General Information

Neoprene is a spongy material that can be or not be coated with other materials for various purposes. 

When the neoprene is not coated with another material, we call it “open cell”.

Open cell is sticky so to wear a suit that is open cell on the inside (it can only be open cell on the inside, not the outside), we need to use a mixture of shower gel and water (see the video below). The benefits of open cell are that it is very soft and warm. It can be sensitive though so it’s best to be careful and avoid digging our nails into it etc.

Lycra is a fabric coating that can be applied to neoprene and can be found either on the inside or the outside of our wetsuit (or both sides). Its benefits are that it is very durable, easier to put on and can dry more quickly than other fabric coatings, but it is less flexible and warm than the open cell and takes longer to dry.

Smooth (or SmoothSkin SCS) is a  coating that is non porous, hydrophobic and quite flexible. It is usually found on the outside of a wetsuit. Since it is a smooth surface, it adds to heat retention. But it is quite sensitive to nails, rocks etc.

Possible material combinations are:

• Smooth outside / open cell inside: very flexible, warm and dries the fastest, but the most sensitive, needs a lot of care donning and doffing.
• Smooth outside / lycra inside: more durable but less flexible and warm, still sensitive on the outside to nails etc.
• Lycra outside / open cell inside: very durable and warm but with reduced flexibility and longer drying time.
• Lycra outside / lycra inside: the most durable option, but with reduced flexibility and warmth and longest drying time.

Bear in mind that none of these suits are for more or less experienced divers. As long as you take care of your suit and are careful when donning and doffing it, it will last you a long time, regardless of your experience or combination of choice.

Important note: Your wetsuit is a hand made tailored garment created to fit only you extremely well. Take great care especially when putting your hands through the cuffs of the jacket and feet through the legs of the pants, as these parts are less flexible and are meant to keep water from entering your suit.