What is a Wetsuit made of?
What is a Wetsuit made of?
Closed-cell neoprene foam full of nitrogen bubbles, faced with stretch jersey — the gas insulates, not the water.
The common explanation — that a wetsuit works by trapping a thin layer of water that your body heats — is mostly wrong. The insulation is the nitrogen in the closed cells of the foam; trapped water is a liability that carries heat away, which is why suits are fitted tightly and why flushing at cuffs and neck is what makes you cold. The consequence at depth is that the foam compresses, the bubbles shrink and both insulation and buoyancy drop sharply, so a 5 mm suit at 20 metres is not a 5 mm suit any more. A drysuit avoids the whole problem by keeping water out entirely and insulating with undergarments.
Component by component
| Part | Material | Why that material |
|---|---|---|
| foam core | closed-cell polychloroprene (neoprene) foam | Millions of sealed nitrogen bubbles make it a poor conductor of heat, and being sealed they do not fill with water. |
| facing | nylon or polyester jersey laminated to one or both faces | Raw neoprene tears easily and grips skin; the jersey makes it durable and possible to get into. |
| seams | glued and blind-stitched, or taped and liquid-sealed | Flushing at the seams is the main route for cold water entry, so seam construction matters more than thickness in cold water. |
| alternative rubbers | limestone-derived neoprene, or natural rubber from guayule or hevea | Conventional neoprene comes from petroleum; both alternatives address that, and the natural rubber versions are also more elastic. |
Other clothing and kit objects
- Velcro (hook and loop) Two nylon tapes — one of stiff hooks, one of soft loops — copied directly from burdock burrs.
- Leather Animal hide whose collagen has been chemically stabilised so it cannot rot — usually with chromium salts.
- Gore-Tex A stretched PTFE membrane whose pores are far too small for a raindrop and far too big for a water vapour molecule.
- Denim A cotton twill with indigo-dyed warp and undyed weft — the dye sits on the fibre surface, which is why it fades.
- Helmet A hard shell to spread the blow over a crushable polystyrene foam liner that is destroyed by one impact.
- Bulletproof vest Many layers of woven aramid or polyethylene fibre that catch and deform a bullet; rifle threats need a ceramic plate.
- Zip (zipper) Teeth of metal, moulded acetal or nylon coil on a polyester tape, forced together by a wedge inside the slider.
- Synthetic leather A polyurethane or PVC skin on a textile backing — including the plant-based ones, which still need a plastic binder.
- Running shoe A knitted synthetic upper over a foam midsole and rubber outsole — about a dozen materials, all glued together.
- Shoe sole A rubber outsole for grip, a foam midsole for cushioning, and increasingly no clean way to separate them.
- Life jacket Closed-cell foam or a CO2-inflated bladder, in a nylon cover — rated in newtons of buoyancy, not in size.
- Button Usually cast polyester resin; the good ones are shell, nut or horn, and you can tell by touch and temperature.
Common questions
- What is a Wetsuit made of?
- Closed-cell neoprene foam full of nitrogen bubbles, faced with stretch jersey — the gas insulates, not the water.
- What is the foam core of a Wetsuit made of?
- Closed-cell polychloroprene (neoprene) foam. Millions of sealed nitrogen bubbles make it a poor conductor of heat, and being sealed they do not fill with water.
- What is the facing of a Wetsuit made of?
- Nylon or polyester jersey laminated to one or both faces. Raw neoprene tears easily and grips skin; the jersey makes it durable and possible to get into.
Related pages
- Velcro (hook and loop) Two nylon tapes — one of stiff hooks, one of soft loops — copied directly from burdock burrs.
- Leather Animal hide whose collagen has been chemically stabilised so it cannot rot — usually with chromium salts.
- Gore-Tex A stretched PTFE membrane whose pores are far too small for a raindrop and far too big for a water vapour molecule.
- Denim A cotton twill with indigo-dyed warp and undyed weft — the dye sits on the fibre surface, which is why it fades.
- Helmet A hard shell to spread the blow over a crushable polystyrene foam liner that is destroyed by one impact.
- Bulletproof vest Many layers of woven aramid or polyethylene fibre that catch and deform a bullet; rifle threats need a ceramic plate.
- Zip (zipper) Teeth of metal, moulded acetal or nylon coil on a polyester tape, forced together by a wedge inside the slider.
- Synthetic leather A polyurethane or PVC skin on a textile backing — including the plant-based ones, which still need a plastic binder.
- Pencil Stationery and paper
- Tennis ball Sport and games
- Banknote Around the house
- Golf ball Sport and games
- Paper Stationery and paper
- Glass Building materials
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place