How Should a Wetsuit Fit? – Video Fitting Guide
Not sure whether your wetsuit fits correctly? In this video guide, Jeff and Dino from Wetsuit Centre demonstrate how a wetsuit should fit, including what to look for around the neck, shoulders, chest, lower back, wrists and ankles. Learn how to recognise a wetsuit that's too tight, too loose or the wrong length.
Video Transcript
Introduction
Hi there, Jeff here from Wetsuit Centre.
Today we're going to give you a wetsuit fitting guide. We'll be putting on a wetsuit and showing you what a good fit looks like.
We're going to work from top to bottom, covering every part of the suit that's important to get right. We'll show you what a good fit should look like and what a bad fit looks like.
Hopefully, this will help you when trying on a wetsuit, so you can be confident that you've chosen the correct size.
Fit is the most important thing when it comes to buying a wetsuit. You could have the best wetsuit in the world, but if it doesn't fit properly, it won't perform as intended.
How Tight Should a Wetsuit Be?
First, there are a few key things worth mentioning.
A wetsuit should essentially fit like a second skin. It should be snug against your body without being restrictive or uncomfortable.
A lot of people say they're between sizes. Where both sizes are comfortable and allow unrestricted movement, we'd generally suggest going for the slightly snugger fit, because wetsuits can stretch a little over time.
We're told that some wetsuits can stretch by around 5–10%, so you may find that the suit becomes a little more comfortable as you wear it.
However, if a wetsuit is already too big, it's not going to shrink to fit you.
The important thing to remember is that you're looking for a second-skin fit, but without restricting movement or making you uncomfortable.
Now we'll put on a wetsuit and go through the key fitting points from top to bottom.
Finding the Correct Wetsuit Size
We've put the wetsuit on now.
For reference, I'm a Medium Tall. I'm about 6 feet 1 inch tall, although I'm probably shrinking as I get older, and I weigh around 80 kilos.
A Medium Tall fits me perfectly. This is an O'Neill Hyperfreak, but I'm a Medium Tall in most wetsuits.
We're going to work through the wetsuit from top to bottom and show you the important things to look for.
Getting the Right Fit Around the Neck
Starting with the neck, this is probably one of the most important areas to get right, especially for surfers who are duck diving and relying on a good seal to prevent water flushing into the suit.
This is a surfing or multipurpose wetsuit, so we're looking for a slightly different fit from a triathlon or swimming wetsuit.
Triathlon and swimming wetsuits generally fit around the base of the neck. This helps prevent the wetsuit from rubbing against your neck as you swim and causing a rash.
With a surfing or multipurpose wetsuit like this one, you're looking for the collar to sit just below the midpoint of your neck.
This should create a good seal all the way around. It needs to be snug without feeling restrictive.
One thing you definitely don't want is a gap at the back of the neck.
A useful way to test this is to lean forward, mimicking the position you'd be in when duck diving while surfing.
When you lean forward, check that you can't easily slide a finger down the back of the collar. You want a nice, snug seal so water doesn't rush into the suit.
It's a simple test to try whenever you're fitting a wetsuit.
The collar should finish around the midpoint, or just below the midpoint, of your neck.
If the collar sits too low, the wetsuit may be too small or too short in the body. It can pull away from your neck and create gaps where water can enter.
If the collar sits too high, close to the base of your head, the movement involved in swimming and surfing can cause it to rub against your neck, leading to uncomfortable chafing.
So this is the ideal position.
Remember that simple test: lean forward and check the seal at the back of your neck.
Checking the Shoulders, Chest and Upper Back
Next, we're looking at the fit around the shoulders, chest, underarms and upper back.
As you can see, there are no gaps underneath the arms, and there's no folding or bunching of the material.
If a wetsuit is too tight around the chest, shoulders or lat muscles, you may find the material bunching underneath the arms.
If the fit across the shoulders isn't right, you may also notice that the seams are being pulled out of their intended positions.
You want the seams to sit naturally, without being stretched or displaced.
If we get Jeff to turn around, you can see the fit across the upper back and lat muscles.
Another important point is that if the suit is too small or too short, the neoprene can become excessively stretched, creating a noticeable shine across the material.
This wetsuit fits perfectly across the neck, chest, shoulders and back, with the material sitting smoothly against the body.
Checking the Torso and Lower Back
Next, we're looking at the torso and lumbar region of the wetsuit.
You want a nice, close fit around the torso.
As you can see, the material follows the natural curvature of the spine and fits snugly into the lower back, around the kidney area.
If Jeff turns around, you can see how the neoprene follows the shape of his body without pulling away.
That's exactly what we're looking for.
If there are gaps around the lower back or torso, water can collect in those areas and reduce the wetsuit's ability to keep you warm.
If you notice significant gaps, you may need to try a different size or perhaps a different style of wetsuit.
Checking the Sleeves, Wrists and Ankles
Next, we're going to look at the overall length of the wetsuit, particularly around the wrists and ankles.
Getting the length right is important because the cuffs need to fit correctly.
Starting with the wrists, you can see that the wetsuit comes down the arms smoothly, without excessive folds or creases.
The cuffs finish at the wrist, where the hand meets the forearm.
This is particularly important with winter wetsuits because you'll often be wearing gloves underneath the cuffs.
If the cuffs don't fit properly against your gloves, water can enter through the joins.
You want the cuffs to sit neatly around your wrists and fit well with your gloves.
The same principle applies around the ankles.
Excuse the socks; it's cold today!
As you can see, the wetsuit legs come right down to the ankles, which means they'll fit well with your wetsuit boots.
Looking at the backs of the legs, there isn't any excessive creasing behind the knees.
That's important because a build-up of material behind the knees can indicate that the wetsuit is too long.
You should also check for excessive bunching around the forearms.
These are useful indicators that you've chosen the correct length.
Another important point is what happens when a wetsuit is too short.
As Dino mentioned earlier, if the wetsuit is too short in the body, the material can pull tightly across the lower back instead of following the natural curve of your spine.
This means the neoprene won't sit close against your lower back and kidney area.
Cold water can then collect in the gap, making the wetsuit less effective at keeping you warm.
Final Wetsuit Fitting Advice
That's essentially everything you should be looking for when checking whether a wetsuit fits properly.
We could go into much more detail, but these are the key points.
You'll also get a good idea of whether the fit is right simply by wearing the suit and moving around.
If it's too tight, you may find it difficult to breathe comfortably or move your shoulders freely. You'll feel restricted.
If it's too big, you'll notice gaps between the neoprene and your body.
But if you work through the fitting checks we've demonstrated, you'll have a much better idea of whether you've chosen the right wetsuit size.
