The Purpose Of Wetsuits

When travelers take dive trips in Key West, they must wear a wetsuit. A wetsuit is important because it offers numerous benefits. Each individual will need a specific wetsuit during a traditional Key West underwater dive.

Wetsuits are made for surface swimming and dives. They help swimmers stay warm when they are in cold water. Wetsuits also provide extra buoyancy; this is needed for safety reasons.

Swimming Benefits

Wetsuits that are designed for swimming help swimmers stay higher above the water. However, there are various designs that provide different levels of performance. Because of this, there are various things to consider when choosing a wetsuit.

Some wetsuits lower surface friction. This is possible because the wetsuits have a hydrophobic outer layer. The layer contains rubber that has a unique treatment. The treatment has the same effect as Teflon. Because the surface is slippery, swimmers can glide through the water more efficiently without any surface friction.

The design should also be considered. If a wetsuit is designed properly for a specific swimmer, overall comfort improves because there will be less chaffing while swimming. When a wetsuit is used, water will gain access. However, too much water will affect the suits overall weight. When this happens, overall speed and buoyancy will decrease. This is why swimmers must choose the proper wetsuit design.

Flexibility is very important too because it helps a swimmer move freely in the water. If a suit is not flexible, basic stoke rotation movements will be challenging.

A wetsuit should not be too restrictive near the throat and torso. If a wetsuit does not fit properly, the process of breathing will be tough. When a wetsuit is the proper size, basic swimming performance increases. However, a wetsuit should not be too baggy because too much water will access the suit.

A Wetsuit Helps Swimmers Swim Faster

Wetsuits are used by swimmers because they provide more buoyancy. The extra buoyancy gives a swimmer less drag. All wetsuits are made from a neoprene rubber. This particular rubber is naturally buoyant. Various kinds of neoprene, however, have different buoyancy rates. Wetsuits that are designed for swimming have a lot of air cells. The rubber contains many tiny air bubbles, so the material is light and very flexible.

Wetsuits that are used for diving purposes are laminated with nylon fabric. Abrasion will not be a problem because the neoprene provides protection. However, wetsuits that are designed for swimming have a different design. One side of the wetsuit has a raw, rubber surface. The surface also has a unique coating that provides less friction.

Overall, the proper wetsuit must be used when taking a Key West dive. Various wetsuits offer different benefits, so swimmers must consider this before they take a Key West dive.