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Scuba Wetsuit

A scuba wetsuit traps a layer of water against the skin of the diver which heats that water up with their body heat and keeps the diver warm. This is achieved with closed cell neoprene material that has tiny nitrogen bubbles imbedded into the cells of the neoprene. Water transfers heat much more readily than air so a diver can quickly become hypothermic even in warm waters on a warm day.

The scuba wetsuit is one of the most important pieces of comfort involved in diving. There are very few waters that are warm enough for even short dives without a wetsuit. The thickness and density of the wetsuit play crucial roles in how well the wetsuit will perform. A thick suit will stay warm, but it has to be dense for deep waters. Water pressure will make a thick suit very thin as depth increases.

To prevent water leakage around the seams, common in early wetsuits, a new method of sewing was developed called blind stitching which uses a curved needle which never completely punctures the neoprene keeping the suit sealed. This method also allows the material to be stitched right beside the material instead of overlapping which also improves comfort especially when wearing the tank-regulator set up.

 

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