company which has been making wetsuits for the UK market place for more than Fifteen years. Because the fellas at C-Skins Wetsuits understand UK conditions, they create wetsuits which keep their users warm in the most frigid of waters.

We have just been delivered the brand new seasons C- Skins surflite wetsuits for adults and kids. The men’s and women’s edition are less than £100. The children’s edition is priced at £65 which is brilliant value for money. This excellent price delivers some awesome features.

So why is the C Skins Surflite such a good wetsuit?

Clearly the price is a starting point; a wetsuit which is top quality is actually difficult to find for less than £100. For 4 seasons now we have sold the Surflite and we are incredibly happy with the longevity of the wetsuit. To make sure this wetsuit lasts, C-Skins has spot taped the areas which receive the most stress when putting on and taking of the wetsuit.

To guarantee the wetsuit keeps the body warm, it's glued and blind stitched to make sure that water cannot pass through the stitches. Additionally there is a rubbery material called glide skin. This material is found in the front of the wetsuit and lower back and assists in wicking away water whilst keeping wind chill away.

The actual stretch throughout the wetsuit is extremely reasonable. Situated on the arms you will find the C-Skins high-end neoprene, this truly is great for the paddle zones and overall stretch of the wetsuit. With lots of entry level wetsuits you will find excessive panelling which decreases the stretch from the wetsuit. The Surflite's panelling is actually kept to a minimum; we were amazed to see there was clearly no seam throughout the lower part of the wetsuit.

We think the C-Skins Surflite is actually gonna give the large brand name wetsuits a hard time on the market this year. After all, C-Skins wetsuits are manufactured inside the same manufacturing facility as a number of the big brands like Billabong O’Neill, Rip Curl and Xcel.