Lifestyle Outdoors

Why you need sailing wetsuits when out on the water

I wear a wetsuit when I sail. You should wear a wetsuit – for your own safety, even if it’s simply a pair of Neoprene Wetsuit Shorts. Whatever you choose, you’ll need something that is comfortable. One that does not compress to the point of suffocation. One that is brightly coloured, on the off-chance you need to pick it out of the water from debris that may have washed over you. The wetsuit will also require its own buoyancy to help support you in the waters.

Why I like sailing/watersport wetsuits

Being in a wetsuit is one of the easiest forms of cold protection. Just like you can take your top off and not need anything in your arms, you can take the bottom of your wetsuit off and not need anything in your shoulders.

You can do this with good quality wetsuits if you need to do so quickly, as it won’t take long to put it back on once you’ve freed yourself from debris, but again, just like pulling your top off, I would not want to do this while trying to keep control of a heavy boat.

You will require full mobility of your body when working on a boat. This doesn’t mean you can move to and fro as fast as you can move to and fro in a swimsuit. But it does mean you can move forwards and backwards. You can bend and twist as you would if you were on land. It will require a little extra effort to get back into the boat from the water. As this is all about safety and comfort.

I get my wetsuits for watersports as well – sailing, kitesurfing, or motorboating. It doesn’t matter that it takes longer to get into or that it may be a little uncomfortable at first. I know that I will not need to abandon my boat or worry about water injury. It’s safer for me in a wetsuit, so I will wear one.

How I choose my wetsuits

Do your homework and read what others have to say. Look at the reviews. Choose the one that is best. You will not want to wear a wetsuit that is way too tight. It will put pressure on your body and restrict movement.

If it’s cold out in the boat, you’ll likely need a little warmer wetsuit than you would a sailing wetsuit, as a sailing wetsuit is not quite as warm as a normal wetsuit. Of course, you don’t want your wetsuit too warm either. A wetsuit that is not properly insulated will probably be too hot in warm weather and may not be comfortable in cold weather.

If you plan to use a wetsuit for water sports, check how comfortable the wetsuit is with motorboating. You may need to wear a swimsuit instead of a wetsuit for the motorboating, but most wetsuits are suitable for motorboating. In most cases you will not need to wear one to motorboating, and should wear a swimsuit instead.

Safety

To wear a wetsuit in cold weather is one of the safest forms of cold protection, and there are many companies who offer wetsuits for water sport and sailing wetsuits as a speciality.