Wakeboarding is one of the most fun and exhilarating things you can do, so why should you settle for only doing it in the summer? Wetsuits are a great way to keep warm in winter-time water, and extend wakeboard season into the colder months. There are a few different styles of wetsuits to choose from. You can base your wakeboard wetsuit type off the water temperature and/or your personal preferences. Here are the details:
The Full (Steamer) Wetsuit
This is probably what you envision when you think of a wetsuit. The steamer suit covers your whole body and will provide the most warmth out of any other kind of suit. This is the best suit to buy if you live in a cold area, or are just trying to wakeboard in the dead of winter. The downfall of this suit is that it is hard to get in and out of because it will fit so tight and long on your body. These suits often describe numbers such as 3/2 or 2.5mm. This refers to the thickness of the neoprene rubber, which is what the suit is made of. Sometimes one suit will be thicker in different areas. For example the chest area will be a thicker 2.5mm, in order to keep it optimally warm, whereas the elbow areas will be thinner, 3/2mm, to provide more flexibility and range of motion.
The Shorty Springsuit
This is the most versatile wetsuit, and my personal favorite. The Shorty Wetsuit,or Springsuit, gives you the comfort of short sleeves which will increase your flexibility and movement as compared to a steamer suit. It also is much easier to get in and out of. This suit can be worn all year round and is perfect for areas with a not-so-harsh winter.
Long Sleeve Spring Suit
Here is a niche suit that combines a little bit of the steamer and a little of the springer. The long sleeve spring suit is great for cutting wind chill without restricting the flexibility in your knees.
Heater Top
Heater Tops are helpful in keeping you warm in cold water, but by far the least effective out of all the wetsuit types. These will only cover your top half and may not insulate you fully. However, these are casual and quick fitting, meaning you can slip in and out of them with ease. So, if you are just going to hit a quick wakeboard session, but then are looking to pop back into your good-lookin’ boating outfit, consider the heater top.
Tips for Buying Wetsuits
Wetsuit sizes typically run very small because they are meant to fit tight. This is because a wetsuit actually keeps you warm by trapping a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit. Your body heat then warms that thin layer of water, and it insulates you from the cold lake or ocean water. Having said that, they don’t need to be EXTREMELY tight. I would recommend ordering 1 size bigger than you normally wear so you aren’t uncomfortable. Cheers!
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