Your spearfishing wetsuit is one of the top three most important and expensive purchase decisions you will make so itโs important to get it right first time, the others being your speargun and fins. Firstly, if youโre new to spearfishing you may well be using or considering an old surf suit.ย While these are great to get you started you will find you can only stay in the water spearfishing for about 60 -90 minutes.
This is because surf wetsuits are largely designed to be used above the water, when youโre lying on your board.ย If you note your body position the vast majority is actually above the surface for the majority of the time. Surfing itself is also far more exertive and active in comparison to spearfishing, meaning you will be running much hotter! Lastly, Surf suits are generally always closed cell/fully lined rather than open cell contributing to heat loss – this is all explained in depth later in this guide.
This is why you get much colder, much quicker compared to your dive buddy in a purpose designed spearfishing suit.
If you want cut straight to our shop then click here to check out our range of spearfishing wetsuits
What is a spearfishing wetsuit?
A typical spearfishing suit will consist of two parts, the trousers and the jacket (Salvimar Krypsis 101 Full Two Piece Wetsuit – Spearfishing UK). These also come in various configurations like with trousers that finish at the waist or have shoulder straps with the main torso also being covered (called long Johns) Picasso Camo Ghost Wetsuit Farmer John Trousers – Spearfishing UK.ย You can also get one-piece versions, but these are not so popular hence our limited stock of this style.
In the UK we normally use a hooded jacket with trousers, but long johns may also be considered for added warmth, as it doubles the amount of neoprene over your core.ย This keeps you much warmer for longer. 5mm is the preferred/go-to thickness for the UK spearo and will generally be warm enough for the entire year. However, for the winter months or spearfishing further north, a 7mm full suit or top should be considered. Another cheap option for keeping warm in the winter months is using a neoprene vest under the top (Epsealon Black Under Vest 2.5mm – Spearfishing UK).
In slightly warmer climates where they can get away with it, Spearos will often tend to use thinner (3mm) two-piece suits (most brands/models of suit will have 3mm options even if they are not explicitly listed on the site). In warmer water still, during the summer months in the Caribbean for example, you’ll often see spearfishermen in rash-vests and shorts…
Camo wetsuit or jet black
Camo wetsuits are by far the most popular among Spearos and for good reason.ย There is nothing wrong with a black finish and many Spearoโs do incredibly well with them however if you are looking for an edge then this could well be it.ย There is a rather big debate on the effectiveness of camo verses black and what the advantages really are.ย To give you a full break down of the different types, the latest technology (this actually exists!) we wrote a full article on the subject so if you want to learn more, click here see everything you need to know about camo wetsuits.
What thickness wetsuit should I use?
There are no definitive fixed answer here just best guidelines.ย This is because there are some many external factors to consider.ย How old you are, your body fat percentage, general health and what you had for breakfast all tweaks your bodies thermometer in different ways.ย The biggest factor may well be how long you actually stay in the water for: the longer you dive the colder you will ultimately get.
In the UK we largely use a 5mm wetsuit and this is often enough.ย For the diehards that also hunt throughout winter they will either stick it out or have an additional 7mm wetsuit with some spare leads (to counteract the increased buoyancy). The extra 2mm makes a load of difference and will allow you to hunt for longer without feeling the effects of the cold.
If you are going to warmer waters, you really need to check the water temperature before deciding what you need.ย If you take a 5mm into 25-degree waters, then you wonโt last very longer before you begin to poach! Even a 3mm for that temperature can be too much.ย In very warm waters divers tend to use shorts and rash vest which can be perfect.
Another factor to consider when in hot climates is the jelly fish. In these hot countries itโs tempting just to wear some board shorts and make the most of the sun. However, before you do this itโs important to check what type of Jellies are in the waters and if they present a risk or not. If they do you will need a full body rash suit including hood. Fire Corals and Anemone can also cause some savage burns so take caution where you decide to land when starting your Aspetto!
As a rough guide these are the spearfishing wetsuit thickness you will need for different water temperatures.
| 5C โ 12C | 7mm,ย 2 piece wetsuit |
| 12C โ 18C | 5mm, 2 piece wetsuit |
| 18C – 24C | 3mm, 2 piece wetsuit |
| 24C+ | 1.5mm wetsuit or rash vest/board short variations |
Wetsuit gloves and socks
These are normally available at thickness between 1 โ 5mm but itโs worth choosing carefully.ย While extra thick wetsuit socks will keep you toasty, they can make your fin pockets too tight leading to cramp and a generally painful dive.ย Too small and your fins end up causing ungodly levels of chafe, ruining your sessions!
Likewise, extra thick gloves will keep your fingers functioning in cold conditions, but they make you cumbersome and the smallest tasks become a nightmare. For some people dexterity and control outweighs warmth!
In the UK 3mm seems to be the most popular! The Salvimar Comfort Gloves and Socks are currently our most popular option:
Salvimar Comfort Gloves – Spearfishing UK/Salvimar Comfort Socks – Spearfishing UK.
If diving abroad around Coral/volcanic rock, a pair of Riffe Holdfast gloves is a great addition to your kit: Riffe Holdfast High Performance Cut Resistant Glove – Spearfishing UK. ย These are perfect for warmer water as they are non-neoprene. However, they have significant rubber padding meaning they offer increased protection from Fire Coral, Crayfish spines, sharp rocks etc. Some Spearos will use these in the UK during the summer months to protect against pesky Bass and Mullet spines or when using Polespears (as the rubber padding offers a better grip).
Open cell wetsuits verses closed cell wetsuits
If you are new to world of wetsuits then you probably donโt realize you these two main variations exist, but they do and itโs a very important difference. Closed cell or nylon lined wetsuits as they are sometimes referred to, basically have a thin nylon liner to the inside of the suit. This means you can slide on your suit much easier and quicker than one without โ the open cell. Open cell suits will keep you much warmer over a longer period of time generally, as they seal a layer of water in the suit which is warmed by your body during the session. This is the main design contrast between surf suits and Spearfishing suits.
Cressi offer all examples of these different types of suits: Lined/closed cell (Cressi FISTERRA Complete Wetsuit (internal lined) – Spearfishing UK), open cell with a nylon outer lining (Cressi Tracina Dark Digital Specter camouflage wetsuit Jacket – Spearfishing UK), and even the Smooth Skin (sandwich)/full open cell (Cressi Ricciola 2 piece wetsuit – Spearfishing UK).ย
To put on an open cell wetsuit, you need to first rinse the inside with water and conditioner or, better still: Slippy (Slippy Wetsuit Lube – Spearfishing UK), or Octacle (Octacle Wetsuit Lube- Algae based – Spearfishing UK).
Our shop sponsor Josh made a great comparative video on these two products: Wetsuit lube which is best? Clear water hunting and BEACH COOK UP (Episode 59) – YouTube
Sizing
Generally speaking, most brands will have different cuts/fits, and they aren’t standardized across brands like with surf suits. If you are an O’Neill Large, this isn’t to say you’ll fit in a Cressi L spearfishing suit for example.
If you are of a slimmer taller build, we often recommend you look at Salvimar (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK), Epsealon (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK), or even Pathos (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK).
Cressi is a good middle ground, however it is fairly square cut and has a wide neck wide neck (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK)
Some good ‘filled out,’ or medium build suit brands would be Jak Boeno (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK), Moray (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK), or Picasso (Wetsuits – Spearfishing UK).
All suits and brands will have a size guide in the description or included in the product images – simply cross reference your measurements for the best fit!
If you’re really struggling to find something that will fit, maybe a custom-tailored suit would be the best option? Custom wetsuits – Spearfishing UK – Many of our shop divers may never go to an off the shelf suit again due to the supreme fit these suits offer… This is without doubt the snuggest and warmest option we offer!
If you are unsure on sizing or recommendations for suits, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01726 213290, or drop us an email at enquiries@spearfishing.co.uk
Our shop
If you found this information helpful, then we have much more at the bottom of each category page in the spearfishing gear shopย