Wetsuit size guide – the fast lane to your perfect wetsuit sizes

There’s nothing more important than finding the right wetsuit size. The quality, thickness and other features won’t do you any good if your wetsuit doesn’t fit properly. Be patient when you go through the wetsuit sizes or you might regret it later in the water.

We wrote the ultimate wetsuit sizes and fitting guide so that you really know what is important. Happy reading!

If you don’t want to read the whole article and you just want to find your perfect wetsuit sizes in no time, check out our Wetsuit Size Finder! It is a wetsuit size calculator for all brands and water sports! 

What wetsuit sizes are available?

In the market of neoprene & co. the common sizes S to XXXL are represented. Fortunately, there are now also intermediate sizes, some of which even take the physique into account. For example, the size MS means that it is M, but for people with a rather wide and short physique. MT, on the other hand, means that a person has M, but tends to have a tall and thin physique. Not all manufacturers have all intermediate sizes. Your wetsuit size (and intermediate sizes) can therefore vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is very likely for example that you have L trying on a Vissla wetsuit and MT if you go for an O´neill wetsuit and so on.

Overview wetsuit sizes and physique

normal	wide & short	thin & tall
S	XS	ST
M, ML	MS, MLS	MT, MLT
L	LS	LT
XL	XLS	XLT
XXL (2XL)	XXXL (3XL)

What wetsuit size do I need? How should a wetsuit fit?

For the perfect wetsuit fit, your wetsuit is firmly attached to your whole body and you have a slight tightness. That’s ok, because water gets in later and the neoprene is stretched. With the time the whole wetsuit widens anyway a little bit. However, breathing should not be restricted.

No wrinkles should be visible except for the area under the armpits for the purpose of arm mobility.

In addition, the wetsuit should fit tightly enough on the neck so that as little water as possible can get in. But you should not get breathlessness and a “cutting feeling” through this either.

You should only feel very little space/air on the lower back. Otherwise too much water will spread in this area. If too much space is available there, either the wetsuit size is not correct or you have a pronounced hollow back. Little space in this area is ok though!

Especially for men it is crucial that the neoprene fits well around your best parts, but does not cause a “squeezing”. This can lead to unpleasant situations  in the water  So just imagine trying on a tight boxer shorts. It must not be too narrow, but it must not offer too much space. Keyword: Compact

How tight should a wetsuit be at the sleeves and ankles?

The wetsuit should be pretty tight at the ankles and wrists in order to avoid water entering the wetsuit without flowing off (like a water bump). This is bad for the material, because it wears out faster and it restricts the comfort of movement. This problem can also occur with a well-fitting wetsuit. There is a very simple and inexpensive solution though: foot straps.

These are wrapped around the ankles and fastened with a Velcro fastener.

Everything fits? Then you can safely buy your new wetsuit! If not, it’s worth looking further and being patient.

Wetsuit size charts of the manufacturers

There are wetsuit size charts for wetsuits from almost all manufacturers such as O´Neill, Ripcurl, Quicksilver, Xcel, Billabong, Orca etc.. These offer an overview of the wetsuit sizes to suit your body measurements. But there you won’t find all the information you need. It is also very time-consuming to go to every single website of the respective manufacturer and search through all wetsuit size charts for your own size. It is much easier to enter your body measurements and get the best wetsuits a click later. So just use our Wetsuit Size Finder and save the effort! It is way more than a wetsuit size chart

CHECKLIST wetsuit sizes

– Is tight all over the body without causing respiratory distress

– No wrinkles except under the armpits

– Particularly tight fit on arm and ankles

– Any knee pads lie tightly and correctly positioned on the knees

– Testing movements e.g. turning, stretching, bending or “paddling” on the ground