Find the wetsuit that actually fits

Wetsuit names are full of codes, and nobody explains them. Here they all are.

What 3/2mm means

The first number is the body and legs. The second is the arms. A 3/2 is 3mm through the body and legs and 2mm on the arms. That keeps your core warm while your arms stay flexible for paddling.

Seams, from coldest to warmest

• Flat lock (FL). Stitched straight through. Tiny holes let water in. Fine for summer and warm water.
• Glued and blind stitched (GBS). Glued first, then stitched partway through so the needle never goes all the way. Much less water gets in.
• Stitchless, welded or liquid-dipped. No needle holes at all. The warmest construction you can buy.

Heads up: LS means long sleeve in a product name, but LS on a size chart means Large Short. Same letters, different job. See special sizes.

It comes down to how cold the water is where you go, and what time of year. Here is the short answer, then the detail.

Water temperature to wetsuit thickness

Bands based on Rip Curl's published wetsuit thickness guide. Other brands draw the lines a degree or two differently. If you feel the cold, or you sit out the back waiting a lot, go one step warmer.

By region: typical water temperature

Summer is the February peak. Winter is the August low. These are long-term averages, not a promise for any given day.

Worked example: Orewa, month by month

The sea lags the air by six to eight weeks. The water is warmest in February and March and coldest in August. That means October water at Orewa is about as cold as June, even when the beach feels like summer. Plenty of people get caught out in spring.

For most people around Auckland, a good 3/2 and a 4/3 cover the whole year, with a 2mm spring suit for the middle of summer. The west coast runs a degree or two colder than the Gulf, so allow for that.

Where these numbers come from

• Regional figures: NIWA's regional climate reports, sea surface temperature section, from satellite records (NIWA regional climatologies). Cross-checked against seatemperature.info (ten year averages) and surf-forecast.com for Canterbury and Otago. Where the two sources differ, we show the range.
• Orewa monthly figures: seatemperature.info, ten year averages for Orewa. NIWA's offshore Hauraki Gulf figures agree within about a degree, and run slightly warmer in winter because the shallow inner Gulf cools faster.
• The Auckland west coast figure has one source only (NIWA).
• The sea around New Zealand is warming, and recent summers have run 1 to 2°C above these averages during marine heatwaves. Treat these as typical, not guaranteed.

Always use the chart for the brand you are buying. A medium in one brand may not be a medium in another.

Open all size charts

Every chart is on one page, in centimetres and kilograms, with a size finder. Put in your height and weight and it highlights your size in every brand.

How to use a size chart

• Measure today. Height, weight and chest, with a tape, not from memory.
• Height and weight first. They decide most of the fit. Chest and waist fine-tune it.
• Between two sizes? Check the tall and short sizes before jumping up a size. See section 04.
• Your old suit is not your size. Neoprene stretches with use, so the size on an old suit tells you very little.

Most shops print these letters on the chart and explain nothing. They are often the difference between a suit that fits and one that floods.

Short sizes: LS and XLS

LS is Large Short. XLS is Extra Large Short. These are for people above the normal weight range for their height. Shorter, stockier builds.

• The legs are shorter, so water does not get trapped and pool in the legs.
• The knee pads end up on your knees, where they belong.

Tall sizes: MT, LT, XLT

MT is Medium Tall, LT is Large Tall, XLT is Extra Large Tall. These are for tall, lean builds.

• Longer material in the leg.
• The crotch sits lower, so it is not pulling up on you all session.
• More room through the body length.

Not every brand makes every special size in every model. Check the brand's chart on our size charts page, or ask us.

Women's wetsuits are harder to fit than men's, because body shapes vary far more. These rules save a lot of frustration.

• New to wetsuits, or not worn one before? Go back zip. It is the easiest to get in and out of.
• Large bust: back zip, not chest zip. A chest zip entry has to stretch over your chest to get in.
• Some brands run bigger. O'Neill is one. Check the brand chart, not the size you wear in another brand.
• Only slim, tall, modest bust should try zip free. For everyone else it is a real struggle to get into. See zip types.

The zip decides how easy the suit is to get on, how much water gets in, and how flexible it feels across the shoulders.

Newer entry systems worth knowing about

If a standard chest zip has never worked for you, these are a real answer, not a gimmick.

• Billabong Furnace Gullwing. A chest zip entry Billabong designed for easy on and off with minimal flushing. Made in a 4/3 and 3/2 for men, plus women's and boys' versions.
• Vissla U-Zip. On Vissla's newer suits, the zip runs from shoulder to shoulder, so the opening is much bigger. Once zipped, it seals right across the shoulders so it does not flush.

Size and thickness come first. After that, these four questions sort out which suit is right for you.

1. 1. How often?

   How often will you use it? A modern high-end suit dries far faster. In winter it will likely be dry, or nearly dry inside, by the next morning. If you surf often, this matters more than almost anything. Nobody enjoys a cold, wet suit at dawn.

2. 2. Flexibility

   Vital for surfing and surf lifesaving, where you paddle constantly. Stiff neoprene tires your shoulders out fast.

3. 3. Toughness

   For activities that do not need flexibility, more rigid neoprene lasts longer. Think collecting seafood, water skiing, wing foiling and sailing.

4. 4. Budget

   Price genuinely tracks warmth and flexibility in wetsuits. Welded or liquid-dipped seams plus a thermal lining are the warmest construction you can buy. Spend where it matters for how you use it.

Tick these off before you buy. Screenshot it, or print it and bring it in.

• What will you use it for?Surfing, lifesaving, diving for seafood, wing foiling, sailing, swimming.
• How often will you be in the water?Every week means a faster drying, better suit pays for itself.
• How cold is the water where you go?Check your region and season in section 02.
• Measured today, not rememberedHeight, weight and chest. Your old suit's size does not count, it has stretched.
• Zip typeBack zip, chest zip, or zip free only if you have owned one before.
• Special sizingTall and lean, or shorter and solid? Look at MT, LT, LS and XLS.
• That brand's own size chartChecked against the brand you are actually buying, not another one.

Print checklist

A good suit looked after properly lasts years. Most of the damage we see happens getting in and out.

• Use a change sock to get into a steamer. We see a lot of ripped wetsuits, especially around the legs. It is the high-quality, super-flexible suits that tear most easily. Your foot slides straight through instead of catching. We use the Curve Slug change sock.
• Shampoo it two to four times a year. Salt, sunscreen and sweat break neoprene down. A proper wetsuit wash keeps it soft and stops the smell. We use Sticky Johnson Wetty Wash.
• Rinse in fresh water after every session.
• Dry it inside out, out of direct sun. UV kills neoprene. Hang it over the middle on a thick hanger or rail, not by the shoulders.
• Never in a dryer. Never.

Every brand covers manufacturing faults. None of them cover normal wear, sun damage or a rip from catching your foot. Here is how they compare.

Summarised from each brand's published warranty terms, checked 18 October 2026. Brands can change their terms, so ask us if you need the exact wording.

Keep your receipt. Every brand needs proof of purchase.