Why a wetsuit?
A wetsuit keeps sports in the water fun by keeping your body warm. The cold weather, water or strong winds are thus easier to face, just to enjoy the sport. A wetsuit thus prevents hypothermia, this is especially important when you stay in the water for long periods of time.
Important for a good wetsuit men model is that it fits the body well, but at the same time is flexible and gives freedom of movement. The wetsuit men is designed specifically for the body of men are.
This is because the men's wetsuit has a different fit: in men there is more room for broad shoulders, while in women there is extra room around the chest. We therefore recommend choosing a wetsuit that fits your gender, as the suit will probably fit you better.
What kind of wetsuit is suitable for men?
The classic wetsuit covers all of your body and thus has long sleeves and pant legs. This is also called a full body suit. Did you know that besides the full body suit, there are many other types of wetsuits for men?
Different types differ in which temperature they are best worn: some suits retain more heat than others.
Freedom of movement also varies by model, keep this in mind. We list the most common types for you, in order from warmest water temperature to coldest water temperature:
Shorty
The shorty is the men's wetsuit to use in the warmest temperatures. The model has short legs and short (or sometimes no) sleeves. This type of men's wetsuit is suitable when you enter the water in summer or in warm temperatures.
Tropical warm water with temperatures around or above 22ºC can be perfectly defied with the shorty, for example by surfing or snorkeling on vacation.
Short arm model
In temperatures above 18ºC, you can opt for a short arm model. Here your entire legs are covered, but you have short sleeves or sometimes no sleeves. This gives you very much freedom of movement at the arms and can therefore be very suitable for windsurfing, for example.
Overknee model
For the average temperatures of 18ºC, you can also opt for an overknee model, where your legs are only covered up to just over your knee. This suit does have long sleeves that completely cover your arms. This suit gives more freedom of movement to your legs and can therefore be ideal for wakeboarding or supping.
Full body suit
When the temperature drops a little further(around 14ºC), a full body suit is usually very suitable. The heat is retained well within your suit and you have reasonable freedom of movement.
By the way, you can also use the full body suit in slightly colder or slightly warmer temperatures, making it the type of men's wetsuit that you can wear just fine in most temperatures.
Steamer
The steamer is similar in design to a full body suit, as your arms and legs are completely covered. The difference is that the seams of the wetsuit are taped or glued shut, so less water gets into your wetsuit.
This is nice since a continuous stream of cold water passes through your suit, which can cool your body down a lot. Also, steamers are lined with thermo material on the inside. So the steamer is warmer than a full body suit, and therefore suitable for colder temperatures (above 8ºC).
Dry suit
The warmest option is a drysuit. This drysuit lets virtually no water in, so your body heat is maintained. You can use this suit at water temperatures above 2ºC. This means that even in winter you can exercise in the water (depending on weather conditions) without hypothermia. It's ideal!
Thickness of your wetsuit in men's model
So the type of wetsuit affects how warm you stay when wearing the suit. Yet another component has the most influence on how warm you stay: the thickness of the suit. Wetsuits are made of neoprene, a type of rubbery fabric that is ideal for use in the water.
The thickness of your suit is always indicated in millimeters, usually in the following way: 3/2. This number means that the neoprene around your back and abdomen is 3 millimeters thick, while the material around your arms and legs is 2 millimeters.
So the neoprene tends to be a little thinner around your arms and legs so that you can move them more flexibly. So choose a thickness for your men's wetsuit that suits when you are going to use the suit.
In our wetsuit men offer you will find wetsuits of different models, with different thicknesses of neoprene. It is smart to always check if the proposed model per temperature above also has the right thickness, as this may still differ.
Flexibility and freedom of movement
The flexibility of your wetsuit is very important, especially if you enjoy extreme or very physical water sports, such as surfing, kayaking, wakeboarding or paddleboarding.
Most men's wetsuits have thinner material around the legs and arms to improve flexibility already. Thicker suits can also be a bit stiffer. Of course, the style also plays into flexibility, with suits that cover your entire body often giving a little less freedom of movement than, say, a shorty.
Yet steamers and drysuits can also have very good flexibility. This is because the suits are suitable for winter temperatures and are therefore made of the best materials. This means that it is also made of the best neoprene, which is very flexible. So you don't have to sacrifice freedom of movement for a warmer body temperature!
Buy your men's wetsuit at Watersports4fun
Check out our wide wetsuit men selection for a model that suits you. Still in doubt, or do you have questions about quality or fit? Our customer service team is here for you. Contact us for clear advice or answers to your questions.
You can return your ordered men's model wetsuit within 30 days, should you still be unsure about your purchase. Even in that case, our excellent customer service team will be happy to assist you.
At the same time, all orders within the Netherlands are shipped for free when over €100. This is how we want to make your experience at Watersports4fun as smooth as possible. Have fun on the water!
