Scuba Wetsuits: One-piece or Two-piece?
-
A wetsuit is an essential part of your scuba diving gear. The choice of wetsuit is crucial to your scuba diving experience. Generally, there are two main types of wetsuits to choose from: one-piece and two-piece. Many people swear by one or the other, making it difficult to determine which wetsuit is best for scuba diving. But, certainly, each wetsuit is better suited to certain diving conditions than the others. Here is a detailed look at the two types of scuba wetsuits and how to choose the best style:
Overall, the one-piece scuba wetsuit seems to be the most popular wetsuit. It is a full-body wetsuit that extends to the wrists and ankles and fits the entire body. Usually, it is made of neoprene, a material known for its strong insulating properties.
One of the reasons for the popularity of one-piece wetsuits is that they are lightweight. This provides divers with great flexibility, which is ideal. In addition, one-piece wetsuits are easy to put on and take off, which is another reason why they are favored by divers around the world.
Whereas two-piece wetsuits, as the name suggests, consist of two parts. The first part covers the torso and legs to the ankles, and the second part covers the torso to the wrists. The biggest advantage of this type of wetsuit is its warmth. A two-piece wetsuit is much warmer than a one-piece wetsuit due to the extra insulation around the torso. On the other hand, two-piece wetsuits are bulky, restrict movement, and are quite difficult to put on and take off, which puts many divers off.
Whether you choose a one-piece or two-piece wetsuit depends on the water temperature you will be diving in. If the water temperature is cooler, then definitely choose a two-piece wetsuit. It provides double warmth and ensures that you do not lose too much body heat in the water. On the other hand, if you will be swimming in warmer waters for a short time, choose a one-piece wetsuit. It provides greater flexibility and considerable warmth.
