What wetsuit, what thickness of neoprene to choose for certain water temperature? It depends on a couple of factors, check out our chart and then decide.
WETSUIT THICKNESS FACTORS
When choosing the right wetsuit for a certain water temperature and conditions, the main factors to consider are water temperature, air temperature, wind, cold sensitivity and activity. Lets take a quick look:
Water temperature
This one is obvious, the colder the water the thicker wetsuit you need.
Air temperature
Air temperature is a lot of times connected with water temperature. Warmer air & water in summer, colder in winter time. Like duh! But there are a lot of places where ocean currents influence water temperature so much, that it can be way off from what you could expect from the air temperature and time of the year. So there are times when air and water temperature are out of sync.
Wind
Wind cools the surface of your body constantly and increases the feeling of cold.
Cold sensitivity
Just how quickly do you get cold?
Activity
What are you doing in the water and what sport is your passion. For instance, you can surf so hard smoke comes from your ears or you can sit on your surfboard thinking, meditating and contemplating whatever. You can be in the water most of the time or above the water or even under the surface.
The water temperature – wetsuit thickness chart below is therefore just for your orientation and is a bit on the safe side, so you can stay in the water longer. Every waterman knows for himself how sustainable to cold he is and how quickly he gets cold. At some point, when the water temperature gets to low you also have to wear booties and when it gets even colder also gloves and a hood. Thicker wetsuit also means you get tired sooner because the movement is more restricted. Also completely new and fitting wetsuit is warmer that an older wetsuit that is already a little loose. And at last, quality of the wetsuit definitely counts – this is why good winter wetsuits for low temperatures aren’t cheap.
So before we get to the temperature chart I can see some hardcore surfers complaining that they can surf in a shorty wetsuit in 59F (15 C) degree water, but why would you want to be cold if you don’t have to be. Just to be HC? When blood slowly starts coming back to your fingers that are so numb you can’t get out of your wetsuit for half an hour and every heartbeat feels like someone is smashing your fingers with a hammer? When your feet feel like they belong to some rubber dummy when you are slipping over rocks on your way out of water? Its a part of why we love it… :)
In recent times, you can find some funny wetsuit – water temperature charts done by major wetsuit companies, that are not very realistic. I guess they also use them for promoting the quality of their wetsuits. Like: “You only need a 3/2 XY wettie in 54F (12C) water. Yeah, its so advanced you can sleep in a freezer.” If they are not talking about the new battery heated wetsuit, then they are probably full of shit.
WATER TEMPERATURE WETSUIT CHART
WATER TEMPERATURE |
WETSUIT THICKNESS |
WHAT TO WEAR |
|
| > 77 F > 25 C |
You don’t need a wetsuit, unless you usually wear a wetsuit to jacuzzi, sauna, to the beach… |  |
|
| 72F–77F 22C-25C |
Shorty when it gets colder outside, like in the morning, evening and if it is windy. If the weather is warm, you still don’t need a wetsuit. |   |
|
| 68F–72F 20C–22C | This is the comfortable bottom limit for surfing in shorty. Spring suit or 3/2 full suit is better when it gets cold and windy. |  |
|
| 64F–68F 18C–20C |
Spring suit or full suit 3/2. If you only have one wetsuit and it is 4/3 you no worries, you can also use it. | |
|
| 59F–64F 15C–18C |
A good 3/2 full suit is still OK, if you get cold, wear booties. Otherwise wear a 4/3 wetsuit and you will be comfortable in any weather. |  |
|
| 54F–59F 12C–15C |
At this water temperature booties become necessary, at least if you like to feel you feet. 4/3 wetsuit is OK, but if you will do a lot of surfing in water at the bottom of this temperature range, you should probably get a 5/3. |  |
|
| 48F-54F 9C-12C |
5/3 or 5/4/3 wetsuit with booties and gloves. Hood depends on other conditions like wind etc. |  |
|
| < 48 F < 9 C |
5/3 can work, 6/5/4 is better, depends on how extreme do you want to get. Often it is not the thickness of the wetsuit, but bad booties, gloves etc that are the source of cold. So not only the wetsuit, also the booties, gloves and hood must be thick (5mm). |  |
With good equipment, there is no limit for cold water surfing. The bigger problem is getting out of your wet wetsuit in the freezing parking lot. To sum it up, in our experience: “If you only get one wetsuit get a 4/3!” It is the most versatile and useful in widest range of temperatures.
TWO ADVANCED COLD AND WET WETSUIT TECHNIQUES
Since we finished the chart with some really cold water, here are also two useful tips for putting on a cold wet wetsuit. Wet wetsuit is harder to put on than dry, not just because of the great and enjoyable wet and cold feeling but also because it sticks to your skin and it won’t go on. So to do it faster you can try this:
- It helps to put a PVC bag on you leg or arm before you push it through your wetsuit. Your arms/legs will slide through the sleeves like a hot knife through butter.
- The other trick is to have a dry rash guard in store. Put it on before you get into a wet wetsuit and you won’t feel the cold neoprene on your body. But really, just get it over with as quickly as possible and get into the water.
The source of this guide is the wetsuit temperature guide and chart.
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26 Responses to WATER TEMPERATURE CHART
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I recently started surfing, mostly east coast of canada. As you can imagine lots of cold water. Turns out I am allergic to neoprene, as all the good suits are made of neoprene I have no idea what to do. Tried fleece layering no good. I found the surfing drysuit possible solution, but I still need hood, boots and gloves as the best times are when really cold. If you have any help at all that would be great.
Thanks
hey man you should try the new rip curl flash bomb wet suit.. its made of a completely different kind of material. might save ya. far as booties and gloves no idea. unless ya look for something with a different backing on it. or go hardcore and dont wear any..
Dude this was totally helpful. I always wondered why a froze my ass off in Cali even in the summer. ;D I had some bullshit Play it Again Sports oldie suit that fit like dogbladder.
Cheers for this, the guide is fab and just what I need as I am soon to be training for my first open water 1 mile swim, needed some wetsuit info and now I have it! marvellous, thanks dudes
;D
yes the stormtrooper 6/5/4 bodyglove is awesome i trace carlos live in alaska and its my year round wet suit i kite surf and if you no what a slerpy is that what its like in the winter time in the ocean very cold but im farm in my wet suit good boots and warm gloves are key and hood ,,,
good guide i reckon, worth investing in a thermal rash vest too. with that i am warm down to 6 degrees with gloves boots and 2mm hood.(kitesurfing) Also means you can get your summer suit on sooner and have more freedom to move
If you need to wear a 3/2 fullsuit in 72 degree water, please go see a doctor immediately for a full physical.
I guess this guide is basically a good starting point for someone who has never stepped foot into water. You guys are playing it on the overly safe side a bit don’t you think?
I agree with what YeahRight stated. I’ve been in waters 68~ish° with boardshorts on. Round 66° was when the shorty came out. I guess take it with a grain of salt
i think you guys went a little overboard i pull out a shorty in about 65, 3/2 wet suit u can use when its 58 or higher
I grew up in Manhattan Beach, Ca and water temps in the summer are between 65-68 and EVERYONE swims and boards in bikinis and shorts. Every once in a while you’d see people in half suits… but they’re wussies!!! :)
I have been surfing for a few years now. i would say this is deffinitly a great guide for a beginner. just a few flaws:
if the water is above 70 you don’t need anything. maybe a 1 or 2mm jacket but not a spring.
spring=65-70
3/2=58-65
4/3=50-62(most versitile)
5/4=40-50
any colder then 40f then wtf are you doing out there?!?! but if you must get a 6/5
p.s. the bootie and glove suggestions are on the point, but the rest of the guide is playing it very safe. YOU WILL NOT BE COLD IN 70F WATER!!!!
Snorkeling regularly from spring time through fall, in depths usually no more than 20 feet, for the past five or so years off the cool coastal waters off Cape Cod shores, my friends and I typically use 3/2 full suits with rash suits, booties, gloves and hats of varying types to offset the numbing chill of the water quite well. We start the year as the water temp approaches 53 degrees F and go as long as Mid to late October to take in a full season of getting catching lobsters by hand. It’s a real hoot to outwit and capture these delectable creatures then have over for dinner the next couple of nights.
Do you know how many you are allowed to catch per day?
is it just me or is 68-72 beyond a trunking it situation?
Don’t know but it is looking strange to me
;D just went out in 40 f water and almost died…….p.s. i was bareback…cant feel my head
I’m a wakeboarder and I’ve ridden in 42 degree weather with a full body wetsuit and it’s not bad. I don’t wear a wetsuit when it’s 60+ It’s not that bad!
the temps posted are for sull submersion under the water– not surface boarding or snorkling! for the wussy coment you trying staying at 64 degree water 60 ft under for an hour and see if you don’t get cold
yeah..it seems like the temps are a bit on the safe side, but remember that is YOUR comfort in the water that matters. To all the chillers out there, my 5/4/3 keeps me warm in 34 degree water. :)
Looking back on 25 years surfing I think the guide is pretty good. It gives you a range for water temps in the context of topside conditions, which are critical to choosing the right suit on the day. Your personal cold resistance is going to depend on how much fat you carry, how active you are in the water and how well rested and fed you are on the day. If you want the most out of your time in the water, go for the slightly warmer option without unduely restricting your freedom of movement. I always take two with me and choose after I’ve scoped out the conditions. Keep ripping…
Honestly, the warmer you are the better you surf. If you follow this guide, you’ll never be cold and you’ll never be constricted by too much neoprene. If you wanna show off by showing people how cold of water you can stand then go for it, but it’s better to let your surfing do the talking.
That is the best comment I have seen on here! While I’m waiting for the next wave it’s nice not to feel cold.
Agree W/Ben and with the original comment, of course.
I was a bit cold surfing in morocco, I was in rashie and shorts, I dont need a full suit and hate surfing in them so I was going to get a long sleeved thermal rashie or a neoprene one, which is warmer does anyone know?
The chart is on the safe side, but it is a lot better to be safe than sorry. Nothing worse than your feet going numb after an hour and the waves are going off.
And I dont care how cold you can handle it. I am not trying to prove anything when I go out in 50 degree water. I am going out because the surf is good, and if the surf is good I want to be warm (not anywhere close to cold).
If the air temperature is 55 degrees and it’s windy and cloudy then 72 degree water will make you feel cold, and you’ll likely want a 3/2 suit (especially if you’re in the water awhile). This can be typical in the northeast U.S. particularly early morning in the summer.