The type of wetsuit that you buy depends on the temperature of the water that you will be in. There are several different wetsuit types to choose from such as the shortie, farmer john, and full suit. A shortie wetsuit is typically worn during the summer when the temperature of the water is above seventy degrees. It can keep you warm when it is too cold for you to be in the water in just your swimsuit. A shortie wetsuit can have short or long sleeves. It also has short legs which means that it will cover your legs down to the top of your knees. A shortie is constructed out of two millimeter thick neoprene rubber. Of all of the wetsuit types, it is the most affordable, the easiest to change out of, and the least buoyant. A shortie is also commonly known as a spring suit. A farmer john wetsuit has no sleeves and will cover your legs down to your ankles (long legs). It can provide more warmth than a shortie. It should be worn on hot days when the water is cold. It is usually used in water with a temperature above sixty degrees. You can change out of it faster than you can a shortie wetsuit. You will find many windsurfers wearing this type of wetsuit. A farmer john wetsuit is also commonly known as a long john wetsuit. A three quarter length wetsuit will cover your arms down to your elbows and your legs down to your ankles. It will keep you warmer than a shortie. It is usually used in water with temperatures between sixty five and seventy five degrees. It is constructed out of 3/2mm neoprene rubber. The number 3 tells you the thickness of the neoprene that will cover the upper legs and torso. The number 2 is an indication of the thickness of the neoprene that will cover the lower legs and arms. A full suit wetsuit is the most popular wetsuit and also the most expensive. It has long sleeves and long legs. It takes longer to change out of this wetsuit than with the other ones and is also the most buoyant. A full suit wetsuit is usually used when the temperature of the water is below sixty degrees. This type of wetsuit also comes in different thicknesses. If you will be swimming in water that is below sixty degrees, you should use the 5/3mm full suit wetsuit. A full suit wetsuit is also known as a steamer. The wetsuits that were just mentioned will not be sufficient for people who want to dive deep into the ocean or in extremely low temperatures. Instead, these people will have to buy a dry suit. It is designed differently than the other wetsuits I just mentioned. There are rubber seals attached to the areas of the dry suit that will cover your neck, wrists, and ankles. The purpose of these rubber seals is to minimize the amount of water that gets into the dry suit. There are some manufacturers that will also attach Velcro straps to the wrist and ankle areas to allow even less water into the dry suit. There are some wetsuits that come with a hood. People who will be diving in extremely cold water should consider buying a wetsuit with a hood. A hood can keep heat from leaving your head. This is important to consider because about forty percent of body heat leaves through the head. A hood will also prevent water from coming in through any openings in the neck area. If your wetsuit did not come with a hood and you want to use one, you can always purchase a detachable hood. There are also vests that come attached with a hood that can be worn under your wetsuit.