How To Choose Your Correct Wetsuit Size?

Thank you, Lord! Because wetsuit sizes have nothing to do with fashion.

Some people refuse to accept reality. They don’t change sizes or get angry about having to do it.

The best is that it doesn’t care if you are overweight or skinny. For goodness’ sake! There are no scuba diving weight limits, and we won’t put them on ourselves.

In addition, all divers we suffer the same curse:  putting on and taking off the wetsuit. It is so tedious to struggle to get your wetsuit-legs up, the sleeves, get everything into it… Oh My God! Without forgetting the following dance, that unglamorous ritual we do to stretch the wetsuit, and get that killer wrinkle to stop bothering us.

Being superficial is a distraction that we divers can’t afford. Choosing the correct wetsuit size is not about being fit or looking good. They are one of many aspects we have to consider to enjoy this sport and do it safely.

When a wetsuit is too tight for you, you will be uncomfortable during the dive. If it is too big, it will not serve as a thermal barrier and your body will cool down faster.

The quality, thickness, and other features don’t do you any good if your wetsuit doesn’t fit properly.

What we do is choose our correct wetsuit sizes wisely.

That is why at Dressel Divers, after years of experience renting out wetsuits and helping our customers to choose the correct wetsuit size, we have prepared this guide for you.

1. Sizing the Correct Wetsuit Size Properly: How Should a Wetsuit Fit?

As we said in the article Scuba Wetsuit Thickness Guide: How to Choose the Perfect One For Your Dives, the basic purpose of the wetsuit is to protect the diver from the elements and heat loss in the water. Besides, it must allow us to move smoothly.

By the way, the thickness does not affect the wetsuit sizing. You will use the same wetsuit size whether you choose a 1”/8” 3mm wetsuit for diving in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea or a 1”/4” 7mm wetsuit for doing it in the Mediterranean Sea in winter.

1.1. Is It Better to Have a Tight or Loose Wetsuit?

We can say that the wetsuit size is yours when it is attached to your body and fit just enough to fluff up when wetted and fulfill its purpose.

A wetsuit works just by trapping a slim water layer between the neoprene and your skin. This way, your body can heat the water and keep you warm.

However, if a wetsuit sizing is more than you need will allow water to come inside by the neck, wrist, or ankles and never will be heated enough. You will be shivering in the blink of an eye.

     1.2. Correct Wetsuit Size Guide

1. You have to be able to breathe. It is obvious, but if the suit does not allow you to breathe normally, that is not your correct wetsuit size.
2. Once you wear your wetsuit, bend your knees, if the wetsuit is too tight and does not let you move freely, ask for a larger wetsuit sizing.
3. Pinching the neoprene to separate it from your body. If this task is too easy or creates a large air pocket, ask for a wetsuit size. Remember, wetsuits always fit tighter when they are dry than in the water.
4. Pay attention that there are no wrinkles except in the armpits, knees, and groin. They will allow the mobility of the joints.
5. Control how much air you feel in your lower back, if there is too much space there, a lot of water will enter, and that is not what we want. This wetsuit sizing is not yours.
6. Pay attention to the fit in the genitals, especially if you are a man. The wetsuit should not fit too tight or too wide. The key is compact.
7. Make sure your wetsuit fits snugly at your ankles and wrists, although, if not the case, you can always use Velcro-type adjustment straps.
8. The suit shoulD be the right length. Even if your wetsuit size is yours, it will not be very comfortable if it is too short or too long. If that’s the case, maybe you should think about a two-piece wetsuit.
9. Don’t forget the hood. If it is too tight, it can cause problems to compensate, neck
10. tension, and headaches.

2. Wetsuit Sizing: How Do You Size Yourself for a Wetsuit?

O’Neill wetsuit size chart, Xcel wetsuit size chart, Roxy wetsuit size chart, Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Henderson. All with their own wetsuit sizing chart and none has a perfect match with another.

Most manufacturers follow a universal size chart from XS to 3XL with a variety of sizes in between.

As a first guideline for choosing the correct wetsuit size, we will take the size of our clothing.

Knowing your measurements can also be helpful.

It is usually enough to know your weight and height to get your correct wetsuit size. Doing these measurements is simple and I’m sure you’ve done it many times.

That said, if you are looking for perfection in your wetsuit sizing, here are some other measurements that will help you achieve it. Remember, measure yourself naked.

• Neck. Surround your neck with the tape measure just above the shoulders.
• Place one tape measure end at the most voluminous and broadest part of your chest and roll it across your back until returning to the starting point.
• It is supposed to be the narrowest body part between the ribs and the hips. However, this is not always the case. Take the navel as a reference and measure around it.
• Take a tape measure and surround your hips at the broadest point and around the buttocks.

3. Dressel Divers Wetsuit Size Chart

If you come to dive in the Caribbean and choose one of the Dressel Divers’ centers, you can rent your wetsuit. Don’t worry if you don’t know your measurements. You can try it on until you find the perfect wetsuit sizing match.

At Dressel Divers, we are very demanding with the wetsuit quality available to our customers. They are made exclusively for us. The shelf wetsuits may tempt other dive operators, but that petroleum-based fabric presents a low performance, and at Dressel Divers, we work for the satisfaction of our customers.

These are our tips to get your right wetsuit size, but if you are still hesitant to rent yours, ask us! We are here to help you.

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