For the ladies! There is a wide array of different clothing, gear, and equipment you need to invest in or at least rent if you want to enjoy the exhilarating fun that is scuba diving. Of all the pieces of equipment, including the best dive computers, and special scuba masks you need to purchase though, a women’s wetsuit is probably right at the top of the list.
We mentioned renting, but really if you have been diving for some time now, you should seriously consider buying your own and add to your scuba gear. Not only is it more cost effective, but having a wetsuit that fits you snugly and comfortably will mean you can dive for longer, have greater exposure protection and are, therefore, able to enjoy your whole dive so much more.
If you don’t have time to read the full post, here are our 3 most popular scuba wetsuits for women:
- X-Foam Neoprene
- Infrared Fleece Interior
- Spine Pad Cushions
- I-Safe Wrist Strap
- Ultra Stretch Neoprene
- Back Protection System
- Thermo Plush Interior
- Back Zipper
- Double-lined Neoprene
- Front Zipper
- Aquastop Seals
- Easy to Wear
Just as it is searching for other pieces of scuba diving equipment, it can be rather overwhelming having to try and decide between several hundred different wetsuits for women that all look the same, to the untrained eye at least. That’s why at Ocean Scuba Dive, we want to help you out. We want you to find the best wetsuits for diving and with ease, without getting stressed or worried. That’s why we’ve put together this guide that specifically looks at the best wetsuits for women.
10 Best Wetsuits for Women
1. Aqua Lung Hydroflex 3mm Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
We felt as if starting with the Aqua Lung Hydroflex wetsuit for women was the only real way we could start our guide to these amazing women’s wetsuits. Aqua Lung have a reputation for designing and manufacturing wetsuits that fit most divers well but favor the female body shape. The Hydroflex model is no different.
It is extremely comfortable and flexible, but one of the things we feel really stands out about this affordable suit is the tweed and plaid patterns. On the technical side, it has been flatlock stitched to enhance its durability, features a nice and tight seal finished with a smooth skin zipper and is available in six different women’s sizes, making it, in our opinion, one of the best wetsuits for women!
2. Bare Evoke 5mm Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
The thing that makes the Bare Evoke 5mm full women’s wetsuit, other than the fact it is made by the incredibly reputable Bare, is that it has been designed by women with women fully in mind. This is to ensure the highest level of comfort and flexibility as who knows best what it’s like to be a woman with a woman’s body wearing a tight wetsuit under water?
The design has been developed using Bare’s unique and effective anatomical-patterning manufacturing technique and consists of many features you’d expect to see on high-end wetsuits including Celliant lining that helps to recycle and reuse heat, keeping you warm while you dive, 10-inch sturdy ankle zippers and a fully-contoured Glideskin collar that comes complete with a short-relief zipper. This particular suit is available in seven women’s sizes.
3. Camaro Alpha Pro 7 Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
A little different from the rest, the Camaro Alpha Pro 7 is a semidry-wetsuit for women, offers superior thermal protection to divers who regularly take to cold waters. It has been constructed using elasticated, soft neoprene that is 7mm thick and backed by a plush Dry Stretch lining that is extremely comfortable against the skin.
It features neoprene open-cell and soft double cuffs to keep the water out from your extremities and a frontal G-Lock zipper that makes it much easier to slip in and out of this suit. A wide variety of custom sizes are available. The best wetsuit for women who dive in colder temperatures.
4. Cressi Bahia Flex 3 mm Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
Next on our list is the tweaked and finetuned Cressi Bahia Flex wetsuit with a frontal zip that offers convenience and comfort. Cressi are a celebrated manufacturer of scuba diving gear and equipment and the design of this wetsuit really benefits from their experience and level of skill. The cut is to die for and gives that second-skin feel that you really are looking for from a women’s wetsuit. It is capable of this thanks to the very stretchy design that offers you completely unrestricted maneuverability.
Along with the flexibility, the neoprene that has been double-lined enables the suit to provide a balanced and continuous level of insulation even when diving deep down. An extra bonus feature, worth noting if you like to dive close to rough surfaces is the reinforcements Cressi have given the shins and knees, so you won’t suffer too badly from the effects of abrasion. All in all, this is a great example of one of the best wetsuits for women and a perfect choice for your next dive.
5. SEAC Libera Wetsuit for Women
Our Review Score
From SEAC, the Libera wetsuit for women is made entirely from Yamamoto neoprene. It is the first of its kind to be manufactured from limestone and as a result, provides superior thermal protection, is more stretchy, lighter and thinner than conventional neoprene. This variation of the material has a much higher cell density contained within the material and full of nitrogen, which offers more effective insulation than just air. Perhaps the biggest selling point is that the suit does not retain any water really, meaning that it has almost the exact same weight whether it’s wet or dry.
Yamamoto neoprene is utilized in the Aquastop seals around the neck, ankles, and wrists. This wetsuit for women also boasts a dry fiber lining that gives additional warmth and to ensure that you can get in and out of it as easily as possible, there is a sturdy and smooth YKK zipper to the rear. For durability and strength, the seams have been both glued and sewn. To suit all preferred thicknesses, you can buy SEAC Libera wetsuits in thickness of 3.5, 5 and 7mm.
6. O’Neil Sector Wetsuit for Women
Our Review Score
As they’ve been in the wetsuit manufacturing business for more than 60 years, O’Neil know a thing or two and have their own business motto to live up to of ‘committed to developing authentic and functional dive products without resorting to gimmicks or hype’. The company purports that this Sector wetsuit for women has everything you need and does not have anything you don’t.
It has been Fluid Seam-welded, glued and flat-stitched to stop water entry and discomfort. Thanks also to the Firewall torso insulation, the O’Ring cuffs and SuperSeal neck along with the rear zipper coated with urethane all enhance the thermal protection, without limiting the flexibility. An all-around best wetsuit for women to invest in this year!
7. Pinnacle Siren Wetsuit for Women
Our Review Score
Pinnacle have made a name for themselves with the production of suits that are focused on exposure protection. The Siren is available in 33, 5 and 7mm versions and has been constructed using the tough Elastiprene titanium-lined neoprene and backed by the Merion lining exclusive to Pinnacle. As this is the latest model in a long line of suits, it’s worth noting that the company have reported that the new suit and the lining provides an increase in insulation of around 35%.
Barriers against water entry are provided in the wrists and ankles from the smooth skin seals that run alongside the zipper, while additional spinal protection is provided by the extra-thick spine flap and rear zipper. To ensure your BCD is kept in the right place and to increase your comfort, even more, there are shoulder pads made from molded rubber.
8. ScubaPro Definition Steamer Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
ScubaPro is no stranger to designing and manufacturing high-end scuba diving equipment and gear and the Definition Steamer wetsuit for women from the company fits in with that standard. It has been constructed using what the manufacturer calls the Body Map System, this utilizes a 3D cut to make the suit and is fully tailored for greater detail for the anatomy of the human body.
ScubaPro’s X-Foam, a variety of neoprene using limestone is used to form the suit and provides greater thermal efficiency while being incredibly flexible and light. For the eco-friendly, it’s worth noting that this is completely free of petrochemicals and features the adhesive used in most of the company’s products with neoprene that is solvent-free and water-based.
Additional flexibility is provided through the panels across the sides and chest and the diagonal zipper to the rear, along with the ankle and cuff zippers make it easier to take off and put on. Those zipper cuffs also help make the water seal of the suit that bit tighter. For even better thermal protection, this wetsuit for women has an interior made from infrared fleece that reflects the heat generated from the body back on itself.
9. Bare Nixie Womens Wetsuit
Our Review Score
Bare are exposure suit specialists and are manufacturers of some of the warmest suits available. They have recently released the rather excellent Nixie model that has various size and style variations and features a long-length zipper at the back and is constructed using Bare’s very own neoprene blend.
A more stripped back women’s wetsuit, this is still deserving a rightful place on our list next to their more comprehensive and aforementioned Evoke model.
10. Mares Flexa Women’s Wetsuit
Our Review Score
Mares, with their Flexa wetsuit range, have taken a different approach, constructing it from various thicknesses of neoprene placed strategically to give you, the wearer, the best thermal protection in the places where it’s needed most and thinner pieces of material in the areas where more flexibility is necessary.
There’s also a frontal zipper on this women’s wetsuit and the right thigh features a buckle for attaching the Flexa Smart Pocket or a hood.
Wetsuit Buying Guide
Now that we’ve discussed our pick of the 10 best wetsuits for women available at the moment, we hope you are able to find one that suits your needs and preferences. Before you rush out and buy one though, there are some important considerations you need to make. To help you make the best buying decision when you’re looking for you new womens wetsuit, we’ve put together a brief buyer’s guide that discusses these.
Always Try Before You Buy
This is crucial. We do appreciate that not everyone has the time to spend looking in the local diving supplies store at various women’s wetsuits, but if you can we would recommend that you go and try on some before you buy. Even if you are looking to benefit from savings from buying online, it still makes sense to try wearing one in a shop.
It is a long and drawn-out process, but it’s better than only realizing how ill-fitting or poor quality a suit is once you’re under the water. If you are buying online and it’s a brand or model you are unfamiliar with, always ensure there’s a money-back guarantee.
Size of Wetsuit
How should a wetsuit fit? When considering the size of a women’s wetsuit, you need to understand that it is based a lot more on the height than width. For example, if you are a slender and tall person and normally wear a medium-size shirt, you will probably need an XL wetsuit.
Overall the fit should feel like a second skin without restricting your breathing as you should be able to take in a lungful of air. As you’ve seen, most brands have gender-specific designs and are made from neoprene that is incredibly flexible and able to accommodate a wide spectrum of proportions.
Temperature Guide
Although you will find that some brands specify their wetsuits in terms of the temperature ranges, they are best suited to be used in, these should be seen as a guide more than anything. If you are new to diving, you should also learn what’s the difference is between a wetsuit and a drysuit before investing in your new wetsuit.
Hoods
You may not have considered investing in one, but hoods are actually incredibly useful accessories to have in your dive kit. It is definitely a misconception that most body heat is lost through the head, but it still loses some.
They are not necessary for diving in warmer bodies of water and they are not to everyone’s taste, but wearing one could make the world of difference where the temperature in giving you extra time in the watery deep.
Undergarments
They are definitely not essential, but undergarments like rash guards have their place and there are a large number of divers who prefer wearing them to keeping their skin bare underneath their wetsuit.
You can also invest in thermal undergarments that pack tightly and are lightweight but provide an additional thermal protection layer. Some people who dive in warmer waters use a combination of a high-quality suit with additional thermal undergarments as a top-up.
Now, we are sure you have all you need to get that perfect wetsuit for women so that you can enjoy exploring the watery deeps of the world. Have Fun!
