How to choose a kids Wetsuit: the pros and cons of getting the right one
Might sound like a simple task, but there are a lot of things to consider when buying a wetsuit for a child such as price, size, thickness, usage, time of year, hand-me-down potential to name just a few.
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I want a cheap wetsuit for my child
Cheap wetsuits are cheap for a reason, they are stiff, inflexible and don’t stretch as they are made with the cheapest neoprene, or not even neoprene at all. The feel cheap, they aren’t lined with soft fabric, so don’t feel great on the skin. Due to the fact there is no stretch in them, if it fits your child now, it won’t next year. If you spend a bit more and get a brand like Alder Wetsuits or Sola Wetsuits then you will get a suit with much stretchier and softer neoprene. The plus side of this is that a suit will often last a child 2 or 3 years due to the stretch in the neoprene.
I need a wetsuit for our holidays in August
The next thing to consider is when you are intending to use it, if its just July and August, you might take a chance on a kids shorty wetsuit, but it would need to be a nice summer. A Kids 3mm fullsuit wetsuit, which has long arms and legs, is a safer bet for British summers and can be worn from May till Sept. If you are going away at Easter or October half term then you would need to be looking at what is called a kids winter wetsuit, these are 5mm neoprene and are quite a lot more expensive than a 3mm suit, not just because of the cost of the neoprene, but because the suits seams are glued and then blind-stitched (GBS). This method of construction makes the suit waterproof except for what gets in down the neck, wrist or ankle holes.
How do i get the right size Wetsuit for my Child
Once you’ve decided on the type of suit you require you need to get the size right, obviously kids are going to grow, so in an ideal world you’ll get something a bit too big for them to grow into, but that’s not that easy to do with a wetsuit. You have already chosen a suit with decent neoprene, so there will be a fair bit of stretch in it to grow, but when you try it on it does need to touch the body in most places. If you could pour water in the neck and it came straight back out of the legs on the floor, then it certainly isn’t going to work, the water needs to get trapped between the body and the suit for it to keep warm and work. So a little bit big is ok, but not too much.
The most important measurement is the chest, choose your suit based on the nearest size you can get to the right chest measurement, the height will then have to be what it is, if it’s a bit long it can be turned up, if it’s a bit short then it’ll be a bit short, because if you go up a size to get the right length then you will have the water on the floor problem that we mentioned above. The waist measurement is kind of irrelevant as that’s the most flexible section of the suit.
Have a younger sibling?
Lastly, if the child has smaller siblings, then buying a nicer suit is a no brainer as you will be able to hand it down, the only consideration is the colour if is its brother and sister that might be sharing.