Are you wondering if it is okay or proper to wear a wetsuit into a swimming pool? It may seem so simple and straightforward after all, but indeed is it safe to do that?
A wetsuit is a tightly fitted garment that can give thermal protection while you are wet, and it is made of foamed neoprene. So you can figure that the primary reason some people think of using a wetsuit in a swimming pool is the warmth they will get from it. Does this make a wetsuit suitable for swimming in the pool? Find out.
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Can You Wear a Wetsuit in a Swimming Pool?
It is not easy to answer this question, and some elements have to be factored in, like the pool type. If it is just that you are contemplating wearing your wetsuit to pools like your local swimming pool or any other swimming pool, you don’t have to be worried.
Most public swimming pools don’t have regulations that disallow aquatic clothing; consider you are okay with it. If you choose to wear a wetsuit in your private swimming pool, you can be sure that it is okay.
Kinds Of Pools To Consider
There are two different kinds of swimming pools to consider when discussing this kind of issue. They are chlorinated pools and saltwater pools. If you have a saltwater pool, you might need to test your wetsuit with it. Even though it sounds similar, swimming in a saltwater pool is a different ball game from swimming in an ocean. Pools have a lower concentration of salt.
Wetsuits are built for any kind of water, but this is not oblivious to the effect that some kind of water can have on wetsuits. You need to wear a wetsuit to a saltwater pool; there is nothing to worry about. All you need to do is ensure that you rinse it with fresh water the moment you are done swimming. If you do not rinse, you might be in danger of saltwater’s corrosive effect, which can affect the quality of your wetsuit.
Now to chlorinated pools, that is a dicier question to ask. There are different opinions from different people concerning this question. Some people believe that swimming with a wetsuit in a chlorinated pool is alright. Consider you rinse the wetsuit the moment you are out of the pool, while others think it is a dangerous thing to do and should not be done. The decision is yours to make, to wear the wetsuit to a chlorinated pool or not.
Read: Can You Wear Board Shorts In A Swimming Pool?
Will Chlorine Ruin Your Wetsuit?
You must know that chlorine can deteriorate your wetsuit faster than saltwater. It will be good if you can avoid swimming with a wetsuit in a chlorinated pool. If you can’t, rinse your wetsuit the moment you are done swimming to prevent any damage to your wetsuit.
What Is Wetsuit Made of?
Wetsuits are used for several reasons. One of them is keeping the body warm when wet. It accomplishes this by forming a thin layer of water over our skin. Then the body heats this thin layer of water which provides warmth to the body.
Wetsuits are built to last long because swimmers and surfers majorly use them. They are made to be resilient to things like rock and sand. If not, your wetsuit can easily get torn while surfing the ocean.
Neoprene is the significant material now used in making wetsuits. The material is rubbery in nature, and it is elastic and can be resilient too. This is why it is being used as the primary material for building wetsuits. It has turned out that quality wetsuits are being made from neoprene.
Neoprene can stand being affected by the sun or by salty water to an extent. As I said, “to an extent,” it does not mean that neoprene is 100% immune to being affected by saltwater. They can still be affected by sunlight, chlorine, or saltwater if they are exposed to them for a long while.
How To Care For Your Wetsuit?
Now, it is essential you know how to take care of your wetsuit in different situations, so it does not reduce in quality or even get totally damaged.
- Probably you have already gone to a chlorinated or saltwater swimming pool with your wetsuit, it is appropriate that you rinse to keep the wetsuit in good quality and shape.
- You should never make the mistake of keeping your wetsuit out in the sun in a bid to dry it. The damage you were trying to escape from will lead to another kind of damage if you leave the wetsuit to dry in the sun. Leaving it out in the sun could make your wetsuit brittle. Instead of doing that, why not spread your wetsuit on a plastic hanger and keep it either in your garage or the basement. That works fine
- Before you keep your wetsuit away wherever you store them, ensure that it is dry. Leaving a wet wetsuit for a long while can also affect the wetsuit. The recommended practice is that once you are done swimming with the wetsuit, you just need to turn the wetsuit inside out and put it in a cool and dry place to dry off before you store it. This will help retain the quality of the wetsuit.
How Thick Should a Wetsuit Be?
The recommended practice is that your wetsuit is made of material that can indeed make you warm and should cover the torso, back, shoulder and knees, but should not go beyond the neck, wrist, and ankles. The thickness of the wetsuit should be within 3mm and 5mm, which can be reduced in some parts of the suit to foster easy locomotion of the body while swimming.
Final Thoughts
I hope you got the answer you need to your question and that you have taken note of how to really care for your wetsuit to keep it being okay for use in swimming. Take note of these details as you go on a swimming venture next time.
