A thin tape is glued over the inside of the seam to reinforce it and help to keep out any water that manages to get through the seam. Taped: Any suit apart from the most basic summer suit will usually have taped seams these days. This is pretty effective at keeping water out and the best suits were all constructed this way until recently. The outside half of the join is then glued to make a virtually water-tight seal. Glued and Blind-Stitched (GBS): The stitching is on the inside and only goes partly through the material. But you don’t want it when the water temperature is below about 12C. This isn’t really a big problem in a summer suit as all you really want is a bit of insulation to protect you from water a few degrees below body temperature. Anywhere with this type of stitching will tend to let a bit of water through. –Flat-Locked : The cheapest or thinnest summer suits, are often constructed with “flat-lock” stitching This is where the panels of the suit are joined with stitching that goes right through the neoprene – a bit like a piece of normal clothing. Seam Construction – This is one of the points where water is most likely to get in. So a warm weather wetsuit might be a 3/2, a mid-season suit 4/3 and a cold weather suit a 5/4, 5/3, or 6/4. The thicker material covers the main torso with the thinner stuff on the arms and legs, where flexibility is more important. Thickness – Wetsuits come in a range of neoprene thicknesses and typically a suit will be made up of two or three thicknesses of material. I won’t go into the “branding” names that each wetsuit manufacturer gives to its various features, although I’ll cover these in my reviews of the wetsuits I’m recommending.īut there are some basic things you need to know about: Well I personally think it comes down to 4 things:īut of course there are a lot of features that come together to make the best wetsuit for a given price-range, so let’s look at some of the terminology and what it means: Wetsuit Jargon So What Makes a Great Wetsuit for Kitesurfing? A few are now lined with quick-drying material, so the miserable experience of pulling a soggy, cold wetsuit back on is not as likely as it used to be. And, with the addition of a neoprene hoody, the issue of wind-chill on the beach is covered.Īnd to be honest, a decent winter wetsuit will let very little water in anyway. So my conclusion was that I’d rather have two good winter wetsuits than one drysuit. A decent one will cost you about twice the price of a decent winter wetsuit. If you do get water in through one of the seals, then it can be pretty miserable.ģ.

They’re baggy and make swimming difficult.Ģ. They tend to be warmer when you’re standing about on a windy beach.ġ. You can take it off between sessions and not have to worry about climbing back into a cold wetsuit when you go back out on the water.ģ. You can wear as many or few layers of thermal undergarments as you want or need, so should always be toasty, even in the coldest conditions.Ģ. There are two main benefits of a drysuit as I see it:ġ. And they’re pretty mixed, so I’ll just let you know my thoughts based on what they tell me and from the many reviews I’ve read. I’ve got buddies who use both and have asked them for their views. I have to admit, I’ve never used a drysuit for kitesurfing although I was issued with one years ago for a sailing event and wore that for a couple of days. Very much like having a second skin.Īlthough a good wetsuit, particularly a winter one, will keep almost all the water out, you do get a bit of water in through the neck and maybe the seams.īut the theory is that this water is trapped in the suit and warms up to create extra insulation from the cold. They have neoprene seals at neck, cuffs and ankles (unless they have built-in socks) to stop any water getting in.ĭrysuits tend to be loose fitting to allow for the use of undergarments.Ī wetsuit on the other hand is tight-fitting and keeps you warm by placing a layer of neoprene next to your skin to act as insulation against cold water and air. This is a question I’ve toyed with myself recently, as we head into the British winter.įirstly, to cover the differences, a drysuit is like a waterproof oversuit that you wear with some kind of undergarment such as thermal leggings and top. So let’s dive in with a guide to what to wear, and when. And you can now truly kite all year round safely and comfortably if you invest in the right wetsuit.Īnd thankfully you can now buy the best wetsuits for kitesurfing without breaking the bank. The great news is that wetsuit design has come a long way since I started out on my watersports addiction back in the 1980s. If, like me, you live in a place with a pretty cold climate, a decent wetsuit will make the difference between kitesurfing year round or being a “fair weather” kiter! But what makes a good wetsuit for kitesurfing?

Kite surfing wetsuit