Cuddly when wet.

October 14, 2020 9:38 AM

I'm considering buying a wetsuit but I'm worried it might be too small for my generous tummy.

I'm 6ft. Chest size is a bit over 40" but somehow lots of beer went to my belly and it's 38" relaxed. If I pull the measuring tape tight, my girth comes in at just shy of 34" and, if I hold myself in, I can get down to 33 1/2 inches. (I took up running 10 months ago so I expect my belly to go down somewhat.) Basically, I'm slim but with a lot of flab around the waist. Oh, and sometimes I can get quite bloated.

The wetsuit I'm looking at is secondhand and sized ML (Here's the manufacturer's size chart.) Height and chest wise, it seems ideal. The only problem is that the waist measurement is 34".

I'm new to wetsuits but I understand they should be nice and snug. Unlike a jumper where I can just buy an XL and hide the belly underneath the extra fabric. Is this the right size for me or don't I stand a chance?

posted by popcassady to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Can't help you with sizing, but can tell you that when I bought a superthin silky rash guard to go under my wetsuit, it completely changed the "struggling awkwardly to get in and out of wetsuit" part of my scuba game.
posted by cyndigo at 10:41 AM on October 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Can you try it on? Fitting wetsuits is tough, because you're right that you don't want a lot of extra room. If you can't get it on relatively easily while dry, you're going to have a really hard time when it's wet. It also depends on the neoprene itself, some brands are very stretchy and others are not. Personally, I would probably go for the suit as is. A bit of tightness in the belly isn't as big a deal as in the neck, say, and you'll be much warmer.
posted by wnissen at 10:42 AM on October 14, 2020

Best answer: What sport? If it is mostly out of the water like kayaking I’d go looser, but this is probably a good fit for swimming. The water gets between the suit and skin and insulates, which also makes it not rub as much, but that only works when you are in the water.

Wetsuits on me have a “superheroing” effect, where my belly is sort of turned into a torso tube that makes me look more fit than I am. Across the shoulders is my critical measurement, if that’s correct than belly kinds of just goes where it goes.
posted by BeeDo at 10:45 AM on October 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: +1 tummy fat gets squished flat in a wetsuit, and you want it tight if you're going to be wearing it in the water.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:54 AM on October 14, 2020

I thought my belly fat would go flat when I got my first wetsuit. Kind of like a girdle. Not so much.
posted by biffa at 1:24 PM on October 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Agree with the earlier question - are you wearing this wet or dry? If wet, should be fine, if dry, I’d size up.
posted by mercredi at 3:41 PM on October 14, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice. I went ahead and bought the suit. It arrived today and fits perfectly. A size up would definitely have been too large. The tummy squeezes in no problem -- and the love handles disappear!
posted by popcassady at 9:12 AM on October 16, 2020