Why do most surfers wear black wetsuits?
The color black helps retain body heat better than lighter colors, which is helpful for surfers, SCUBA divers, and swimmers who need to stay in the water longer and need optimum temperature regulation. Scuba divers commonly wear black wetsuits for similar reasons as other water sports enthusiasts: black absorbs more heat, helping to maintain body temperature in cooler waters. Black also tends to be more durable and practical, as it hides stains and damage better than lighter colours.The color black helps retain body heat better than lighter colors, which is helpful for surfers, SCUBA divers, and swimmers who need to stay in the water longer and need optimum temperature regulation.Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin.
What color wetsuits attract sharks?
Bright colours such as yellow, often nicknamed “yum-yum yellow”, and white can make objects or individuals more conspicuous to a shark’s vision, particularly in dim or murky water. Actually, if you’re planning to dive with sharks, most operators demand that you wear a dark colored suit with no flashy colored accessories! Anecdotally the sharks are attracted to bright contrast things. The industry has a term for this- “Yum Yum Yellow”.At deeper depths, colours like blue and green are still visible, while warmer colours like red and yellow are no longer discernible. Since sharks may have difficulty seeing warmer colours like red or yellow, these colours would not attract them, unlike other marine animals that might be drawn to more vibrant colours.While sharks don’t see in colour, contrast can still play a role in how visible you are, especially in different lighting conditions. Some studies suggest that darker wetsuits can make you more visible against a bright surface when viewed from below, but this does not necessarily increase the risk of attack.SHARK STOP IS THE LEADER IN SHARK BITE RESISTANT WETSUITS Shark Stop wetsuit material has been successfully tested on great white sharks by Australia’s leading shark scientist, Professor Charlie Huveneers. Researchers at the Flinders University of South Australia even published a scientific journal on the findings.
What is the most flexible wetsuit for swimming?
The Athlex Flex V2 wetsuit, made with Yamamoto neoprene, offers a combination of high elasticity and medium buoyancy for swimmers who can naturally maintain the correct position in the water. Modern wetsuits aren’t just warm – they’re engineered for performance. Whether you’re racing in your first sprint triathlon or aiming for a PR in open water, the right wetsuit can help you swim faster, more efficiently, and with less fatigue.The key is finding the sweet spot between thickness, buoyancy and mobility. A thinner wetsuit will provide less warmth and buoyancy but more mobility, and a thicker wetsuit will keep you warmer and buoyant but can be more constrictive and uncomfortable for swimming.Wettie. A “wettie” is surf slang for a wetsuit. Wetsuits are made from neoprene, a flexible, insulating material that keeps surfers warm in colder water.Cons of Using Wetsuits While wetsuits offer great insulation, they are bulkier and restrict mobility more compared to spring suits. The thicker neoprene material limits flexibility, making paddling and maneuvering slightly more challenging.
Are more expensive wetsuits better?
One of the two biggest differences between an inexpensive wetsuit and one that costs more is the type and quality of neoprene used in its construction: Thinner, more flexible neoprene (that isn’t so delicate it’ll tear with daily use) is more expensive than thicker, inflexible rubber. Neoprene takes a beating from UV radiation, and will begin to break it down quickly. Coupled with heat, you can take a brand new wetsuit to completely destroyed in a matter of weeks.An additional benefit of neoprene is its inherent ability to block UV radiation. The dense structure of neoprene prevents the penetration of both UVA and UVB rays, effectively safeguarding the skin covered by the wetsuit.Sadly, even at the end of its life, a neoprene product continues to have a damaging effect on the environment. Because of the artificial polymers in neoprene, the material is non-biodegradable and non-compostable. It ends up in landfills where it takes hundreds of years to decompose, adding to the problem of pollution.
How do I choose a wetsuit?
There are four key attributes to consider when selecting the right wetsuit: Warmth, Flexibility, Durability, and Fit. Balancing these four attributes makes the perfect wetsuit. When choosing your wetsuit size, prioritise weight over height. Brands like Zone3 design their suits to fit within two size brackets: comfort fit and performance fit. Comfort fit: Ideal for those new to swim wetsuits. It offers a slightly looser fit, making the suit easier to put on and take off.If you land between two sizes, or you’re at the top of the size range and are unsure which would be best suited to you then we would always advise sizing up, wetsuits are already designed for a tighter fit without restricting your range of movement therefore its best to accommodate for this by sizing up.A wetsuit should fit like a second skin. It should feel tight but not restrictive, with no gaps in the nooks and crannies of your body such as under your arms, the lower back and behind the knees.A safe open water wetsuit should be a 3:3 thickness for women and a 3:5 thickness for men. This means 3mm of neoprene around the chest and legs for women, and 3mm of neoprene around the chest for men and 5mm of neoprene around the legs for men.