A Breakthrough In Wet Suit Design

New surf clothing is on the market that is so stretchy and water tight that there are no seams, seals, joints or fastenings. You climb into this wetsuit through the neck.

Now correct me if I am wrong but this sounds like a feat beyond all reasonable physical possibility. I'm not a surfer but I am a scuba diver and have been exposed to the ritual of donning and removing a wetsuit and it is never an easy task. Putting it one gets you into such a hot state that you are glad to throw yourself into water of any temperature. Taking one of is a physical challenge all its own!

When it comes to surf clothing, the wetsuit is very important, particularly for those surfing in and around British waters as we are not famed for our warm waters! Even on the hottest summer day, our seas are still cold and if you intend to be in and out of it all day surfing, a decent amount of protection is called for and boarding shorts are simply not going to suffice.

So comes the wetsuit. A mass of rubber that fits like a second skin, these suits have taken on various changes over the years to make them more comfortable and more water tight. A wetsuit should fit comfortably close to the skin to just allow a small amount of water in. This water is then quickly warmed to body temperature and keeps a warm(ish) blanket next to your skin. They should not be too loose as they will continue to let in more cold water and they should not be so tight that they restrict free movement.

Zips and fastenings have been a problem on surf clothing over the years by breaking or seizing up or allowing water in and out. Yet surf clothing has never been made of material flexible enough to omit fastenings whilst still being able to get a good seal. Until now.

A new design of wetsuit is due for release that is both flexible and water resistant to the point where a surfer can enter the suit through the neck, stretching it over his entire body and allowing it to snap back into shape creating a nice seal around the neck.

This all sounds well and good, but I want to see someone remove one of these babies! Trying to remove the average wetsuit will see the surfer pull all sorts of interesting expressions whilst several layers of skin and all body hair is removed in the process. A wetsuit needs to be fairly 'grippy' to do its job and once they are wet, they just love your skin. They stick like super glue to keep such a good grip and are notoriously difficult to get off again.

In fact, if you're looking for some cheap entertainment, visit a beach where people are surfing and take a (careful) look at people trying to remove a wetsuit. I say careful because you could get yourself in trouble if you go around watching people get undressed but it is highly amusing. They stride out of the water, looking all cool like they are professional water sportsmen and women, flick back the wet surfers hair and undo their wetsuits. Now comes the funny part.

Surfers up and down the beach can be seen writhing about as if they were having an epileptic fit whilst they try and free themselves from this rubber skin. After a good forty five minutes of fully fledged silly walks, they are once again free and stroll away as if they just threw it off and as if they are not really hot and bothered and uptight!