Hydroflex FS 3mm Camo Blue Women
Nova Scotia Semi-Dry 7.6/6.5mm Mens
Nova Scotia Semi-Dry 7.6/6.5mm Ladies
Everflex Steamer 7.5/5.0mm Yulex Mens
Oneflex Steamer 5.0 B-Zip Ladies
Rebel Steamer 2.5mm B-Zip Kids
Definition Shorty 2.5mm Ladies
Hybrid Thermal Top Long Sleeve Ladies
How to choose a wetsuit
Pick the thickness for the coldest water you'll dive, then buy the suit that fits like a second skin. In Sodwana's 22 to 28°C, a 3 mm or 5 mm full suit works for many divers. The Western and Southern Cape, at about 12 to 18°C, starts at a 7 mm with a hood, gloves and boots. A loose suit lets water flush through and chills you whatever its thickness.
Thickness, by where you dive
- Sodwana and warm water. A 3 mm, or a 5 mm for winter and long days of diving. Cressi rates its 3 mm Fast for water above 22°C.
- The Cape coast. A 7 mm with a hood, or a semi-dry. Cressi rates its 7 mm Diver for 10 to 18°C, and Fourth Element suggests a drysuit below 18°C.
- Inland quarries. Miracle Waters and Bass Lake turn cold in winter, so a year-round Gauteng diver tends to need the thicker suit and a hood.
Fit, styles and price
A good fit seals at the neck, wrists and ankles, leaves no folds at the lower back or armpits, and still lets you take a full breath. Women's and junior cuts exist for a reason: a men's suit that gaps at the hips flushes. Our full wetsuits come from Scubapro, Mares, Cressi, Aqualung, Apeks and Tecline, from about R4,000 for a 3 mm to about R19,000 for a semi-dry. Shorties suit pool sessions and warm surface swims. Wetsuits are fitted in store in Glenvista, and made-to-measure suits cover divers no standard size fits. A new suit changes your buoyancy, so redo your weight check in it.
Questions we get asked
What thickness wetsuit do I need for Sodwana?
Sodwana's water runs about 22 to 28°C, so a 3 mm full suit suits many divers and a 5 mm is the warmer choice in winter or over several dives a day. Cressi rates its 3 mm Fast for water above 22°C.
What wetsuit do I need for diving in Cape Town?
Water around the Western and Southern Cape runs about 12 to 18°C, which is 7 mm territory with a hood, gloves and boots. Divers who feel the cold move to a semi-dry or a drysuit, which Fourth Element suggests below 18°C.
What wetsuit should I wear at Miracle Waters or Bass Lake?
Plan for the coldest month you'll dive there, because the quarries turn cold in winter. Your dive computer logs the water temperature, so match the suit's rating to the reading from your last winter dive, and add a hood.
How tight should a wetsuit be?
Snug everywhere and tight nowhere. You should still be able to take a full breath, swallow, turn your head and lift your arms overhead, with no gaps at the lower back, armpits or crotch.
Do I need a hood with my wetsuit?
Below tropical water, usually yes. Fourth Element pairs its 5 mm and 7 mm suits with a 5 mm hood in temperate water, and an attached hood also stops water flushing in at the collar.