What Are the Benefits of Wearing a Wet Suit?
What are the benefits of wearing a wet suit?
Surely, you know that wet suits are worn by divers, swimmers, surfers, kayakers, whitewater rafters, snorkelers, and other people who may be exposed to cold water, but why?
When someone wears a wet suit, he or she will still get wet, so what’s the point?
If you’re wondering why these people bother to don a wet suit before they get in the water, read on. You’ll learn about the benefits of wearing a wet suit, and how wet suits work, in this informative post.
Warmth
The primary reason that people wear wet suits is to keep their bodies warm in the water.
When a person wears a wet suit for the first time, they are often surprised that they still feel water against their skin even with the wet suit on. However, this should not be surprising; a wet suit is porous and permeable.
It’s not a wet suit’s job to keep the wearer dry. Instead, it works as insulation. The wet suit traps your body heat inside, warming the water, while still letting your skin breathe. This way, it can keep you warm and comfortable at the same time.
Compression
There are a number of other reasons that people wear wet suits as well. One of them is the compression factor. Many people enjoy wearing a wet suit because it feels tight around the body. This compression can help your muscles work better and can allow you to swim for longer than you might without a wet suit on.
Further, if you suffer from chronic pain in your joints, the compression of a wet suit may help to alleviate your pain to some extent, too.
Buoyancy
Believe it or not, a wet suit can also help you to float more easily in the water. A women’s wet suit, a men’s wet suit, and junior wetsuits are all made out of the same material: neoprene. Neoprene floats, and when you have it covering the majority of your body, it will help you float better also.
Speed
Wearing a wet suit will also help you to swim faster. Because it streamlines your body and makes it smoother, you’ll glide through the water like a fish when you don a wet suit. This is why you may see athletes wearing wet suits even when the water is warm. Less resistance means faster swimming.
Wear a Wet Suit
Clearly, there are many great reasons to wear a wet suit for swimming and other water sports. If you’ve never tried one on before, there’s no better time than the present. Once you try a wet suit, you may wonder how you lived without one before. Take some time to visit a dive or sporting goods store near you and try one on today!
If you’re interested in reading more great posts about staying healthy and fit, check out the Health section of our site for more!
