How thick of a wetsuit should be used in cold water surfing?

Choosing the right wetsuit thickness for cold water surfing is a trade off between warmth an flexibility. If that was not the case then a simple solution would be – just get something really thick and stay warm. But unfortunately a really thick and warm wetsuit would also be very clumsy and would make you move like a penguin. Thicker neoprene means better insulation but it also means that you will have to put more effort into paddling an moving and that it will drain your strength and energy faster.

Lucky for us, todays wetsuits are a lot more flexible than they used to be. Todays 4/3 wetsuit can feel like a 3/2 used to. And then there is extra warmth. New wetsuits are better, more flexible and warmer than they used to be, so these days is not so bad if you are cold water surfer or if you live somewhere where waves only arrive in the cold part of the year.

But still, just how thick of a wetsuit do you need?

Wetsuit thickness

First let us (in short) explain what do the wetsuit thickness numbers actually mean. The thickness of the wetsuit in given in millimeters of neoprene that the wetsuit is made of. Usually you will see numbers like 3/2, 4/3, 5/3, 5/4/3, 6/5/4 etc… This means that your wetsuit is made out of neoprene that is in some parts 3 millimeters and in other parts 2 millimeters thick (or 4mm and 3mm or 5mm and 4mm and 3mm). Why are there two different wetsuit thicknesses? Because parts of your wetsuit (where not so much flexibility is needed – like your body and legs) can be thicker than parts of your body where you need all the flexibility you can get (like your arms, shoulders, behind your knees, your crotch etc…). So for the first areas wetsuit manufacturers use neoprene that is 3mm thick and for others neoprene that is thinner and therefore more flexible. All this is given on a 3/2 wetsuit example but it goes just the same for thicker wetsuits.

How cold is the water?

It’s not just the water temperature that counts. There are more factors to how cold will you feel and how thick of a wetsuit do you need: water temperature, air temperature, wind, cold sensitivity and activity. For a more in depth explanation how each of them influence the feeling of cold, check out our wetsuit temperature guide.

Cold water wetsuits or winter wetsuits

Not every wetsuit is suitable for cold water surfing. Better winter wetsuits have features that will allow you to get a thinner wetsuit. So cheaper and low quality wetsuit will have to be thicker. What is the difference between a winter – cold water wetsuit and and ordinary wetsuit? Double blindstitched seams, glued seams, liquid taped and sealed seams, shorter zipper, bat flap, thermo insulation inside, integrated hood… These are the main features to look for in a winter wetsuit. You can leave out the integrated hoodie if you are not surfing in really extreme temperatures. For more info check out our winter wetsuit guide.

And now finally, to the cold water surfing wetsuit chart.

Cold water surfing wetsuit chart

WATER TEMPERATURE

WETSUIT THICKNESS

 

> 77 F
> 25 C

no wetsuit needed

 

72F–77F
22C-25C

Shorty when it gets colder (morning, evening, wind)

68F–72F 20C–22C

  bottom limit for shorty, spring suit or 3/2 full suit

64F–68F
18C–20C

Spring suit or full suit 3/2

59F–64F
15C–18C

  agood 3/2 full suit or better a 4/3 wetsuit

54F–59F
12C–15C

  4/3 wetsuit + booties, 5/3 wetsuit + booties (if you surf even colder water, then get a 5/3, or if get windy often…)

48F-54F
9C-12C

5/3 or 5/4/3 wetsuit with booties and gloves and a hood

< 48 F
< 9 C

6/5/4 wetsuit with thick booties, gloves and hood (thick – at least 5mm)

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