The Wetsuit Guide

Finding a wetsuit…

Unfortunately, we don't live in a country where we have 30 degrees in the air and 25 degrees in the water. Hardly even in the summer. Here, more or less everyone probably goes with some type of wetsuit. The question is what to choose. Today, there is a huge selection and you can get suits that are good for year-round surfing if it stays ice-free. Without a wetsuit, or with a bad one, you can quickly get chilled and get cramps, which in turn means you won't be able to sail for any longer sessions. Choose your suit carefully and feel free to add an extra hundred kroner when you buy it. You will probably have it for a while if you take care of it properly and then the money is nothing.

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How big should I buy?

The wetsuit acts like a second skin, so it should fit snugly without feeling constricting. It is not uncommon for the suit to be made a little larger in the sleeves, to prevent cramping.

What material?

Single neoprene: Neoprene on the outside with a nylon membrane on the inside. A single neoprene suit is the warmest option. Slightly more fragile to external stress where you can easily tear a piece of rubber. However, this is easily repaired with glue .

Double neoprene: Nylon membrane both outside and inside the neoprene makes for very durable suits. These can also be experienced as a little more flexible than the single version. Suits made of double neoprene are slightly colder than a suit made of single neoprene because the nylon membrane absorbs water and is cooled by the wind.

Wetsuit or drysuit?

The wetsuit works by taking in a small amount of water that your body heats up. A wetsuit is more flexible and cheaper than a drysuit. If you don't want to spend the money on a drysuit, a nicer wetsuit with taped and glued blind seams can be warm enough for winter use together with a reinforcement garment such as a hooded vest . The wetsuit usually has a vertical zipper in the back for increased flexibility, while the drysuit has one that runs along the shoulders.

The drysuit is there to keep you dry. A drysuit made for windsurfing is made of single neoprene with a thickness of 5-6 mm and usually has a horizontal zipper in the back. The zipper is made to keep the water out and all the seams in a drysuit are taped to prevent water leakage. Now it is not that a drysuit keeps you completely dry. After countless crashes and dips, it will also leak water through, among other things, the openings in the arms and collar. A drysuit is by far the warmest option and is perfect for Swedish winter conditions or in the fall if you are cold.

Seams

Blindstitched: You first glue the pieces of neoprene together and then sew carefully without going straight through with the needle. This makes the seam completely tight. This is also the most comfortable to wear because the seams are not felt at all. This option is the warmest and best.

Flatlock: Here you sew through two overlapping pieces and then tape the seam. This makes the suit quite comfortable, but it leaks water more easily. The seam only fits suits up to a thickness of 3mm and it is also usually made visible with the help of a colored thread so that you can easily see it. A slightly simpler technique that gives a fairly warm suit.

Overlock: Here you put two edges of the neoprene together and sew them together lightly with thread. You can see this by a small 'ridge' sticking out on the inside of the suit where it is sewn together. This is by far the cheapest and easiest option, but it can only be used on suits up to 3mm.

How do you care for the suit?

• Open the suit completely before putting it on. Zippers and any Velcro fasteners should be undone. Otherwise, you risk wearing it too much and putting too much strain on it when putting it on.
• It may go without saying, but be careful when putting them on and taking them off so you don't get your nails or anything sharp on them. It simply won't hold up.
• Keep it out of the sun and salt as much as possible. Rinse the suit when you get home, and let it dry in the shade or indoors to make it last as long as possible.
• Store the single-piece wetsuit inside out. This way you don't risk getting cuts in it unnecessarily.
• If it starts to stink too much and you want to wash it, do it by hand in lukewarm water. There is a special wetsuit shampoo if needed. Do not mix in a lot of your own detergent as this can ruin the neoprene in the suit.