Do You Need a Wetsuit to Surf?

Perhaps you’ve noticed that most surfers are wearing a wetsuit – whether in pictures, videos, or just by visiting your local beach, and you might be wondering: why? Is there an inviolable rule that all surfers must wear wetsuits? Is it a great sin to surf without a wetsuit? Will there be sirens blaring and surfing police coming to arrest you for violating a sacred law you didn’t know about?

No, you don’t have to wear a wetsuit to go surfing. A wetsuit’s primary function is to keep the wearer warm. But, if the weather and water temperature is hot enough, then you don’t have to wear a wetsuit. Wetsuits provide many benefits, but they also have some downsides like: a high cost, restricted mobility, chance of getting a wetsuit rash, and possibly making you overheat.

In this article, we will go over when you might not want to wear a wetsuit while surfing, and the possible advantages you can get when you forgo a wetsuit.

When can you surf without a wetsuit?

Even though there are many good reasons to wear a wetsuit even in tropical waters, there are certainly times that you can surf without a wetsuit.

First, let’s go over what exactly these wetsuit benefits we keep talking about are. Wetsuits provide the following advantages: warmth, UV protection, protection against reef, rocks, and smaller wildlife, reduced chances of getting board rash (but you might get wetsuit rash instead), and much longer surfing time due to the aforementioned advantages.

We also want to expand on the point about warmth. Being able to retain your body heat means that you are not limited to surfing only in the summer or at tropical locations. You have more freedom to surf elsewhere or during colder months because you can stay warm. Your surfing sessions can last longer if you’re not shivering. For this reason alone, wetsuits are an incredible investment for surfers.

You can surf without a wetsuit if you don’t care about some of these advantages, or you can find a viable alternative that offers similar benefits. For example, wearing a rash vest and surf leggings can provide you the same protection against board rash and UV rays that wetsuits provide. Plus, they are not restrictive and will not cause you to overheat when it’s hot outside.

However, rash vests and surf leggings are not designed to keep you warm and they offer little protection against sharp rocks, reefs, or small wildlife that might bite or sting you. Thus, there are trade-offs that you have to make.

As you can see, it’s not always such a clear-cut answer whether you should surf with or without a wetsuit. You need to weigh the pros and cons and ask yourself what you value more.

Advantages of surfing without a wetsuit

In this section, we are going to delve into some of the disadvantages of wearing a wetsuit, and when you might want to forgo wearing one so that you do not have to deal with these downsides.

More mobility

Wetsuits need to fit you tight. There’s no way around it. A loose wetsuit will not be able to keep you warm because cold water will keep flushing out the warm water and your body heat with it.

A side effect of how snug a wetsuit needs to fit you is that it restricts your mobility. The longer and thicker your wetsuit is, the more restrictive it will be.

Even a surface wetsuit will restrict your movement slightly. This is because: a) the water that makes its way inside your wetsuit will be trapped, weighing you down and making you feel sluggish, and b) the wetsuit material itself can restrict your movement until you break it in.

With your movements restricted, it will be slightly more difficult to do just about everything. You will not feel as nimble, and even paddling will feel harder.

Keep in mind that this is something that you’ll quickly get accustomed to. Furthermore, if your wetsuit is thin and broken in enough, then it will be a non-issue.

Less likely to overheat

Most of the time, the concern is that you’ll be too cold. However, depending on how warm the weather and water temperature is, there are occasions where overheating becomes a legitimate concern.

Everybody tolerates the heat differently, but with a wetsuit on, you can potentially get too warm. With a rash vest or even going shirtless, you will obviously be able to handle hot weather better.

With that said, wetsuits are available in various thickness and styles; full wetsuits are not the only thing on offer. You can get short wetsuits or even just a wetsuit top. Wetsuits can even come in 1mm thickness. However, even that might be too much when the weather is close to 100°F or warmer.

Easier to put on and take off

Yet another inherent downside of wearing a wetsuit, due to how tight it needs to fit, is that it can be a pain to put on and take off. This is especially true if the wetsuit is still slightly damp from the day before. The dampness increases the friction and can make it infuriating to put on.

Aside from the fact that you seriously need to invest in a wetsuit drying rack or a wetsuit hanger, you might also deal with mold or bacteria if your wetsuit hasn’t dried yet. This can irritate your skin and make surfing uncomfortable.

There are some tips and tricks to putting on a wetsuit more easily, such as first wrapping your hands and feet in a plastic bag to decrease friction and help you slide through. You should also put on the wetsuit when both you and the wetsuit are dry.

However, with a rash vest and leggings, you don’t have to worry about any of this nonsense. You can just slip them on easily and into the water you go.

Less maintenance

how to dry a wetsuit — Leaving a wetsuit in the sun is not a good idea. Use a thick, padded hanger to not leave creases.

Let’s be honest: everyone pees in the ocean. If you happen to be wearing a wetsuit at the time, do you really think that’s going to stop you from peeing? Probably not. When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Thankfully, peeing in your wetsuit is relatively harmless. What’ll happen is that the water inside your wetsuit will get a little warmer. Then, it will slowly flow out of your wetsuit and get replaced by new water. You’re not going to be literally confined with your own urine the whole time.

With that said, whether you’ve peed in your wetsuit or not, you had better be rinsing it with fresh water after each surfing session. And if you did pee in your wetsuit, better use some wetsuit shampoo as well to ensure cleanliness. Few things are more unhygienic and gag-inducing than when the wetsuit you’re about to put on smells like a urinal.

There’s a lot more that goes into wetsuit maintenance than just cleaning. You also have to know how to hang it up properly to dry, how to pack it for travel or store it for the off-season, how to mend a ripped wetsuit, and so on.

Chances are, if you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on a nice wetsuit, you’ll want to put in some effort in taking good care of it. However, for some people, this might be more than they bargained for. Having to constantly clean, hang, store and pack their wetsuit might become a nuisance.

If you do not want to deal with the hassle of maintaining your wetsuit, your options are either to rent one each time or wear a rashie with surf leggings if the weather permits.

Less expensive

Buying a rash vest and a pair of surf leggings is significantly cheaper than buying a wetsuit – as much as ten times cheaper. If you have a limited budget and only surf in the summer, then don’t feel forced to buy a wetsuit.

How come wetsuits are so expensive? First off, there is a wide range of wetsuits available on the market. Wetsuits come in many thicknesses, styles, designs, sizes, and with slightly different features depending on which sport it’s designed for (e.g. zipper placement, extra padding in certain locations).

On top of that there are many surfing brands. With wetsuits being such crucial products for any water sport, unsurprisingly the market for them is vast, and so too is their pricing. Yes, you can get a cheap wetsuit for $100 USD or less. However, if you want one that keeps you warm, comfortable, protected, and is flexible, then you will have to pay for that quality.

The cost is not much lower if you decide to rent. If you have to rent a wetsuit say 10 or so times a year, then the money you spent renting will eventually add up to the price of a wetsuit. This statement will eventually become a fact the more times you rent.

Depending on how often you surf and how much you enjoy this activity, you can potentially justify spending several hundreds of dollars for a high quality wetsuit. You can think of it as an investment that will eventually save you money over renting over the long run.

However, as we mentioned, a wetsuit has its pros and cons. It’s not strictly necessary to wear a wetsuit for surfing. Depending on your situation and needs, you may feel that a wetsuit is not worth the cost for you, and you’d rather just wear a rash vest and surf leggings.

No surf or wetsuit rash

One of the advantages of wearing a wetsuit is that it can act as an extra layer of skin that protects your actual skin. While a wetsuit may solve the issue of surf rash from your chest and stomach rubbing against the board, ironically wetsuits can cause rashes of their own.

In some very rare instances, a wearer might be allergic to the neoprene and get skin rashes that way. More commonly, surfers who have not rubbed Vaseline on their skin will have their skin get rubbed raw by the wetsuit instead of the surfboard.

Common areas where wetsuit rashes flare up are under the armpits and behind the neck. If you’re wearing board shorts, it’s very common for your inner thighs to develop rashes as well.

For these reasons, it may be worth it to wear a rash vest and surf leggings. A rash vest can also protect your chest and stomach from surf rash. However, since rashies don’t have to fit as tight, the material will not be in such close proximity that it can rub your armpits or your neck.

As for an alternative to board shorts, we recommend surf leggings (or even just a regular pair of leggings or yoga pants) or compression shorts.

By wearing these alternatives, you can prevent both surf rash and wetsuit rash – but you will not be kept as warm, so you can only wear them in the summer.

Summary

To summarize, while wetsuits provide many advantages to surfers, they also have some downsides which can make them less essential than you might think. Therefore, you do not have to wear a wetsuit while surfing, though common wisdom is that you should still do.

Some of the downsides of a wetsuit are: restricted mobility, overheating, wetsuit rash, cost, and maintenance. Furthermore, some of its benefits like UV and surf rash protection can be provided by a rash vest and surf leggings.

Infrequent surfers may not be able to justify the cost of buying a wetsuit, so renting remains an option. With that said, even renting has its risks – if you damage the wetsuit, you have to pay for it. Some people would rather not even take that risk.

Instead, if the water temperature is warm enough, you can just wear a rash vest with surf leggings as an alternative to wearing a wetsuit. In this situation, you do not need to worry so much about getting cold, and you are still protected from the UV rays and surf rashes. Thus, you do not strictly need to wear a wetsuit all the time for surfing if you don’t want to.

Why Do Surfers Wear Wetsuits?

Wetsuits are a crucial piece of gear for any water sport, and surfing is no exception. Every day, surfers don their wetsuits so that they can brave the ocean currents. You might think this is strange, considering a wetsuit would restrict your movement. Plus, it kind of makes you look like a seal. What’s so good about wearing a wetsuit?

There are many reasons to wear a wetsuit, however the two most important ones are: protection and warmth. Wetsuits are made of neoprene, which is a durable, water-resistant insulant. It can help you retain your body temperature so that you don’t get hypothermia, or at least you won’t leave the water shivering. It can also provide some superficial protection from the sun’s UV rays and sharp corals or rocks.

These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even begun to talk about how it can provide extra grip on the surfboard, reduce rashes from the surfboard, or allow you to surf for much longer. We talk about all of these benefits and more in greater detail below, so be sure to read on.

Wetsuit benefits for surfers

Warmth

Water is extremely good at cooling our bodies – about 25x more effective than air, in fact. That means that any water temperature that is lower than our core body temperature of 36.5–37 °C (97.7–98.6 °F) is actually causing us to be colder very quickly.

Without a wetsuit, you probably couldn’t stay in the water for more than an hour before you start shivering. Even 30°C (86°F) tropical waters can cause you to eventually be cold – if not from the water temperature, then from the wind chill you’ll be exposed to. Any colder and you risk hypothermia without a wetsuit.

Wearing a wetsuit can help you retain a higher core temperature. To briefly summarize how wetsuits work, they trap a thin film of water inside, and that water is warmed up by your core temperature. It’s thanks to the insulating properties from the neoprene material of the wetsuit that the heat doesn’t escape from the wetsuit so that you can enjoy this warm layer of water.

As we just explained, even when surfing in warm water, it’s not a bad idea to wear a wetsuit. Wearing a wetsuit allows you to surf for longer because you won’t get cold as quickly, if at all.

Furthermore, wearing a wetsuit also allows you to surf in colder waters than you normally could, which means you can surf at different locations at different times of the year. You might have to wear a thicker wetsuit (5mm+) depending on how cold the water is, however.

Lastly, a wetsuit is only effective if it fits you tight. Otherwise, cold water will continuously enter and flush out the layer of warm water, making it impossible for you to retain heat.

Superficial protection

Perhaps it’s too much of a stretch to claim that the wetsuit is like body armor, however it can certainly act like a second layer of much thicker skin. Though its primary function is to keep you warm, it can provide some level of superficial protection to surfers.

For instance, if you are surfing over a rocky bottom or coral reef, a wetsuit might be able to save you from a nasty cut. The ocean floor is like a cheese grater, so you had best layer up if you want to prevent getting sliced up.

Wetsuits can also protect you from some aggressive sea life. If you encounter smaller creatures like jellyfish, sea lice, or bluebottles, the neoprene can protect you from their nasty stings or bites. That said, your hands, feet, and head are still exposed, so don’t go wading through jellyfish infested waters. Oh, and neoprene won’t save you from a shark attack either, so be wary of sharks in the area.

Lastly, one last bit of protection you need is from the big yellow guy up in the sky. The sun’s UV rays can actually be reflected from the surface of the water which amplifies the amount that hits your skin. Thankfully, wetsuits are designed to absorb most of these UV rays so that they never reach your skin. That said, again, wetsuits don’t cover every square inch of your body, so you need to apply surf zinc to areas of skin that are still exposed.

Decrease the chances of a surf rash

If you’ve ever tried surfing shirtless, then you know how easy and painful it is to get a surf rash. In fact, it’s more likely that you will get injured from your surfboard rather than from the ocean itself.

Now, you don’t necessarily need a wetsuit to provide protection against board rashes; that’s what rash vests are for. If the weather permits, you might want to only wear a rashie instead.

Even though a wetsuit can prevent you from getting a board rash, ironically, a wetsuit can give you a wetsuit rash. You can fix this in a couple of ways. First, you can wear your rashie underneath the wetsuit. Second, you can rub petroleum jelly (i.e. Vaseline) to the sensitive parts of your skin where rashes are flaring up. We highly recommend you read our articles on wetsuit rash and surf rash to learn more.

Helps you stay afloat

The reason why wetsuits are such good insulators is also why wetsuits can help you stay afloat. Inside the neoprene, air bubbles are trapped which insulates heat and also makes the wetsuit buoyant. Combined with the fact that you are surfing in salt water which is more buoyant than fresh water, then you can basically stay afloat with almost no effort when wearing a wetsuit.

This is especially useful when you’ve wiped out or are taking a hard beating because you can conserve energy and stay safe. Naturally, the thicker your wetsuit, the more buoyant it is because there will be even more air bubbles trapped in a thicker piece of neoprene. With that said, even a 3/2 wetsuit will make you extremely buoyant, so you do not need a thicker one just to help you stay afloat.

Superior UV protection

Are you tired of having to reapply so much surf zinc? Also, if you are surfing shirtless, it would be futile to apply it to the front of your body considering how quickly it would be rubbed off when pressed against the surfboard.

However, when your skin is exposed to hours under the sun, it will take a beating from the harmful UV rays. Even if it’s scorching hot outside and you would rather not layer up, you need to have some kind of sun protection otherwise you will get badly sunburned.

Enter the wetsuit. Wetsuits don’t just keep you warm in the water, but they can also double as a protective layer against superficial injuries and even the sun’s UV rays. The material that wetsuits are made of, neoprene, provide increased UV resistance so that the UV rays cannot penetrate through and reach your skin.

Furthermore, most wetsuits are black. This happens naturally as part of the manufacturing process when carbon black is added to strengthen the neoprene, however the color black also has the benefit of absorbing the most light which means sunlight is unlikely to reach your skin.

Next, wetsuits are available in varying thicknesses, and you can wear a 2mm or even 1 mm wetsuit instead. Wetsuits also come in various styles, and if a full wetsuit is too much, then you can get a short wetsuit instead with short leggings and sleeves. You can even only wear a wetsuit top. There are many ways to wear a wetsuit without overheating.

Boost your mental state

If research in behavioral psychology is to be believed, then wearing a wetsuit and simply looking like a surfer can improve your surfing performance. This might be a hard pill to swallow whether you actually have surfing experience or not, but it tends to be true.

Heck, even shaving most of your body hair so that you feel like you’re gliding the water has been demonstrated to improve performance.

The implications of this goes far beyond surfing. Uniforms and improved performance have a connection, and it’s like the saying goes: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”, or more colloquially, “Fake it until you make it.”

Wearing a wetsuit would not only affect how you feel about yourself, but how others perceive you. This, in turn, reinforces a positive mental state – you feel like a pro, others think you look like a pro, therefore you feel like even more of a pro.

Now, obviously, there are limits to how much of a performance boost you can get. For instance, just because you are wearing a white lab coat doesn’t make you gain the knowledge of a scientist. Same with surfers wearing a wetsuit. However, it might give you the confidence to try harder because you feel you are protected by the wetsuit, and you look like you know what you are doing.

When so much of our performance is linked to our mental state, then conversely, not wearing a wetsuit might actually harm you psychologically. If you feel like, without a wetsuit, your body is exposed to all sorts of dangers (it actually is) and that you cannot give it your all lest you suffer an injury, then you will perform worse than someone who believes they are doing better thanks to their wetsuit.

Anyways, you might believe this section is complete nonsense, however wetsuits provide enough benefits based on their own merits that they should practically be a required garment for most surfers. And if they happen to also improve your mental state, then that’s yet another benefit to take advantage of.

When should you wear a wetsuit for surfing?

It’s quite obvious that you should wear a wetsuit if the water is cold, however we also brought up many benefits that a wetsuit can provide even when it’s warmer. Plus, no water what the temperature, a wetsuit will also generally provide protection against rashes, cuts, and UV rays.

If you are not sure if you need a wetsuit or not, it’s better to err on the side of caution and wear one anyways. It’s much better to have a wetsuit but not need it than the other way around. The only major downside of wearing a wetsuit is that you might overheat when you’re out of the water, but as long as you’re in the water, you should be fine.

Let’s go over some examples of when you might want to wear a wetsuit for surfing.

When the water temperature is too cold. People are always shocked when, in the middle of summer, they end up shivering after surfing for an hour because the water plus wind chill has caused their core temperature to drop significantly. Surfing should be comfortable and fun, and there shouldn’t be an arbitrary time limit of an hour or less because it’s too cold for you even in tropical waters.
When there are sharp rocks or corals. Sometimes you’ll get tossed off your board and you might come into contact with the hard ocean floor. There might also be sharp corals or rocks that could easily tear your skin up. It’s lights out if you hit your head, which is why some surfers wear helmets.
When there is dangerous sea life. By dangerous, we mean the smaller creatures that can sting or bite you. Don’t expect to offer any noteworthy protection from sharks, however.
When other surfers are wearing a wetsuit. Even if you feel fine without a wetsuit but you happen to notice everyone else wearing a wetsuit, they may know something you don’t. If you’re surfing at a new location, trust the locals’ judgment and wear a wetsuit just in case.
When you want to be more buoyant and conserve energy. While a wetsuit is not a personal flotation device, in some ways it provides similar benefits. We do not advocate heading into the water at all if you’re not a strong swimmer, but everyone can benefit from conserving their energy while treading water. Wetsuits will help you stay afloat which is both a safety feature and a huge convenience.

When can you surf without a wetsuit?

It sounds suspiciously like we are always advocating surfers wear a wetsuit. Is that the case? No, certainly not. There are times when you don’t need to wear a wetsuit. However, unless you have some surfing experience, you should be erring on the side of caution.

You can consider forgoing a wetsuit if you know the break you will be surfing really well and can avoid all of its risks.

Also, you can surf without a wetsuit if the conditions are idyllic. That means that the water temperature is warm, the water visibility is high and you can clearly see where there are corals, rocks, or any other dangers, there is no risk of sea life, and the majority of surfers are also not wearing a wetsuit. Sometimes this does happen, and you might decide not to wear a wetsuit on those days.

Depending on how the weather is, wearing a wetsuit might cause you to overheat. Heat stroke is as legitimate a risk as hypothermia is, so you should do everything in your power to avoid that as well. Try not to spend too much time out of the water with your wetsuit on; either be in the water or at least remove the top half of the wetsuit and let your torso breathe when out of the water.

Even if you are not wearing a wetsuit, that does not mean that you should surf shirtless. You should still have a layer of protection in the form of a rash vest which can offer protection against board rash and the sun, as well as limited protection against jellyfish stings.

What are some downsides to wearing a wetsuit for surfing?

It’s quite clear that we are in favor of wearing a wetsuit. However, nothing is perfect, and wetsuits have their fair share of downsides which we will cover in more detail in this section. With that said, we feel the benefits far outweigh the downsides which is we are advocates of always wearing a wetsuit while surfing.

Let’s go over some reasons why somebody might not want to wear a wetsuit:

A wetsuit can restrict your movements. Wetsuits, even ones designed for surfing, will restrict your movement. There’s no getting around this at the moment. The material is designed to keep you warm by trapping water inside. Expect your movements to be negatively impacted either by the tightness of the wetsuit or the water inside. With that said, wetsuits should not be so tight as to restrict your breathing or blood flow, so if that’s happening then it might be a case of an ill-fitting wetsuit.
It increases the risk of heat stroke. Sometimes wetsuits can be too good at their job, particularly when you’re surfing in a tropical climate. On top of that, surfing is a high-intensity workout that should naturally raise your body temperature. We really cannot say how you will be affected since everybody is different, but if you are afraid of the heat, then wear a rash vest instead.
It can be expensive even if you’re renting. Wetsuits, particularly good ones, can be quite expensive. In order to save money, you might decide to rent. However, typically you will need to put down a deposit that can be as high as the price of the wetsuit. If you happen to damage the wetsuit in any way, the rental shop may simply keep the deposit and it will be as if you purchased the wetsuit anyway. If you know you will be surfing a lot, it might be better to save up money to just buy your own wetsuit outright.
Possibility of an allergic skin reaction. If you aren’t getting a wetsuit rash due to friction, there is a possibility you are getting one due to an allergic reaction. In that case, you will have to look for a wetsuit made from a different material or you might not be able to wear a wetsuit at all.
Maintenance is required. This is not a problem if you’re renting, but if you own your own wetsuit, then you need to take good care of it both in and out of the water. That means to rinse it with freshwater after each use, clean it with a wetsuit cleaner when it starts to get smelly, and hang it up properly using a wetsuit rack in a location away from direct sunlight. If you find any of these steps to be too much of a hassle, then you will soon have a brittle, creased, moldy wetsuit that is unusable.
A wetsuit can be hard to don and doff. Wetsuits are designed to be tight, so they can be a chore to put on (ever tried wearing skinny jeans? Putting on a wetsuit can be similar if not a lot worse). It’s especially bad if you don’t know how to keep sand out or if you get water inside the wetsuit, increasing the friction before you put it on. It’s also really bad if you suddenly feel the urge to use the bathroom. There are some tricks you can do such as putting a plastic bag on your hands and feet to help them slip through the arm and leg openings. In general, putting on a wetsuit can be quite an involved process if you don’t yet have a preferred method.

Parting words

If you plan on surfing regularly, then investing in a good wetsuit is crucial. When deciding on a wetsuit, it’s important to consider the water temperature, climate, and possible hazards you might face in the water. Knowing these details will help you decide the style of wetsuit, its thickness, and any other features you might want.

Surfers tend to wear wetsuits because they provide so many advantages. In addition to keeping you warm, it can also protect you from UV rays, prevent surf rash, help you stay afloat, and may even boost your performance by improving your mental state.

With that said, there are some downsides to wetsuits – the cost, maintenance, and the risk of overheating, to name a few. However, many of these risks can be mitigated with some careful planning. Furthermore, the benefits that wetsuits provide outweigh any risks associated.

As long as you find a suit that fits you snug, keeps you warm, and doesn’t give you a wetsuit rash, then it’s probably better for surfers to wear a wetsuit than not.

How to Treat and Prevent Wetsuit Rash

Wetsuit rashes are most commonly experienced by surfers, but they can affect anybody in any sport as long as they are wearing a wetsuit.

When I first started surfing, I was young, felt invincible, and ignored any discomfort I had felt. I remember the rashes were rampant; I had them on the back of my neck, under my armpits, behind my knees, across my torso.

Eventually it got to a point that I was in total agony and I had to stop. My story is not uncommon, and many surfers regularly wonder what are the optimal wetsuit rash treatments and prevention methods.

The solutions are straightforward: you can stop or prevent wetsuit rashes by wearing a well-fitting surfer wetsuit with blind stitched and taped seams, wearing a rash vest with leggings or compression shorts, using anti-chafe cream, and wearing a wetsuit made with softer neoprene.

To treat wetsuit rashes, you should apply vaseline or a healing ointment such as the baby product used for diaper rashes (seriously). It’s also recommended that you stop surfing for a day or two to let the rash heal. After a while, your skin will eventually toughen up and hopefully you won’t have to deal with rashes anymore.

In the sections below, we will go over in greater detail what wetsuit rashes are, how you can treat and prevent them, as well as some other interesting information pertaining to wetsuit rashes. Furthermore, each point described above will be expanded upon so you can better understand how and why they are effective solutions.

What is a wetsuit rash?

Wetsuit rashes are rashes that develop due to the skin rubbing against the wetsuit repetitively until it causes inflammation and micro-tears.

Thankfully, many modern wetsuits are good at avoiding wetsuit rashes because they are minimally seamed or they have been blindstitched and taped which is a construction method that is waterproof and less likely to cause rashes.

With that said, one misaligned cut or loose seam and that area can cause severe irritation. The most commonly affected areas are the back of your neck, armpits, thighs, torso, and back. Some surfers have been permanently scarred due to the many years of dealing with wetsuit rashes.

Is wetsuit rash the same as surf rash?

Well, the answer to this question depends on how pedantic you are.

Sometimes “surf rash” and “wetsuit rash” are used interchangeably, however, in my opinion they are not the same.

Surfing is not the only sport where the participants wear a wetsuit. If you were scuba diving and got a rash, you would not say that you got a surf rash, you would say you got a wetsuit rash.

Obviously if you were surfing and your wetsuit happened to give you a rash, then fine, call it a surf rash. Even I don’t care enough to argue this point.

However, a wetsuit rash is technically a rash that flared up due to your skin rubbing against a wetsuit, and a surf rash is technically a rash that flared up due to your skin rubbing against the surfboard.

Since surfing is a sport where getting some kind of skin rash is rampant, that’s why there is a specific term called surf rash. Surfers need to learn how to take better care of their skin!

How to prevent wetsuit rash

Get a wetsuit that fits

The primary purpose of a wetsuit is to keep you warm. That said, it can only keep you warm if it fits you snug. These two factors are actually one and the same. And, actually, a snug fit can provide a whole lot more than that: comfort, better range of motion, and the most pertinent to this article, it can reduce the chances of getting a wetsuit rash.

How does a well fitting wetsuit reduce chafing? Any folds in the wetsuit is a location that can chafe against your skin. You get rid of the folds, you reduce chafing. However, this is not a foolproof method.

Furthermore, the “right” fit is different for each person. Not every brand will carry wetsuits with a good fit for your body type. It’s important to try out different wetsuit brands to see which ones tend to make wetsuits that fit your body shape.

If you are buying a wetsuit online, it is even more important to review the size chart for each wetsuit brand because a “small” in one brand may not be quite the same as a “small” in another brand. It’s very important to read the customer reviews to see if anybody recommends sizing up or down for a better fit.

I recommend you go to a physical store and try on a wetsuit for more accuracy. Be very sure that you are comfortable with a wetsuit before you take it out into the water. Most stores’ return policy states that as soon as the wetsuit has been worn in the water then they will no longer accept returns.

Get a surfer wetsuit

We need to make this distinction: you should get a wetsuit specifically designed for surfing. For example, there is a difference between a scuba diving wetsuit and a surfing wetsuit.

Wearing a sport specific wetsuit can help you perform better at the activity you will be doing. If you happen to have a scuba wetsuit already but want to wear it for surfing or vice versa, you will not get the performance you want.

Allow me to illustrate. A surfing wetsuit can reduce chafing because it is designed to be more flexible and mobile at the cost of insulation – mobility is more of a priority for surfers. Conversely, a scuba wetsuit prioritizes insulation but is likely to be thicker and less flexible than a surfing wetsuit – it is better to be warm while scuba diving than mobile.

There are even differences in the zipper placement. A surfing wetsuit has the zipper in the back so that it doesn’t get in the way when you’re lying flat against the board. Scuba wetsuits will have the zipper in the front so that it doesn’t get in the way of the scuba tanks.

I am often asked if it’s okay to wear a scuba diving/swimming/water skiing/kayaking/fishing wetsuit for surfing instead of a surfing wetsuit. It seems like my answer is no, but actually it depends on your situation.

If you are young or tight on cash and you already have a wetsuit from another sport, then in the meantime, it’s the most cost effective option to reuse what you already have. It’s not like it’s the end of the world if you use the “wrong” wetsuit for surfing. However, expect to be restricted in movement and possibly covered in rashes.

Make sure your wetsuit “seams” good

It’s not really the neoprene material of the wetsuit giving you rashes but rather the interior seams of the wetsuit. Seams are the joints between different pieces of neoprene that make up your wetsuit. Depending on how they are stitched together, they are the most common areas where you can get rashes.

There are numerous ways to join wetsuit panels. You have: stitching, gluing, welding, and taping. Oftentimes many of these methods are used in combination for a better seal. As mentioned, a good seal will prevent water from leaking in which keeps you warm, but they can also prevent rashes.

If your wetsuit is chafing, check the seams in the corresponding interior area that’s rubbing against your skin. Look for bumpy or raised seams, loose taping, deteriorated joints, or cracked welds.

In general, the less seams your wetsuit has (i.e. it is only made with a few panels of neoprene), then the less likely there will be water leaks and wetsuit rashes. Conversely, if your wetsuit is made from many panels of neoprene, it will have more seams, which increases the likelihood of leaks and chafing.

Rub petroleum jelly on your skin

By rubbing a lubricant on your skin, you can reduce the chances of developing rashes from chafing. The most popular product is Vaseline, but there are other products out there such as BodyGlide.

These products come in compact versions that make them easy to bring when traveling. Plus, they are versatile because you can use them for many sports other than surfing, such as running, cycling, hiking, triathlons, you name it. They are easy to apply, stay on for a long time, and they just work. They are also readily available in most sports stores.

When I first started surfing, if I wasn’t getting a rash from the wetsuit then it was from the surfboard. I started putting Vaseline on my most commonly affected areas (neck and under the armpits) and switched over to wearing rash vests when it was warm enough.

Sometimes I would forget to bring my Vaseline and I would go out of my way to buy another jar instead of trying to tough it out. I get Vietnam flashbacks whenever I think about my skin getting rubbed raw and refuse to go surfing without some kind of protection.

Wear a rash vest

If the weather is warm enough, instead of showing more skin, you should instead swap from a wetsuit to a rash vest and leggings/compression shorts. As the name suggests, rash vests are thin shirts that provide a layer of protection from rashes, skin irritation, and the sun’s UV rays.

Unlike wetsuits, they are not effective at keeping you warm, but their other benefits are great. With that said, you can wear them under a wetsuit to prevent chafing. You can also wear compression shorts or leggings to protect your legs from chafing.

There are many rash guard designs. To reduce chafing, we recommend getting a form-fitting short or long sleeve rash guard with no zippers (zippers can cause chafing).

If you prefer a looser fit, then that is certainly doable. However, a looser fit means that you cannot wear it under a wetsuit because then the folds would become a source of irritation which defeats the purpose.

Don’t wear your wetsuit or rash vest for too long

Although your wetsuit or rash vest might seem like appropriate wear for the beach, you should not wear it for too long before or after surfing.

It might seem annoying to swap to another set of swimwear; what if you still wanted to hang around with friends and family on the beach? I remember being younger and hanging out with some old buddies, having snacks, playing on the beach and just having a good time without ever taking my wetsuit off. Little did I know this contributed to my chafing. I almost regret it, but those were some good times.

You see, the longer you’re wearing your wetsuit – seeing as how it is the source of your chafing – the more your skin gets rubbed for longer. Plus, wetsuits aren’t intended to be worn for long distance cycling, playing soccer, or to be worn for long periods of time.

Therefore, if you decide to wear your wetsuit for any activities before or after surfing, know that you’re just putting yourself at greater risk of wetsuit rash. Just wear the wetsuit for surfing only and take it off as soon as possible.

Wash your wetsuit thoroughly

I hope this is something you are already doing, and this section serves as a friendly reminder to not skimp out.

Whether you were in saltwater or freshwater, you should rinse your wetsuit with fresh water after each session and then hang it in a well-ventilated location away from direct sunlight using wetsuit racks to fully dry before storing it.

All of this is crucial because you can get a wetsuit rash if your wetsuit is dirty, not just from the seams rubbing against your skin. The salt in saltwater can irritate your skin. Any leftover moisture can result in mold growth. Plus, let’s be honest, you’ve also peed in your wetsuit. If you haven’t at least rinsed it, then it will quickly become stinky, unsanitary, and give you a skin rash as well.

Quickly break in a new wetsuit

The first few times you’re wearing a new wetsuit, it will probably be a little too stiff for your liking. It might feel like you don’t quite have the flexibility you want, and so you may find it hard to perform the same motions you usually do. You might also think that the wetsuit is a little too tight and that the seams are pressing too hard against your skin, causing it to chafe.

While there is certainly the possibility that this wetsuit is too tight, it’s also likely that you just need to break in the wetsuit. Breaking in a wetsuit means that you wear it and move around in it so that it loosens up. It’s the same concept for when you buy new shoes, new jeans, or anything that can be worn.

To speed up the breaking in process, you can specifically do some light stretches or some exaggerating movements during your warmup routine. This can help stretch out some of the tight material and increase your flexibility.

We’re going to contradict one of our previous points and recommend you wear the wetsuit for as long as you can, including even out of the water, if you really want to speed up the breaking in process. You just need to use it a bunch until it gets loosened up and then perhaps it will feel more comfortable and stop giving you rashes.

Lastly, wetsuits don’t last forever. Maybe you have an old wetsuit that you’ve been using for years that you love but it is starting to get a little thin. It’s probably a good time to get a new wetsuit that can insulate you better, but you will have to go through the breaking in process all over again.

Wear a wetsuit made with softer neoprene

Water sports gear manufacturers are always innovating and improving their products, and there have been some advancements made in wetsuit technology in recent years. Neoprene, the primary material used in the construction of a wetsuit, has gotten softer and more comfortable while retaining its insulating benefits.

At this point, we can confidently say all of the major surfing brands have made great strides in their wetsuit technology and are making their wetsuits using this improved neoprene, at least for their high-end wetsuits. Typically, the more expensive wetsuits will be more flexible, comfortable, with superior insulating capabilities.

That said, none of this matters unless the wetsuit fits your body shape. Do not spend huge amounts of money on the first wetsuit you find. Try out various brands and see which brand tends to make wetsuits that fit you the best.

Pay attention to neck chafing

We have mentioned that the back of the neck is one of the most common areas to experience surf rash. There are many reasons for this. The most obvious one is that surfing requires lots of head movements, which provides plenty of opportunities for the neck to rub against the collar of the wetsuit.

Another reason is that the neck area has to be tight to reduce water flow. This is necessary so that the wetsuit can keep you warm and is part of the reason why wetsuits should fit you snug.

Next, the neck is simply a sensitive area of the body, and many wetsuits have zippers and velcro that zip all the way up or fasten around the neck.

Knowing these facts, there are some tips you can follow to reduce chafing around the neck. First is to pay particular attention to the zipper/velcro and try to position them in such a way that they do not reach your neck. If this is not possible, you need to get a different wetsuit. You can also use Vaseline to make your skin smoother, reducing the friction and the chances of chafing.

Don your wetsuit away from sand

As Anakin Skywalker so famously said: “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere.” I concur wholeheartedly.

Memes aside, you need to be very careful changing into your wetsuit when there is sand nearby. A few specks of sand rubbing against your skin is enough to cause surf rash over an entire surfing session.

If you are standing on sand, even if you’re dry, it will be nearly impossible to keep specks of sand from getting inside the wetsuit.

When I was younger, this was a mistake I made all of the time. I always wondered why there was always sand and sometimes even small sticks or even leaves inside of my wetsuit. They were really irritating!

Change into your wetsuit away from sand and you will reduce the likelihood of getting any surf rashes.

Summary

Make wetsuit rash a thing of the past by following the straightforward and practical tips provided in this article. You may have already heard of some of them, but some of them may be new to you.

The best thing you can do for yourself to prevent wetsuit rash is to get a wetsuit with blindstitched and glued or taped seams. It’s also imperative that the wetsuit fits you snug. Make sure that you’re not just getting any wetsuit, but rather one that is specifically designed for surfing.

We also highly recommend always bringing a travel size jar of Vaseline. By applying Vaseline over the problem areas that tend to experience wetsuit rash (e.g. back of the neck, under the armpits), you can decrease friction and therefore reduce chafing.

Some slight changes in behavior can also do wonders for preventing wetsuit rash. Do you usually wear your wetsuit for long periods of time? Try taking it off as soon as you’re done surfing. Do you usually change into a wetsuit while standing on sand? You are introducing sand inside the wetsuit which can chafe your skin.

Over time, your skin will naturally toughen up and you will experience wetsuit rash less often. However, until that happens and even afterwards, you should still follow these tips to ensure you remain rash free. And if you do happen to suffer from a nasty rash, we recommend rubbing healing ointment on it and taking a day or two off to let it heal. Good luck and happy surfing!

How to Treat and Prevent Surf Rash

Many surfers really dislike wearing a wetsuit. Wearing a still-damp and cold wetsuit at 6 am in the morning is a bitter pill to swallow and not having to deal with it sounds like a dream. With warm, tropical waves, you can ditch the wetsuit, but now there’s something else to worry about: surf rash.

Ever felt like your skin was getting rubbed by something abrasive while surfing, and then seeing a bunch of pesky red spots or rashes all over your torso and thighs? Then you’ve already experienced a surf rash. If you plan on surfing without a wetsuit, it’s something you need to be aware of so you can avoid it. Thankfully, surf rash is easily treatable, and what’s more, it can be prevented. By wearing a rash vest, applying ointment to affected areas, or taking time off, you can treat and prevent surf rash from flaring up.

In this article, we’ll discuss ways that you can treat surf rash if you’ve already got it, as well as how you can prevent it from occurring in the first place.

What is surf rash?

Surf rash is a superficial ailment that most surfers have had the displeasure of experiencing at some point or another. To put it simply, it is a mild skin abrasion. It commonly occurs to surfers that use foam boards as the friction is higher.

We need to make the distinction that surf rash is not the same as wetsuit rash. A wetsuit rash is the result of the wetsuit rubbing against your skin. A surf rash is caused by bare skin rubbing against your surfboard or board shorts.

Here’s how surf rashes can flare up. When skin is exposed to saltwater, it softens up and becomes extra sensitive. Skin becomes susceptible to micro-abrasions caused by repetitive friction against the surfboard, wax, stomp pad, wetsuit, and even from board shorts.

Additionally, tiny, abrasive sea salts in salt water can also contribute to surf rash. Over time one’s skin will develop red, bumpy rashes – that’s surf rash. The weakened skin will experience pain, inflammation, and in bad cases, a superficial wound.

If you’re lucky, a surf rash will be nothing more than a mildly painful rash that goes away on its own if you stop surfing. However, if you ignore it and continue surfing, then the surf rash can develop into a full-on staph infection. Either treat it properly or stop surfing for a while!

Thankfully, surf rash can be easily treated, and what’s more, you can prevent it in the first place. So don’t let this unfortunate ailment stop you from surfing, read on to learn how to deal with surf rash.

What causes surf rash?

Sometimes surf rash just comes and goes, and some surfers have struggled with rashes on and off for years. What exactly is going on that causes surfrash to appear sporadically?

When I first started surfing, I thought the rashes were the side effect of too many consecutive mornings and evenings spent surfing in a wetsuit.

Then I moved over to wearing a rash vest, but I still felt a searing pain on my thighs after surfing and thought that the culprit was low quality materials from a pair of cheap board shorts I purchased in Thailand.

Even not that long ago, I thought the rashes on my chest and under my armpits was wax irritating my skin and giving me the worst upper body wax session known to man. I would eventually just shave most of the hair off my body to prevent this.

Now that I know what I know, while I wasn’t too far off the mark with my initial thoughts (i.e. that friction against wetsuits, board shorts, and surfboard wax were irritating my skin), unfortunately there’s still not much I could do about it because the underlying problem was more all-encompassing and basically unavoidable.

That is, surf rash occurs when the skin is softened after it is exposed to saltwater and the tiny, abrasive sea salts rubbing against the skin.

Particularly if you’re new to surfing, your skin will become extremely sensitive, and the repetitive motion of your skin rubbing against the surfboard, board shorts, and wetsuit can cause inflammation, pain, and micro-tears on your skin.

Basically, if you’re in the ocean and your skin is rubbing against something, chances are high that you will develop a surf rash in those areas.

That’s why the focus of the next section is to educate you on ways you can protect your skin from surf rash.

How to prevent surf rash

There is no way to completely prevent surf rash from occurring; it’s just an unavoidable part of surfing. Even tiny changes like switching your wetsuit, wax, or returning to surfing after a long break can cause surf rash to flare up.

As annoying as surf rash sounds, thankfully our body is incredibly resilient. Over time, the areas of skin that are exposed to friction will toughen up and then surf rash will not become an issue anymore. However, until that happens, you need to take care of your skin as it gets accustomed to the conditions.

In this section we provide some basic steps you can follow to drastically decrease your chances of getting a surf rash so you can avoid it from the get-go.

Stop using wax comb. A wax comb provides extra traction on your board and is often used for cold water surfing. For warm water surfing, without having a few millimeters of neoprene between your skin and the board, the wax that is normally so helpful in cold water will tear your skin. Trust me when I say you do not want to experience this first hand, so just take my advice. You don’t want to use wax comb for warm water surfing.

Wear a rash guard. Well golly gee, am I telling you that in order to prevent surf rash, you should wear the product that is literally designed to help prevent rashes? You betcha. If you didn’t know about rash guards, now you do, so please consider wearing one if you are constantly suffering from rashes. Make sure it fits you well. Rash guards even have the added benefit of protecting you from the sun. Just don’t expect them to keep you warm – that’s not what they’re designed for.

Wear surf leggings or compression shorts. Rash guards only protect your torso, but what about your legs? Many people get surf rash from their board shorts rubbing against their thighs, so the easiest solution are surf leggings or compression shorts under your board shorts. Even regular yoga/workout leggings will do; just have an extra layer between your skin and the abrasive surface.

Wear a thinner wetsuit. In case you’re worried about overheating, you can get wetsuits thinner than the usual 3/2 thickness. They are still just as effective as any other wetsuit at preventing surf rash as long as you buy ones with blind stitched and taped seams. Otherwise, the seams can become a source of irritation for your skin which defeats the purpose.

Apply a layer of lubricating ointment. If there are some sensitive areas that you suspect will develop a surf rash, then apply some lubricating ointment (e.g. Vaseline) before a rash flares up. Common areas are around your neck, collar, and armpit areas. If you’re wearing a new wetsuit, we recommend doing this as well.

Develop tougher skin. The more your skin is exposed to these conditions, the tougher your skin will get. After a week or two, you will hopefully stop getting a surf rash. The tips provided above can help you toughen up your skin with significantly less or no discomfort.

How to treat surf rash

Sometimes, even after doing everything you can to prevent surf rash, you can still get a minor flare up. In this section, we will go over how you can treat your surf rash so that it heals quickly and doesn’t worsen into something more severe.

Keep in mind that this is general advice and we are not doctors so you follow this advice at your own risk; if you feel that your surf rash is extremely painful or you suspect something is wrong, go see a doctor right away.

Surf rash creams/ointments

As a surfer, you’ll need a good healing ointment as much as you need sunscreen. Treating irritated skin immediately after a surf session is the fastest way you can set yourself on the path to healing.

Surf rashes start out as shallow wounds and, if they are not exposed to any more abrasion, will heal after a day or two. To facilitate faster healing, you should rinse the affected areas with clean water and then apply your preferred ointment (e.g. moisturizing cream or healing ointment) on the rashes.

Some examples of products you can use are Lucas' Papaw Ointment, Aquaphor Healing Ointment (yes, the baby product), and how could we not mention Vaseline.

If you prefer natural solutions, then consider using Aloe Vera Gel. Not only does it offer nice pain relief from your surf rash by soothing the stinging, but it also feels cool to the touch which is soothing in its own way. It’s also a great option for treating sunburned skin.

These are not necessarily the best and may not even be available where you live, so don’t limit yourself to only these brands. Just be careful when applying ointment before your surf session; any ointment that leaks out onto the board will make it extra slippery.

Let surf rash heal before surfing again

I know it’s a little blasphemous for me to recommend not surfing, but I’m going to do it anyway because it’s good advice for someone who is in agony. Despite that, this is perhaps the single most ignored piece of advice in all of surfing history.

In a keen surfer’s mind, the phrase “stop surfing” doesn’t exist so they’ll lather a layer of ointment on their surf rash and then grimace as they bear the pain of their skin getting torn apart over and over again.

We all know why this is a bad idea, but it just needs to be said for the record. By continuing to surf in spite of your worsening pain, you are exposing a fresh wound to more salt water and not allowing it to heal.

What may have only been a minor problem that would have healed on its own can actually worsen and deepen, turning a once shallow surf rash into something more severe.

It can be painful watching your friends load up their boards and leave you twiddling your thumbs at home – FOMO, the fear of missing out, is a drag indeed – but unless you want to be sidelined for even longer long term, letting a rash heal before you resume surfing is the fastest way for you to get back in the action.

Parting words

Unfortunately, surf rash is something that all surfers will have to deal with from time to time, however, the hardest part is when you’re a beginner and you aren’t sure what the heck is happening that’s causing you to have rash flare ups all over your body.

You can rest easy knowing that surf rash is very common so it’s nothing serious, but if you are not letting it heal, then it can get a lot worse, possibly leading to a staph infection.

Most surf rashes will heal if you give yourself 1-2 days of rest. You can also apply healing ointment or aloe vera gel on it to soothe the pain and speed up the recovery process.

The best way to deal with surf rash is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. You may be tempted to go shirtless in tropical waters, but we recommend you at least wear a rash vest. Having an extra layer between your skin and the surfboard can make all the difference in preventing surf rash.

Also consider wearing leggings instead of board shorts, or even just wear a thinner full wetsuit just so you have that extra layer of protection. You can also apply ointments on your skin underneath the wetsuit so that you do not get wetsuit rash either.

By using common sense and taking some time off when you need to, plus protecting yourself with an extra layer as well as using ointments, you can prevent surf rash from even flaring up in the first place and surf pain-free.

Do Surfers Shave Their Body Hair?

Do you have an abundance of leg hair, chest hair, or overall body hair that you’re thinking about shaving off to improve your surfing performance? Athletes from other sports such as swimming, running, and climbing do it and report advantages from the reduced friction their hairless skin provides, so does the same thing apply to surfing?

Many surfers choose to shave their hair because they feel that it provides a variety of benefits, such as reduced friction, cooler body temperature, decreased likelihood of getting a wetsuit/surf rash or hair pulled out by the wetsuit/surfboard, and the nice sensation of gliding through the water. Others have said that shaving provides little to no benefits, and that you can keep your body hair if you want. The effect seems to be mostly psychological.

Since there are people on both sides arguing over whether surfers should shave or not, it can be unclear what you should do. In this article, we will go over the pros and cons of shaving your leg, chest, beard or overall body hair and help you make an informed decision.

Is it common for surfers to shave their body hair?

Since surfers commonly wear wetsuits to keep warm, and wetsuits need to be tight fitting in order to provide insulation, hairer surfers have no doubt wondered if the wetsuit would pull their hair out or negatively impact their performance in any way.

Some surfers have found their armpit hair would often get painfully tugged on by their wetsuit, so they shaved only their armpits. Others had issues with their leg hair getting pulled when wearing a full wetsuit, so they shaved their legs, and so on.

Some surfers also report no issues surfing with all of their body hair intact with no noticeable increase or decrease in their performance. Opinions are divided, and therefore, you will get groups of people saying they do shave their body hair and people who say it doesn’t matter.

Furthermore, many female surfers shave their body hair, but women tend to shave for reasons outside of surfing, so it’s not really a point of comparison. Men tend to be hairier in the first place, plus it’s a lot more socially acceptable for them to be hairy, perhaps even desirable for men to have leg and chest hair because it’s a “masculine” trait. Societal pressure plays an influence in whether a surfer shaves, but whether you will allow it to dictate whether you keep your body hair is up to you.

Overall, there are no numbers to back up our assumptions. We are simply using our own anecdotal experiences plus talking to other surfers and reading comments online to get a gauge for whether people shave their body hair specifically for surfing or not. The impression we get is that for every person that swears shaving’s worth doing, there is someone who claims it makes little to no difference at all.

The most practical solution is to not care about what other surfers do and focus on yourself. Do you have any issues with your body hair when surfing? Do you feel like you’re underperforming because of your hair? Then try shaving and see if you notice a difference. If you regret it, your hair will always grow back, so it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

What are the benefits of shaving for surfing?

Less drag

It is well known that swimmers will shave off most of their body hair that isn’t covered in a swim cap or suit before a competition. Even some of their hidden hair is likely to go as well.

The purpose of shaving is to reduce drag which is a minor factor (but every advantage helps in a competition). However, the biggest advantage is actually the sensation of feeling more streamlined underwater, which provides a major psychological boost.

In terms of tangible benefits, with less hair on the body, there will be less friction from the surrounding environment (both water and air). That’s why land-based athletes such as cyclists will also shave for a competition.

That said, it seems the biggest boost is in the mental state. If you feel like you’re gliding through the water, it will give you a psychological advantage and keep one’s spirit’s high, and it actually has a measurable impact on one’s performance.

The same principles apply to surfing as well. If your leg hair is exposed, for instance, then the small amounts of friction the leg hair produces when it comes into contact with air will, in theory, slow you down.

But what happens if you are wearing a full wetsuit and a cap that covers up all of your hair? It’s not like swimmers shave all of their body hair; only hair that is not covered by their swimsuit and swim cap. Then, as long as your body hair isn’t causing you discomfort underneath the wetsuit, it will make a negligible difference.

Stay cool

Sometimes, wetsuits are a little too good at their job of keeping you warm. When you are surfing in hot and humid weather, which is quite common in the tropics, you can find yourself dealing with 86°F (30°C) waters and surface temperatures even higher than that.

Under such temperatures, overheating can become a major risk for surfers – clean shaven or not. If you happen to be as hairy as bigfoot, then your body hair may pose a major risk for you. After all, the purpose of body hair is to keep us warm, and too much of it can make everything you do uncomfortable.

If you feel that you are getting punished by the extreme heat, then consider shaving your body hair to regulate your temperature better.

Don and doff your wetsuit more easily

Surfing without an exposure suit is not an option because of how cold the wind chill is, plus it can protect your skin from rashes, UV rays, and other superficial injuries. The benefits are plentiful and impactful, so wetsuits are not something surfers can avoid.

That said, even if wetsuits are essential, it doesn’t mean you enjoy putting it on or taking it off. Anyone who has ever struggled to put on and take off their wetsuit would know that it can truly be a pain.

If you’re hairy, the hair can increase friction and potentially get ripped off or painfully tugged while donning and doffing your wetsuit.

One method surfers use to deal with this is to rub talcum powder on their legs to make donning the wetsuit smoother, however this does nothing for the removal process.

By shaving off your leg hair, you can fit the lower half of your body much easier which makes donning the rest of the wetsuit much easier.

That said, some surfers have had no issues donning their wetsuit despite having hairy legs, so your mileage may vary.

Fewer wetsuit/surf rashes

Rashes of any kind are uncomfortable to say the least. It is caused by friction between your wetsuit/surfboard and skin, and being hairy can increase the friction and therefore your chances of getting a rash.

When you have a wetsuit rash, you will be unable to wear a wetsuit until it heals because of how painful it feels. And without a wetsuit on, you have little protection against the cold which means you cannot surf in any other condition except in warm waters.

It’s no wonder that many surfers want to prevent this situation, so they preemptively shave off their body hair to have fewer wetsuit rashes. That said, it’s still no guarantee that you will be safe from wetsuit or surf rashes, but at least you’ll feel like the water is gliding off your skin.

What are the downsides of shaving body hair and surfing?

Although there seem to be some clear, proven advantages for athletes (surfers included) to shave off their body hair, there are also some disadvantages to doing so.

You might feel cold

Shaving off your body hair can make you feel cooler, which is great for hot summer days, but what if you start to feel too cool? On colder days, the lack of hair on your body can cause you to end your surfing session prematurely because you are shivering. Even if you decide to tough it out, the cold will decrease your performance.

Since body hair plays such an important role in regulating our body temperature, you do not necessarily have to shave off all of it, just the areas that are negatively affecting you. This obviously depends on each individual; some people are warmer than others and have no need to shave their body hair. Others might strategically shave only their armpit and leg hair but keep the rest.

That said, if you’re feeling too cold, it might just be that your wetsuit is too thin and that you should get a thicker one for the temperature you’re surfing at.

Less UV protection

If you’re only wearing a shorty wetsuit, then significant portions of your arms and legs will be exposed to the sun. Hopefully you’re applying reef-safe sunscreen to these areas, because if you’re clean shaven, then you are vulnerable to the sun’s UV rays.

Surfers spend many hours outdoors in direct sunlight, so unless they are diligently applying and reapplying sunscreen when it wears off (or wearing a full wetsuit for the most coverage), then clean-shaven surfers will get sunburned and increase their chances of developing skin cancer.

Increased risk of infection

It can be hard to tell, but shaving doesn’t only remove one’s hair; it also slices off a thin layer of skin as well. You might also nick yourself and create a wound, but even microscopic cuts can appear despite a successful shave. That’s why when you apply aftershave, you will feel a burning sensation.

What does any of this have to do with surfing? Well, the waters are full of nasty bacteria (due to pollution, people peeing and pooping in it, etc.) that, when exposed to fresh wounds, can drastically increase the chances of infection.

For this reason, if you have any open wounds such as from a cut, getting a tattoo, or even from shaving, it’s best you let it heal before exposing it to bacteria-ridden waters.

Dry skin

Lastly, shaving your body hair can result in dry skin. As we mentioned above, shaving removes a thin layer of skin in addition to the body hair. This is not what causes the dry skin, but rather the shaving cream or soap that we use afterwards.

Aftershave and other products like it removes oils from our skin, which is our body’s natural way of keeping the skin from drying out. If you do not apply moisturizer to counteract this, then you will quickly get dry, flaky skin.

The saltwater does our skin no favors either. You ever wonder why drinking salt water makes you thirstier? That’s because salt draws moisture from its environment, and in that case, it would be you. The risk of dry skin, and the risk of infection due to the presence of bacteria, is why you should rinse yourself with freshwater after spending time in the ocean.

Should I shave off my body hair before surfing?

Now that you are aware of the potential risks involved with surfing immediately after shaving, the recommended option if you want to remove your body hair and surf is to wait at least 24 hours after shaving before surfing. In this small amount of time, the micro cuts caused by shaving will have time to heal which reduces your risk of infection.

As for whether it’s worth it overall to shave or not to shave, that will depend entirely on you. If you are a casual surfer, unless your body hair is causing you discomfort due to the increased insulation or by getting tugged on by the wetsuit, there’s not much reason to shave. You might notice a slight performance increase due to reduced drag, if it is even noticeable, but is it worth losing that glorious chest and leg hair for it?

We can completely understand shaving off all one’s body hair for a competition. In that setting, any advantage, even if it’s mostly psychological, is definitely worth taking. If you are a casual surfer, perhaps you, too, enjoy the smooth feeling of being hairless and gliding through the water. In that case, great, by all means shave off your body hair for this sensation.

However, for surfers who are not competing in any events, they may prefer to keep the aesthetic of having chest and leg hair because it’s simply not worth it to them to make this sacrifice in the name of surfing. After weighing the pros and cons of shaving, ultimately the final decision is yours.

Parting words

Many surfers shave their chest hair, leg hair, and so on. Conversely, many surfers don’t and have no issues surfing.

While there is an improvement in performance when one shaves their body hair, it may not be significant enough to warrant losing all of your body hair for if you’re only a casual surfer.

This is a problem that primarily affects men and less so women due to social expectations. Men who don’t have leg or chest hair are often seen as less “masculine.” Similarly, women who don’t shave are seen as unattractive, and therefore they shave to look more “feminine.” This may end up being an advantage for women for surfing and a disadvantage for men.

Some people laugh that this is even a debate. Why not try shaving off your hair, seeing if you like it (or notice an improvement in performance), and making an informed decision yourself? If you end up hating it, you can always wait a few weeks for your hair to regrow. No long-term harm done.

Should I Buy My Own Wetsuit? & How to Buy Used

Wetsuits are a crucial piece of equipment for scuba divers because they provide the necessary insulation to be able to withstand the cold waters for long periods of time. A wetsuit is probably one of the first pieces of scuba gear you’ll buy. However, as important as they are, you don’t technically need to have a wetsuit of your own. Renting is always an option, especially if you travel abroad to dive. So the question is, should you buy a wetsuit of your own or continue renting?

The right answer differs from person to person, however there are many advantages to buying your own wetsuit over renting. For starters, a wetsuit is small enough that it can be rolled up and placed neatly in your luggage or bag when traveling by plane, unlike a scuba tank. Having your own wetsuit also means that it will fit you comfortably each time. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that it’s a lot cleaner since you know what you have done with it and you are responsible for maintaining it. That’s not even all the benefits having your own wetsuit provides.

As you can see, a very strong argument can be made for buying your own wetsuit. However, we would be remiss to recommend this option for everybody; there are also some scenarios where renting would make a lot of sense. In this article, we’ll go over the pros and cons of buying a wetsuit vs. renting, however we are leaning more towards buying your own wetsuit for very good reasons.

Does it make financial sense?

Before we even get to the myriad reasons why you might want to buy or rent a wetsuit, for many people, the deciding factor is simply: which option will save me the most money?

Buying a wetsuit has a higher initial cost, whereas over a long period of time, renting will cost you more money.

The next question to consider, then, is how often you will be diving? For those who dive infrequently, renting makes more sense financially because it could literally take them years before they pay the equivalent in rental fees as the full cost of a wetsuit.

If this infrequent diver had bought a wetsuit, after years of storage and very little usage, they would likely want to replace it anyways. Neoprene rubber, which wetsuits are made of, have a finite lifespan whether you use them or not, especially if they are not stored properly (e.g. left exposed to the sun, causing the colors to fade and the rubber to become brittle). If, by the time they replaced the wetsuit anyways, they had not gotten their money’s worth in terms of usage, then they should have just rented in the first place.

How often do you need to dive before buying a wetsuit actually saves you money in the long run? It depends on how much the rental fees are at the local dive shops where you are diving at.

For example, it can cost you anywhere from $10-30 USD to rent a wetsuit for a day. The cost of a low to mid-range full wetsuit can be $100-400, depending on how much you want to spend. Thus, renting a wetsuit approximately 10 times already costs as much as a decent wetsuit. Plus, a wetsuit of your own can last for years if you properly rinse, dry, and store them.

Thus, you do not even need to be an avid diver to financially justify buying a wetsuit over renting. Unless you dive so infrequently that it’ll take you years before you rack up $200 in total rental costs, you should probably buy a wetsuit.

The (potential) hidden cost of renting

Renting costs more long-term, however it also might be costly in the short-term.

You see, dive shops that provide rental dive gear understand that many customers don’t take good care of the rental equipment because they feel no ownership over it. Thus, dive shops ask for a hefty deposit to discourage abuse.

If you damage the rental gear, you lose that deposit. The deposit can be literally as much as the full cost of the wetsuit. So basically, losing the deposit is kind of like you buying a wetsuit anyways; might as well just buy your own wetsuit in that case.

Now, if you’re a careful diver, you’ll most likely never lose the deposit. However, the risk is always there, and it can make you feel quite fearful. Instead of just focusing on the dive and enjoying it, now you have this paranoia that a sharp coral might suddenly slash the wetsuit, and it’s bye-bye deposit.

If you bought your own wetsuit in the first place, of course the same risk of damaging it doesn’t change. However, at least you could have taken advantage of all the benefits of owning (such as a proper fit, better hygiene, etc.) and not bleeding money by renting this whole time.

Plus, wetsuits can be repaired, and that cost is going to be much cheaper than the fees you would have paid by renting.

Wetsuit pricing

Below is a rough guide on what you can expect to buy within a certain budget. This can further help you decide if it’s financially worth it for you to rent or buy, and how quickly you can break even in terms of saving on rental costs if you decide to buy.

Cost Suit mm Suit Type

$15-$100 None – 0.5mm Bathing suit/rash guard

$100-$300 1mm – 2mm Wetsuit shorty, shirt/shorts

$100-$400 1/2mm – 3mm Wetsuit long sleeve/leg, Farmer John

$100-$660 2/3mm – 4mm Full wet/semi-dry/suit/gloves/boots

$100-$400 3/4mm – 5mm Full wet/semi-dry/suit/gloves/boots

$100-$800 5/7 mm – 7mm Full wet/semi-dry/suit/gloves/boots

$400- $5000 Dry suit Full dry suit/gloves/hood

Buying a used wetsuit to save money

You can have significant savings on wetsuits if you buy used due to how quickly they depreciate in value. This can be a huge benefit if you manage to find a like-new wetsuit because you can get potentially a 50-60% savings off the retail price.

However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. The same issues that you have with renting in terms of getting the right fit, dealing with questionable wetsuit hygiene, or getting a low quality wetsuit is all present when buying a used wetsuit.

First, let’s discuss where you can buy second-hand dive equipment from. You can buy it from a dive shop, but by far the most popular methods are to search on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, and flea markets for a private sale.

Second, you need to consider the wetsuit condition. When was it first purchased? How many years has it been in use for, under what conditions, and how was it maintained?

If you notice that the wetsuit appears to be very thin, that means that it has been compressed and re-compressed many times by the water pressure when diving, meaning it has seen its fair share of use. It may not even properly keep you insulated.

Wetsuits that have been used primarily in pools will be bleached by bleach/chlorine, giving it a faded look and reduced UV protection.

Look for any creases or folds from improperly hanging it to dry (i.e. not using a wetsuit hanger) or folding it such that it has a permanent crease. Also keep an eye out for loose stitching, worn tape/glue, or any other signs of wear and tear on the wetsuit.

You can use any defect as a bargaining tool to try to negotiate a better price from the seller. However, if there are too many defects, you might as well just move on because the wetsuit might not offer you any protection against the cold or UV rays.

It’s up to you whether you want to buy a new wetsuit or a used one. If you can find a wetsuit that is like-new, then it’s definitely worth the price. However, anything longer than a couple of years old, then it becomes more of a gamble.

Ensure a snug and comfortable fit

A wetsuit should fit you tight so that it can properly insulate you from the cold water. It should not be so tight that it restricts your blood flow, but it should not be too loose that the cold water can flush out the warm water inside. An ill-fitting wetsuit is worse than useless; it’s actively detrimental because it increases drag underwater.

As you can see, a well-fitting wetsuit is crucial. That is why you need to spend some time making sure you have a snug and comfortable fit. Finding a wetsuit that fits is an annoying process whether you’re buying or renting a wetsuit, but here’s the key difference: When you buy, you only need to do it one time. When you rent, you have to go through this process every single time.

Unless your weight fluctuates wildly over the months and years, buying a wetsuit to ensure a snug fit will save you time and avoid frustration with getting the right fit. And if a wetsuit doesn’t fit you anymore, perhaps you can use it as motivation to lose some weight before your next dive trip. Worse case scenario, you can pay to have it altered, kind of like how you can get your clothes tailored.

Get the exact specs you want

When you’re renting, you don’t exactly have the largest selection available to you. You might only have a choice between a couple of brands, if you get a choice at all, and the only thing you can really decide is if you want one size or another. Rental companies don’t have the luxury of giving you lots of options because it doesn’t make financial sense for them to do so.

Maybe you want a wetsuit from a certain brand, that looks a certain way, that has a certain style, etc. When you buy your own wetsuit, your options are unlimited (up to a certain price, of course), and there will definitely be something that suits your needs. If you already have an idea of what brand you prefer, that already narrows things down, and you will be able to get the exact specs you want.

Cleanliness

One of the gross things about renting dive gear is that you’re sharing equipment that other people have put in their mouth, drooled or vomited on (in the case of regulators), sweat in, bled and even peed in. In terms of overall hygiene, this is the one argument where buying a wetsuit is clearly the superior option compared to renting.

With your own wetsuit, at least you know that any mess you make is yours. Whether that mess is actually cleaner than other peoples’ messes or not is debatable, but surely you’re comfortable with your own sweat, oils, and urine? Because whether you’re buying or renting, you’re going to be sweating and peeing in that wetsuit. The difference is that rental wetsuits have been worn by others who have also done the same. Are you okay with that?

Do you trust your own ability to sanitize and maintain your wetsuit better than a dive shop employee’s ability to do so? At least with your own, you can take your time and do a thorough job. The dive shop employee has to bulk wash dozens in a tub, and they may not be as thorough as you. Failure to clean a wetsuit properly will allow the bacteria in sweat, urine, and oils to linger and spread.

To be fair, if you do not feel that you can do a good job cleaning and maintaining a wetsuit, or if you feel too lazy to wash and dry your own wetsuit, then renting is a better option for you. If you’re willing to put in a little bit of work, the effort will pay off in the form of financial savings and cleanliness.

Get the highest quality wetsuit available

Not only do you get a choice of whatever wetsuit you want when shopping, but you also get to choose between budget vs. high-end options. In other words, you get to have a level of quality that is much higher than what a rental shop will provide. Naturally, budget is a limiting factor, but if you dive often enough then this may be a worthy investment.

With rental suits, you are getting the bottom of the barrel wetsuits. Dive shops are not looking for high-end, luxury, 5-star wetsuits. They know that people will abuse their equipment, so they would rather order a huge number of lower quality wetsuits so that it’s much easier to replace a damaged one.

That said, wetsuits are not the most sophisticated pieces of dive gear, so a standard wetsuit will suffice even when you’re renting. However, if you want a wetsuit that is comfortable, warm, flexible, stylish, the whole nine yards, then you will have to pay a premium.

Convenience and peace of mind

When you are not restricted to the selection of wetsuits a dive shop offers, you will have much more freedom and peace of mind than ever before. It is simply much more convenient.

For example, if you rent your equipment, then you have to work around the dive shop’s schedule and location. If you want to plan a shore dive, or if you and your buddies spontaneously decide you want to go for a dive, it’s much harder if you don’t own your wetsuit.

Those who own their own wetsuit can get the call or text from their buddies, drive all the way to the dive site and already be underwater literally within an hour. The convenience of always having it available and not having to worry about getting the right fit cannot be understated.

With your own wetsuit, you will have peace of mind knowing that you don’t have to deal with any of the hassles associated with renting. No worrying about damaging it and paying a deposit, no more worrying about getting a snug or comfortable fit, no more worrying about cleanliness or the quality of the wetsuit. When you buy a wetsuit of your own, you can get the same experience each time, and that can be very liberating.

And if, for some reason, you end up regretting your purchase, you can sell it second hand. There’s a thriving market for used scuba equipment, and you can at least recoup some of the costs if your wetsuit is still in good condition.

If you bought your wetsuit online, you might be able to return it for a refund. Depending on the store’s return policy, you may or may not have to pay for return shipping. Most stores have a policy where if the wetsuit touches water, they no longer accept a return, so make sure to test it while it’s still dry so that option to return is still available.

When is renting better?

We are clearly in favor of buying, but renting a wetsuit can also be a viable option depending on the circumstances.

For example, if the wetsuit rental is extremely cheap where you are diving at, below the $20-30/day figure we stated earlier, then renting becomes a much more attractive option. It’s a great short-term solution if you’re not sure how much you will be diving in the near future.

Next, as we mentioned, buying your own wetsuit means you can give it a more thorough cleaning, but what if you don’t want anything to do with wetsuit maintenance? If you’d rather just let the dive shop deal with it, then renting is better.

Furthermore, if you’re traveling by plane, then there is also an issue of transporting your dive gear. Again, rental wetsuits can simply be rented and then returned and you don’t have to worry about lugging it around while on vacation. If you don’t want to lug around a bunch of scuba gear, then renting is convenient in that regard.

As you can see, it’s not always such a clear-cut case when one should buy or rent because there are pros and cons to each. However, we believe that if you’re even a casual scuba diver, then buying provides you more benefits than downsides, so we think you should take the plunge.

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