If you are an amateur free diver, you may need some guidelines to buy a perfect wetsuit for you. While you have options like renting out a swimsuit, that will not just be an expensive affair but may also not match your specifications. So the best recourse will be buying a swimsuit. It will be a good investment, as well. You may go crazy while hunting for a bathing suit since so many variants are out in the market.
But for now, take a back seat and relax as this article will walk you through some of the best freediving wetsuits. You may get your possible answers here regarding colorfastness (due to seawater, UV rays, chlorine, etc.), design, fitting, fabric, budget, and brands.
Other than these, there are a few more critical aspects to think through: where would you be swimming, in warm waters or cold waters, what part of the year, and how often? For instance, in warm waters will have to safeguard your skin against cuts, stings, and the sun; while swimming in cold water, you will have to bear in mind the fabric of your wet suit should be thicker and should have a base layer to keep you warm. Additionally, swimwear can not be ill-fitted, unlike the other gear; otherwise, it won’t solve your purpose.
Bearing in mind all of the above considerations, let’s look at some of the best and versatile wetsuits you may vouch for buying.
Best Freediving Wetsuit – The Ultimate Reviews
★ Top Pick | Product | Price | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
NeoSport Neoskin Men’s Back-Zip Full WetsuitSee Details | Check Price | 4.9 | |
Henderson Men’s Thermoprene Long Sleeve WetsuitSee Details | Check Price | 4.8 | |
Seac Pirana Men’s apnea wetsuitSee Details | Check Price | 4.6 | |
Cressi Men’s Front-Zip Full WetsuitSee Details | Check Price | 4.6 | |
Beuchat Zento Full WetsuitSee Details | Check Price | 4.4 |
NeoSport Neoskin Men’s Back-Zip Full Wetsuit
The neoprene swimsuit is a heavy-duty #10 YKX back zip with the self-don leash, thermal bonded protective kneepads, adjustable velcro collar. Fragile 1mm delicate and agreeable premium neoprene material sewn with flatlock creases, spot – taped at meeting wrinkles for sturdiness and convenience.
Key Features
- Bodily structure cut pattern for a comfort fit.
- Internal key pocket.
- Thermally bonded kneepads.
- Spot taped at meeting cross seams for strength.
Neoskin is an extremely thin 1mm neoprene swim full wetsuit that offers the warmth and sturdiness of a full wetsuit along with that comfort and flexibility of wet skin.
- Great for swimming in lakes, lighter, thin, and fits very comfortably.
- It’s a perfect full wetsuit for its cost.
- This wetsuit comes with a 1-year warranty.
- It’s effortless to get in and out of the suit, so it saves time.
- This wetsuit is not suitable to make you float as it is skinny and light.
- It’s not great to save you against jellyfish as these fishes can easily sting through it.
Henderson Men’s Thermoprene Long Sleeve Front Zipper 3 mm Short
Incredible travel partner, this long sleeve 3mm, a short length coat comes with a generous cut front-zipper that a few divers lean toward for simpler wearing. A full body structured neighborly suit configuration converts into a structure upgrading fit and better warm experience.
All thermopane suits, divers additionally get the advantages of the best in development methods. The scraped spot safe Thermoprene material is both stuck and visually impaired sewed, which cinches down on water drainage and gives gigantic toughness. Sleeves are lycra trim. Divers are looking for an extraordinary worth will value Thermoprene’s parity of execution and cost.
The most recent mechanical advancement from Henderson, this new material conveys more prominent adaptability and improved highlights not found in standard neoprene wet suits, yet at a sensible cost ideal for the cost-cognizant purchaser. Thermoprene is made using a great neoprene and a low pill texture. It has 75% more stretch than standard neoprene.
Thermoprene is perceptibly less challenging to do, pulling over the shoulders and around the middle with fewer episodes and puff than standard wet suits. Additionally, the texture outside stands up amazingly well to the wear of BC ties and weight belts. The suit is available in seven sizes. Size is ranging from X-small to 3X- large.
- 75% more stretchable than many other materials.
- The best wetsuit for several kinds of diving conditions and water sports activities.
- GBS-glued and blind stitched seams.
- Moderately costly: not preferable for hot environments.
- The back zipper is a little inconvenient.
Seac Pirana Men’s apnea wetsuit
This two-piece wetsuit comprises a hooded coat and high waisted pants—model entirely in spandex fabric with 3D polyurethane knee, elbow, and lower back pads. Supratex lined chest pad in 7mm neoprene. Lycra finishing is around the face, wrists, and lower legs. Beavertail closure with Velcro. Disguise design In various shades of green, yellow, and brown.
This extraordinary wet suit is for surfing or for making a plunge in the late spring.
- A two-piece suit like this keeps water from coming in. It’s always good to have a wetsuit with two pieces; a suit with a zipper makes it easier for water to slip in and make the jumper shiver from cold water.
- This camouflage planned wetsuit mixes genuinely okay with the reefs.
- It fits like a subsequent skin.
- Few individuals have encountered that the material is more similar to a nightgown, so not reasonable for such diving.
It is sensible for water sports or as an undervest.
back to menu ↑Cressi Men’s Front-Zip Full Wetsuit for Water Activities
Cressy’s tradition of beneficiation started in 1939 with two siblings who shared an enthusiasm for the sea and begin by formulating covers and fins for free swimmers and scuba divers.
Today Cressi is an innovator in water sports gear, and the commitment to development is still in the organization’s DNA. This company delivers products worldwide with specific divisions for various water enthusiasts, keeping up it’s a responsibility to create and make items with the uplifted level of value and enthusiasm. A shorty wetsuit is best suited for hotter temperature conditions, specifically on hot days. They prevent warming while out of the water while giving thermal security profoundly in the water.
Full-length wetsuits are perfect for colder situations, just as for the individuals who all would be in the water for a longer time. Full wetsuits also shielded more skin surface from the aquatic environment, such as stings and scraped spots. A Swimmer can use a full-length wet suit on a hot day if the user needs protection for the arms and legs. It’s about safety and comfort.
- Neoprene is best for ultimate comfort and thermal protection.
- High stretch neoprene offers excellent freedom of movement in the arms and legs.
- Ideal for all water sports.
- Water may enter in the wetsuit from the zipper.
Beuchat Zento Full Wetsuit
Georges Beuchat, the well known french underwater diver, a metamorphic pioneer in aquatic sports activities, is also the founder of the company. He had undergone many experiments himself before inventing the isothermal wetsuit in 1953. It was a significant breakthrough in aqua diving, and even after 60 years, the wetsuit serves as the fundamental resource for developing more advanced wetsuits.
The new Beuchat swim gear is engineered for free diving and outdoor swimming. 100% waterproof Neoprene is aided with hydrodynamics like a more nuanced outlook that provides lesser drag, and the diver can swiftly cut through the water, given its unique design. This abrasion-free product offers body-hugging anatomical cut for smoother strokes. Its 3C collar (Closing Comfort Collar) system is designed in a single-panel that requires no adhesive with the scratch side of the Velcro turned outward, which no other product offers.
Besides this, an additional layer of protection is provided above the Velcro. The suit can not be damaged easily, given the outward-facing design of the Velcro. The best part of this wetsuit is its 2mm thickness throughout, which is just appropriate for divers making it a low buoyancy gear (low buoyancy means less weight)
- The product is 100% watertight.
- Comes with extra adjustable elastic velcro fastener.
- Suitable for scuba diving, outdoor swimming, and spearfishing.
- It’s a unisex product but may not fit well with women in some areas.
Wrap it up
To sum up, the best wetsuits will vow you and will solve your purpose. In a nutshell, the perfect swimsuits are the ones that protect you against the warm water and cold water, abrasion, cuts, stings, and the sun. These should be apt for all kinds of weather and should be well fitted. The suit’s fabric certainly plays an important role when swimming in cold water; neoprene is the best as it is an insulating material that keeps your body warm instead of the silicon wetsuits.
Also, you would want to wear a full-length swimsuit to protect your body from cold water. A right swimwear will not restrict your shoulder, hip, and knee movement while swimming. Additionally, it will also provide buoyancy to your swimming, which typically means it will allow you to swim faster and a lesser drag in the water. The faster you swim, the better it is for you as you will have to spend less time in the cold water.
Neosport Neoskin full-length wetsuits, Handerson, and Seac are some of the versatile swimming gear you can go for without a second thought. Lastly, Individual preference is also a decisive factor in making a decision and finalizing a wetsuit.
Buying Guide for Best Freediving Wetsuits for 2021
Freediving wetsuits are super gears that help surfers, swimmers, scuba divers, and other water sports lovers to be in the water for long without being wet as they are 100% watertight. You must bear in mind specific determiners while purchasing wetsuits, for instance, warm or cold environments, thickness, design, fit, style, etc. If you are an amateur diver, let’s first understand how wetsuits work, which will help you get closure about what kind of wetsuit may work well for you.
Wetsuits are body-hugging gears made of neoprene material that keep the body warm and work by trapping heat in a skinny layer of water between the body and the suit. This layer gets warmth by your body that restricts you from losing your body’s heat while you are swimming.
Neoprene’s molecular structure is such that it has closely knitted cells and is filled with air, allowing you to keep your body insulated even in the cold water by trapping heat. The thicker the swimsuit, the warmer you will feel because thickness provides more insulation. You must also consider the temperature of the place where you will mostly use your suit.
How to choose the best wetsuit?
You may have your own wetsuit for swimming that you use for freediving. But that may not be appropriate for all the water sports activities. Wetsuits are specially designed to aid you in cutting through the water and reducing the drag.
Fit
Swim gear should neither be ill-fitted nor lose as the purpose of having one is completely defeated, if it won’t keep you warm or the water enters inside through the loose ends; else if it’s too tight then it will restrict your movements. An ideal wetsuit should be body-hugging, fitting like a second skin and should allow you swift strokes in the water.
Check for flexibility when you buy one, stretch, bend, twist and squat to see if there’s any stiffness, especially around the neck, chest and throat. Be watchful if you sense any pressure around your groins, knees, armpits, and elbows. You should feel comfortable and should be able to freely dive with a suit which is just cut out for you.
Thickness
Thickness is a very critical aspect as you won’t be swimming all the time, while you come up on the surface to catch up some air, you may get chills; so the best suit to look for is the one with thickness. A thick suit will keep your body insulated. Thickness is measured in mm, the more is the number, the more thicker your suit will be.
It also depends on the kind of equipment you will carry in the water, if you are required to carry an oxygen cylinder while scuba diving, then your suit should have less weight to balance out the weight. In such cases buoyancy should be less. While you are swimming in tropical climates, then a light weighted rash guard or a skin suit is highly recommended. Most of the divers prefer a thickness of upto 3 mm.
Always remember, a suit should fit you well, don’t compromise on that to stay well insulated in the water. Do cross check for seals around your wrist, neck, waist, and ankles, these should be properly sealed otherwise water will enter and pass through these giving you chills much faster.
Style
These generally come in two pieces along with a hood and give you more room for breathing instead of zippers. The hood keeps the water from entering and exiting in and around the neck area. Multi-purpose skin-suits and shorties are most favorable amongst the divers. These suits allow you to breathe freely in the water.
Seams
Seams are the points where the fabric is sewn together. There’s a high chance of water entering and exiting from these points making the diver feel cold. Higher-quality seems to keep your body warm intact as they are glued/taped and sewn for more waterproofing.
Budgeted suits often have glued seams that are not good for divers who swim in the cold water. There are mainly two kinds of sutures used for sewing the flatlock stitch and the blind stitch. The blind stitch doesn’t allow the water to penetrate to a greater extent and is the best to keep the wetsuit warmer.
Kinds of Wetsuit Seam Seals
Flatlock wetsuit stitching: water temperature is above 62 degrees. It never causes any distress. Seam style may let in very little water.
Sealed wetsuit seams
(Glued and Blindstitched)
Seam style is suggested for use in water that is 55 degrees and above. These fasten boards are stuck and, afterward, blind stitched. Blind stitching does not go entirely through the neoprene. Instead, the fastener comes out a similar side it went in, making it watertight. This crease style will let in almost no water.
Fixed and Taped Wetsuit Seams
(Glued, Blindstitched, 100% Taped)
This seam style is suggested for use in water that is 55 degrees and below. This seam line is glued and later on blindstitched. However, it also has inside crease taping. The inside taping has sturdiness, fortifies the crease, and keeps water from leaking.
Wetsuit Zippers
There is a lot more to get into your suit than you may have thought. There are three types of wetsuit entry developments: back zips, chest zips, zipperless.
Back Zip Wetsuits
Back zip wetsuit is a classic arrangement with the zipper going down the spine’s length with a long string connected so you can zip yourself in and out. The benefit of a back zip is that it is regularly the simplest to enter and exit than the other styles. Well, it’s a big deal while you are attempting to get into something that is skin tight.
The disadvantage is that water can get past the creases on the back zip, which can turn into a significant hindrance in chilly water. (Think about ice 3D shapes down your back). Many companies have flush watchman innovations to make it lesser from occurring. ( For Example, Quicksilver Hydroshield). Similarly, when you are twisting forward, the wetsuit can go rigid in the back, and the zipper needs give, which may restrict swift movements.
Chest Zip Wetsuits
Such suits have zipped around the neck, and you drop down into the suit through the neck area before pulling the neck cut over your head and zipping shut at the chest. The chest zip is superior at preventing water from penetrating the suit by both the channels, seams, and neckline. The chest zip may likewise be a more comfortable fit once on with a cozy neck that is less inclined to cause rashes, and zipperless back yields a greater degree of adaptability.
Zipperless Wetsuits
These wetsuits are found to be lightweight (think 3/2 and more slender) and neoprene beat. These suits organize portability over warmth by dispensing the lack of Flex found around zippered areas and stitching. It can be a perfect solution if you have issues with mobility while rowing or surfing. The passage point for zipperless wetsuits can be found around the chest or neck region and is generally made sure about by a little zipper, versatile, or velcro.
Types and Lengths of Wetsuits
There are a few unique sorts of wetsuits that are most appropriate for various conditions. By categories, we mean the cut and sleeve style. These different types of wetsuits range from tops or bottom to full hooded suits.
- Full Wetsuits
- Shorties and Springsuits
- Long john/ Jane
- Wetsuit Bottoms
- Rash Guards
Full Wetsuits
A full wetsuit covers your whole body. These suits can be found in a wide range of thicknesses made for various water temperatures. Full suits spread the entire body, including arms and legs, up to wrists and ankles.
Shorty Wetsuits/ Springsuits/ Short Johns
Shorties, Springsuits, short johns, and wetsuit shorts all feature thinner material and short legs and arms and are used in warmer water temperatures.
Long john/Jane Wetsuits
Jane wetsuits are like a full suit made with more slender neoprene (generally 1.5 to 2mm) and absolutely no material at the arms, for hotter waters.
Wetsuit Tops
Wetsuit top with a thickness of 0.5-2 mm neoprene might be matched with board shorts or a swimsuit bottom, basically utilized for hotter water sports. Wetsuit vests can likewise be layered under a full suit for more glow in chilly water.
Wetsuit Bottoms
Neoprene jeans, tights, or shorts are used in hotter water temperatures.
Rash Guards
Lycra light-weighted tops or UV safe materials are used to ensure against sun and sand, some of the time-worn under a wetsuit to avoid irritation.
Far Infrared Technology
There are few wetsuits that use FAR infrared innovation to keep you warm. Suits are well known who use this technology, including mineral enhanced strands that catch your body warmth and convert it to FAR infrared beams to keep you warm. A Far infrared ray is a range of daylight with a frequency in between 4-1000 microns. NASA found out that a FAR infrared ray between 6-14 microns is equipped for entering the human body, raising internal heat levels while improving the course and animating cell development.
FAR infrared innovation benefits the human body in the accompanying manners:
Warmth enters profoundly into your core, and provides warmth, relieves joint torment and stiffness that accelerates metabolism, improves blood circulation, and stimulates cell development.
Final Thoughts
It’s a lot more challenging to find an appropriate wetsuit than assumed. But once you narrow down on a few things like where, when, and for how long you will swim, only then can you choose swim gears that may suit your purpose. Other factors also help determine a perfect wetsuit-like style, fit, thickness, temperature, closure, seam, etc. Your swim gear should be easy to get on and comfortable at the neck and ankles, especially if it has a zipper that might not lock appropriately.
Reinforced knees will help for paddle boarding and surfing and should stretch comfortably. It should dry fairly quickly and should have a decent thickness. If you are freediving in cold waters, you should be mindful that an appropriate Neoprene thickness will safeguard you against the cold water. A close-fitted, smoother neoprene wetsuit is all you need to reduce the drag in the water and pleasant experience in the water.