Gearing up for Cold Weather Riding: Wetsuits
In addition to the thickness of the suit, the warmth of a wet suit also depends on the fit. A wet suit keeps you warm by allowing some water to enter the suit. Neoprene insulates by trapping this thin layer of water between the suit and your skin. This water warms to your body temperature, which is what insulates you. Your body warms the water, which hopefully stays put in the suit and acts as an additional layer of insulation. If the suit is too big, then two things happen: there's too much water inside the suit to warm sufficiently, and cold water from outside the suit is continually flowing inside the suit. If the suit is too small, it'll be uncomfortable, restrict your movement and you'll find it hard to breathe. In addition, there won't be enough water inside the suit to form the insulating barrier necessary. Either way — the suit won't give you the warmth you're looking for.
Seams
Overlock
This is the simplest and most economical stitch. The two neoprene edges are held together and sewn on the inside of the suit. The result is a raised — or lumpy — seam which unravels if even one stitch is broken. An added factor is that any stress on the seam is absorbed at the point of stitching, rather than being dispersed along the whole seam.
Flatlock
Flatlock stretching is a step up from the overlock seam. The two edges are sewn flat, eliminating the raised seam and providing a stronger, more comfortable seam.
Blindstitching
This is a watertight method of construction and is also the most comfortable option. All winter wetsuits should be made this way. Blindstitching is produced by gluing and then butting together the two adjoining pieces of neoprene, followed by stitching that does not penetrate through to the other side of the neoprene. A heat-welded tape can be placed over the seam on the inside to further strengthen seams but this should only be used in key stress areas Using tape on the whole suit reduces strength of the neoprene and therefore the comfort of a wetsuit.
Quality of Neoprene
There are white and black neoprenes and large and small air-celled neoprenes.
White vs black neoprene
Black neoprene is stronger than white. When a lightly-colored top coat (lycra, polyester or nylon) is laminated over black neoprene, the blackness shows through. You can always tell whether a suit is white or black
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