Dive Skin Vs Wetsuit: Which One Is Best For You?

When you are planning to spend your vacation around water, it is important that you get the right clothing for it. This is important because the water is home to many different animals and they may cause bodily harm if you are not wearing the right protective gear. Being in the right clothing also enables you to move more freely in the water and have much fun. Dive skins and wetsuits are the most common and most popular diving suits that people wear when they are going to the water. They are both effective and suitable depending on the specific situation and purpose. In order to understand when each of them is appropriate, it is important to get to know what they are.   

What is a dive skin?

This is a piece of clothing that people wear for diving when the temperature is generally warm in the water. The dive skins are made from very thin layers of material like Spandex or Lycra to ensure comfort during the warm months. These materials provide little heat protection and do not keep the skin from getting wet, but they are able to protect divers from the attack of jellyfish. Dive skin suits can also protect your skin from being affected by sunburn.

What are wetsuits?

These are dive suits that are made using neoprene, which is basically synthetic material to protect the wearer and insulate them when in water. In most cases, wetsuits are worn in the cooler seasons because they have a thicker layer compared to the dive skins. However, since they are not designed to keep the water out, they are not warm for a very long time and they should be used when diving for short periods of time. If the water gets too cold, you can layer up with hoods and vests. Wetsuits have different thicknesses (1-7mm) for you to choose depending on the water temperature.

Differences between Wetsuit and Dive Skin 

These two can both be used for diving and surfing, but they have a few differences and they come in the design. Generally, the thermal insulation on wetsuits is greater than that in dive skins. This makes the wetsuits more suitable for colder seasons and weathers and the dive skins for warmer weathers and seasons.  Dive skins are made from thinner fabric, which does not restrict the movement of your diving activity. In contrast, the neoprene material of wetsuits is usually thicker and heavier. Thus, the comfort level of wetsuits is better than that of dive skins.

When should you wear a dive skin and when to wear a wetsuit?  

The choice of protective gear to wear mostly depends on the water temperature and purpose. In the warmer months, you may want to go for the dive skins and the wetsuits in the chillier months. The wetsuits are also more suitable when you are going to be swimming in the deep waters for a long time because they offer more insulation than dive skins. Wetsuits are also more suitable when there are dangerous animals in the water that may attack you when you go swimming or diving. Yet, for surfing, snorkeling or shallow diving in warmer waters, it is better for you to choose a dive skin since it provides better freedom for your diving movement.

Conclusion 

Dive suits are very important when you are going to dive especially in the sea or ocean where there are many risks. Dive skins and wetsuits are the most common swimwear that people go for. Ensure that you get the best quality to ensure durability. Also ensure that you get the right diving suits depending on the weather, the time you intend to spend in the water and the kind of risks that are in the water.