Experienced freedivers prefer to use wetsuits designed specifically for freediving. Desirable traits in a freediving wetsuit include:
- Close fitting: Freedivers usually prefer custom fit wetsuits for a close fit.
- Two-piece: Most freediving wetsuits have an integrated hood and a two-piece suit including a 'long john' or high trousers and separate jacket.
- No zipper: to minimise water circulation
- Material: Freedivers prefer open cell neoprene for warmth and mobility, but it is more fragile than the standard closed-cell neoprene used in scuba diving wetsuits! To don a freediving wetsuit without damaging it, it is best to make it wet (without soap) before putting it on!
