It is very important to choose the right size, so that the suit can fulfill its function once we are in the water. But this is an issue that is not the same for everyone. There are people who according to them, their size would be a looser model, either for comfort or for easier putting on and for others it is as tight as possible, but who is more correct? How do I know if I am really choosing the correct size and how to identify it?
We are going to explain it to you, because it is very important to get it right:
A wetsuit should always be very tight to the body, so tight that the first time you try it, you might feel that it is almost too small for you. But this is not the case, since we must bear in mind that wetsuit is a material that once wet is when it gains all its elasticity and adaptation to each body. So, once we have used it a couple of times, it will already fit our body well and will have yielded what is necessary.
It doesn't mean that if you wear a size S suit, weighing 80kg, it will adapt to your body and it will work fine. Quite the opposite, what will happen is that the material is going to crack or you will not be able to put it on directly.
The same will happen with an excessively big wetsuit for you. But this time what happens is that you will have several wrinkles in unfilled areas of the suit. Out of the water it is not so perceptible but once inside, all that space is going to fill with excess of water, which makes the objective of the suit useless, that is to keep you warm, apart from weighing much more due to the water you carry inside.
We also see moments when people ask us for sizes larger than theirs just for the reason that it is easier to put on and take off. And they are not without reason but, as we always say, if in the hypothetical case that someone offer you a Lamborghini you are not going to reject it because it is very short and uncomfortable to come in, but the enjoyment comes when you driving it!
Well, the same thing happens with this, although it costs a little more to put on a wetsuit, we must pay special attention to the fact that once put on and to go to the water, let's see that it is very well adjusted to us and that we are not going to create pockets of water nor is there suit left over. Also keep in mind that high-end wetsuits will be easier to put on and take off than first-price suits and because they have greater elasticity.
There are suits that have different patterns according to their brand. It may be that a size S of a Rip Curl fits you great, and O'neill goes a little bigger due to the change of brand and its size. That's why it is always highly recommended to look carefully at the size guide according to your weight and height. Likewise, if your size is M, but you don't feel comfortable in the Billabong brand size M, the Billabong brand cut may not fit your body well. Instead of trying a bigger size from Billabong, you should try a size M but from another brand.
We always recommend prioritizing weight more than height, since it does not matter so much that, for example, the suit is a little short or long at the wrist and ankle, as long as the suit is well filled with the body.
A trick that we give you to get it right is to always look at the weight limit to know what your size is.For example, if you weigh 70kg, and we see that in the size guide the size S is 61-70kg and the M is 66-75kg, your size will most likely be S, even though your weight is included in both sizes.
You have to be patient and place it on the body step by step. A wetsuit is a material that creates a vacuum and sticks to the skin, so if you have the suit almost up and you try to pull the back directly to raise it, it will be useless until you have everything raised correctly from the knees, legs and waist.
Once fully put on, the suit will have to be placed as best as possible on the body to make the final checks such as simulating a paddle, a squat and various movements to check that we are comfortable with the wetsuit on. Always keeping in mind that when you will really notice the quality, elasticity and comfort of the suit, it will be in the water.
Keep in mind that when you try on a wetsuit in the store or at home, you start to sweat. This sweat makes the wetsuit stick to your skin, and the more you sweat, the more difficult it's to put on the suit. It can give you the feeling that the suit is difficult to put on or too small, but many times it is due to sweat, because the wetsuit stays stuck to your skin. To avoid this, you can use a plastic bag that you put on your foot, as if it were a sock, and that makes it much easier for your foot to slide and fit well into the neoprene. Or better yet, you can use the Orca sock, which is specially designed for this.
We hope that this explanation has been useful to you to correctly choose the size of your wetsuit.
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