Editing Wetsuit (section)

==Types==
[[File:Wetsuit tunic with hood and pockets P7100008.JPG|thumb|alt=Sleeveless tunic in thin but abrasion resistant neoprene, with integral hood, two cargo pochets on the sides of the thighs, cross-chest zip closure, front pocket on the torso and opening for access to a dry-suit inflation valve. The tunic is suitable for wearing over most one-piece wetsuits for extra insulation, but mainly to support the cargo pockets and hood.   |Hooded tunic with cargo pockets]]

===Configurations===
Various configurations of wetsuit are available, with varied amounts of body coverage. Most can be worn alone or in combinations to suit the conditions:
* A sleeveless '''vest''', covering only the torso, provides minimal coverage. Some include an attached hood. These are not usually intended to be worn alone, but as an extra layer over or under a longer wetsuit.
* A hooded tunic, covering the torso and head, with short legs and either short or no sleeves, is generally intended to be worn over a full suit, and has a zip closure. It may be fitted with pockets for transporting accessories.
* A '''jacket''' covers the torso and arms, with little to no coverage for the legs. Some jackets have short legs like a shorty, others feature leg holes similar to a woman's [[swimsuit]]. A third style, the '''beavertail''' or [[bodysuit]], has a flap which passes through the crotch and attaches at the front with clips, toggles or velcro [[fastener]]s.  It is worn with (over) or without a long john or trousers. A jacket may include an integral hood, and may have a full or partial front zipper.
* A '''spring suit'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-03 |title=Jack O'Neill, who invented the wetsuit and opened first surf shop, dies at 94 |url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2017/06/02/jack-oneill-who-invented-the-wetsuit-and-opened-first-surf-shop-dies-at-94/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Press Telegram |language=en-US}}</ref><!--for spring suit--> covers the torso and has short or long sleeves and short legs.
* '''[[Trousers]]''' cover the lower torso and legs.
* A '''short john''', '''shorty''' covers the torso and legs to the knee only; does not have sleeves and is a short legged version of the long john.
* A '''long john''', '''johnny''', '''johnny suit''', or '''farmer john/jane''' (depending on the gender the suit is designed for) covers the torso and legs only; it resembles a [[bib overall]], hence the nickname.
* A '''full suit''' or '''steamer'''<ref name="steamer" /> covers the torso and the full length of the arms and legs. Some versions come with sleeves the length of a standard t-shirt and known as a short-sleeved steamer.

Some suits are arranged in two parts; the jacket and long johns can be worn separately in mild conditions or worn together to provide two layers of insulation around the torso in cold conditions. Typically, two-piece cold water wetsuits have 10 to 14&nbsp;mm combined thickness of neoprene over the torso and 5 to 7&nbsp;mm single thickness over the limbs.

===Thickness===
Wetsuits are available in different thicknesses depending on the conditions for which they are intended.<ref name=Williams2003/> The neoprene foam is available in thicknesses up to 10&nbsp;mm,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blacklipwetsuits.com.au/product/10mm-commercial-wobbegong-wetsuit/ |title=10mm Commercial Wobbegong Wetsuit |website=blacklipwetsuits.com.au |access-date=14 October 2024 }}</ref> though 7&nbsp;mm and less are most common. The thicker the suit, the warmer it will keep the wearer, but the more it will restrict movement. Because wetsuits offer significant protection from [[jellyfish]], [[coral]], sunburn and other hazards, many divers opt to wear a thin suit which provides minimal insulation (sometimes called a "bodysuit" or [[dive skins]]) even when the water is warm enough to comfortably forego insulating garments.<ref name=Williams2003/> A thick suit will restrict mobility, and as the thickness is increased the suit may become impractical, depending on the application. This is one reason why [[dry suit]]s may be preferable for some applications. A wetsuit is normally specified in terms of its [[wikt:thickness|thickness]] and style. For instance, a wetsuit with a [[torso]] thickness of 5&nbsp;mm and a [[limb (anatomy)|limb]] thickness of 3&nbsp;mm will be described as a "5/3". With new technologies the neoprene is getting more flexible. Modern 4/3 wetsuits, for instance, may feel as flexible as a 3/2 of only a few years ago. Some suits have extra layers added for key areas such as the lower back. Improved flexibility may come at the cost of greater compressibility, which reduces insulation at depth, but this is only important for diving.

===Surface finish===
Foam neoprene used for wetsuits is always closed cell, in that the gas bubbles are mostly not connected to each other inside the neoprene. This is necessary to prevent water absorption, and the gas bubbles do most of the insulation. Thick sheets of neoprene are foamed inside a mould, and the surfaces in contact with the mould take on the inverse texture of the mould surfaces. In the early days of wetsuits this was often a diamond pattern or similar, but can also be slick and smooth for low drag and quick drying. The cut surfaces of the foam have a slightly porous mat finish as the cutting process passes through a large number of bubbles, leaving what is called an open cell surface finish, but the bulk of the foam remains closed cell. The open cell finish is the most stretchy and the least tear resistant. It is relatively form fitting and comfortable on the skin, but the porosity encourages bacterial growth if not well washed after use, and the foam surface does not slide freely against skin unless lubricated.{{cn|date=October 2021}}

====Wetsuit lining====
The cut surfaces are usually bonded to a synthetic knit fabric, which provides much greater tear resistance, at the expense of some loss of flexibility and stretch. This fabric can be bonded to one or both surfaces in various combinations of composition, weave, weight and colour, and can be thin and relatively smooth and fragile, thicker and stronger and less stretchy,for high wear areas, or a plush type liner to reduce water flow. Merino wool liner fabrics have also been used. Fabric lined on one side only is more flexible than double lined.<ref name="O'Three" /> After slicing the foam slab down to the required thickness, a layer of glue is applied and the chosen lining is pressed down by the lamination rollers. A more flexible lining is chosen for most applications.<ref name="Lining" >{{cite web |url=https://srface.com/pages/wetsuit-fabric?srsltid=AfmBOoqDFzIiDZEN_GBKciSDizZbxMMJI31VU7aFpL40HqxKiMNxJF2W |title=Wetsuit lining |access-date=14 October 2024 |website=srface.com }}</ref> Neoprene foam is also available with [[kevlar]] reinforced fabric facing for high cut and abrasion resistance. This is used for reinforcing high wear areas like knee pads.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

A wetsuit with a very smooth and somewhat delicate outer surface known as ''smoothskin'', which is the original outer surface of the foamed neoprene block from which the sheets are cut, is used for long-distance swimming, triathlon, competitive apnoea, and bluewater spearfishing. These are designed to maximize the mobility of the limbs while providing both warmth and buoyancy, but the surface is delicate and easily damaged. The slick surface also dries quickly and is least affected by wind chill when out of the water.<ref name="Lining" />

Both smoothskin and fabric lined surfaces can be printed to produce colour patterns such as camouflage designs, which may give spearfishermen and combat divers an advantage.{{cn|date=October 2021}}

===Closures===
[[File:Video of man putting on a diving wetsuit (neoprene shorty).webm|thumb|upright=0.6|Video of a man putting on a 3 mm shorty. During closing the back zipper and the velcro securing it, he has some difficulties typical for this configuration, and where a second person can be of great help.]]
Zippers are often used for closure or for providing a close fit at the wrists and ankles while remaining relatively easy to put on and remove, but they also provide leakage points for water A backing flap reduces leakage but can get caught in the zipper while closing. 
Jackets may have a full or partial front zipper, or none at all. Full body suits may have a vertical back zipper, a cross-shoulder zipper, a vertical front zipper or occasionally a cross-chest zipper. Each of these arrangements has some advantages and some disadvantages: 
*The vertical front zipper is easy to operate, but the suit may be difficult to remove from the shoulders without assistance, and the zip is uncomfortable for lying on a surfboard. It is relatively inflexible and placed over a part of the body where a lot of flexibility is desirable. The top of the closure will leak to some extent. The top end of the zip may be easily opened for comfort when the wearer is warm, but the zip may also press into the throat, which can be uncomfortable.
*Cross shoulder zipper can be made relatively watertight as it has no free ends, and is therefore used in semi-dry wetsuits. It is difficult to operate for the wearer and relatively highly stressed at the shoulders due to arm movement. The zip is also relatively vulnerable to damage from diving harnesses.
*Cross chest zipper has similar advantages to cross shoulder, but is easy for the wearer to reach and operate. The zipper is subjected to sharper bends at the shoulders than other arrangements.
*Vertical back zippers are possibly the most common arrangement as they can be operated with a lanyard. They are relatively comfortable for most applications, the suit is easy to remove, and they place the zipper directly over the spine, which though flexible in bending, does not change much in length. The top of the closure will leak to some extent.

===Sizing and fit===
Wetsuits that fit too tightly can cause difficulty breathing or even [[Heart failure|acute cardiac failure]],<ref name=Williams2003/> and a loose fit allows considerable flushing which reduces effectiveness of insulation, so a proper fit is important. The quality of fit is most important for diving as this is where the thickest suits are used and the heat loss is potentially greatest. A diving wetsuit should touch the skin over as much of the body that it covers as comfortably possible, both when the wearer is relaxed and when exercising. This is difficult to achieve and the details of style and cut can affect the quality of fit. Gaps where the suit does not touch the skin will vary in volume as the diver moves and this is a major cause of flushing.

Wetsuits are made in several standard adult sizes and for children. Custom fitted suits are produced by many manufacturers to provide a better fit for people for whom a well fitting off-the shelf suit is not available.

=== Semi-dry suits ===
[[File:MutaSemistagnaCernieraFodera.jpg|thumb|alt=Detail of the zipper of a semi-dry wetsuit, showing one end of an open zipper and the neoprene flaps that cover it on the inside and outside of the suit to protect the zipper, improve comfort, and reduce leakage through the closed zip.|Detail showing zipper attachment, internal flap and cover flap of semi-dry suit. This is not a watertight zipper.]]<!--illustrates a detail described in the text quite well-->
Semi-dry suits are effectively a wetsuit with improved seals at wrist, neck and ankles and also usually featuring a watertight zipper. Together, these features greatly reduce the amount of water moving through the suit as the wearer moves in the water. The wearer gets wet in a semi-dry suit but the water that enters is soon warmed up and is not "flushed" out by colder water entering from the outside environment, so the wearer remains warm longer. The trapped layer of water does not add significantly to the suit's insulating ability. Any residual water circulation past the seals still causes heat loss, but this loss is minimised due to the more effective seals. Though more expensive and more difficult to take on and off than a wetsuit (in most cases, a helper will be needed to close the dry-zip, which is usually located across the shoulders), semi-dry suits are cheaper and simpler than dry suits, and in the case of scuba diving, require no additional skills to use. They are usually made from thick neoprene (typically 6 mm or more), which provides good thermal protection at shallow depth, but lose buoyancy and thermal protection as the gas bubbles in the Neoprene compress at depth, like a normal wetsuit. Early suits marketed as "Semi-dry" suits came come in various configurations including a one-piece full-body suit or two pieces, made of 'long johns' and a separate 'jacket'. Almost all modern semi-dry suits are one piece suits,{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}<!--for two-piece semi-dry suits--> with the zipper usually being across the shoulders on the back, but other arrangements have been used. Semi-dry suits do not usually incorporate boots, and most models do not include a hood, (as creating a good seal around the face is difficult) so a separate pair of wetsuit boots, hood and gloves are worn, as needed. They are most suitable for use where the water temperature is between {{convert|10|and|20|C|F}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}<!--for temperature range-->

===Heated suits===
{{see also|Diving suit#Hot water suits}}
Electrically heated wetsuits are also available on the market. These suits have special heating panels integrated in the back of the wetsuit. The power for heating comes from batteries also integrated into the wetsuit.<ref name="Leckart2010" /> More versatile is the heated neoprene vest that works in the same way as the heated wetsuit but can be worn under any type of wetsuit.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

Wetsuits heated by a flow of hot water piped from the surface are standard equipment for commercial diving in cold water, particularly where the heat loss from the diver is increased by use of helium based breathing gases. Hot water suits are a loose fit as there is a constant supply of heated water piped into the suit which must escape to allow even flow distribution. Flushing with cold water is prevented by the constant outflow of heating water.<ref name="P D Handbook" />