Wetsuits - and how they work Wetsuits are designed to keep the body warm even when in cold water, for different water sports there are different thicknesses and for general summer use whether sailing, waterskiing or kitesurfing the thinner wetsuits of between 2- 4 mm are ideal as they allow you to move freely, and yet keep you warm, and for winter use 5/3mm is commonly used
The way a wetsuit works is by allowing a very thin layer of water to get between the inner side of the suit and the body and for that water to warm up and hence keep the body warm, to allow this to happen though the suit must fit like a second skin, and not have excess fabric anywhere ideally. To keep this layer of water warm the outside of the wetsuit should be covered if exposed to the wind, with a spray jackets and trousers, this is the ideal combination for warmth.