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Thread: Why the heck are all wetsuits black?!

  1. #1
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    Why the heck are all wetsuits black?!

    I mean, is there a reason?
    Googled around, and found the same answers repeated over and over:

    1) it's easier to match equipment if every piece of gear is always black
    2) it's warmer (really?)
    3) it's slimming, therefor most people would never wear anything else (er...)
    4) there's no demand for other colours (plain wrong! the only white wetsuit in existence
    is constantly sold out!)
    5) we want to look cool! (no comment)
    6) an all black outfit doesn't attract predators like sharks.

    ^^if 6) were true, why is the shark-proof technology wetsuit blue and white?
    Sharks can see something that's a solid black pretty well, especially from below.
    Colours don't matter much in a certain depth (they all fade to grey), so I call BS!
    Besides, wetsuits for lakediving and even kayaking are black as well.

    I bet it's what I call "The Scuba Curse".
    Scuba Divers lug cumbersome gear around, and make horrible loud noises with their tanks.
    Basically, they sound and look like Darth Vader.

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    And Vader wears black!
    Since the "all diving gear must be black"-fashion was established, it was extended to us poor freedivers as well.

    That's the only feasible explanation.

    ----

    Yes, I tried to find a non-black wetsuit thicker than 3mm
    Needless to say, unsuccessfully.

  2. #2
    its "warmer" because black retains light/heat. that's why people always say to wear white shirts because its reflects light/heat
    The SeaGlass Siren

  3. #3
    Senior Member Pod of The South Aziara's Avatar
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    Well, black is warmer in the sunlight, but underwater, I'm not sure it would really help that much because it isn't in direct sunlight anymore. *shrugs* Most of those reasons sound like total BS to me.
    Also known as Salina Tideglow

  4. #4
    ^i concur.
    The SeaGlass Siren

  5. #5
    I bet it's because of #1. Retailers want to feel safe by only selling black. If they got colors in they would be worried someone might not like that color and a perfectly good wetsuit won't go sold. Sounds like a stupid reason to me but I bet that's exactly why.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Ilyena's Avatar
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    That's why I'm making my own wetsuit, from the black and bright blue left overs from my tail. Everyone has black XP
    When Fantasy is Reality

    Links: ^_^
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    Mermaid Ilyena >Adelaide Mermaids
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    Hippocampus Creations >Etsy


  7. #7
    Senior Member Pod of the Great Lakes Arella's Avatar
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    ...My wetsuit is blue...

  8. #8
    i want a polkdot one. is that wierd?
    The SeaGlass Siren

  9. #9
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Elle's Avatar
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    Re: Why the heck are all wetsuits black?!

    Hubby's one is black and grey with red print on it. He bought it for kite surfing. He preferred the colors but he had the option of a lot of different ones...

    Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
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    "There's a Porpoise right behind us and he's treading on my tail!"


    Tail making progress http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...-making-a-tail

  10. #10
    I found a hot pink and royal blue wetsuit at a thrift store once! It's in this thread:
    http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...=tail+wetsuits

    The wetsuit I use regularly is all black with pink arms. But that still is not super colorful.

  11. #11
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    There are a handful of 2/3mm wetsuits that are not black.
    There is a blue model, one with pink/grey, and even one that's white (the sold out one I mentioned).

    But if you happen to need a thicker suit for colder waters, you're out of luck.

    The newest fad- spawned by the realization that all-black divers are often overlooked when they need help (not to mention are likelier to get overrun by surfers and boaters as if they wore a brighter colour )
    is to have some stripes on the arms (or coloured arms).

    I considered buying one of those (I really could use a nice, well-fitting suit with 5mm or more), but all those black things with a few painted on stripes...sheesh.
    Guess I'll just work on hardening up, and wearing my tail only.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by SeaGlass Siren View Post
    i want a polkdot one. is that wierd?
    LOL- your wish is Cynthia Rowley's command

    Name:  m-251-93728-2-FLYFW2nXPdb9.jpg
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    They're cool- they have a little pocket in the back you can put your keys in Name:  CR204WGTUR-CYNTHIAROWLEY-3_400X500.JPG
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    http://modaoperandi.com/a-master-mix...-wetsuit-93728

    http://www.surfstitch.com/product/cy...-turquoise-dot
    Last edited by AptaMer; 01-28-2014 at 10:33 PM.

  13. #13
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    Would buy, if it were longer and warm enough

  14. #14
    Oh yeah, there's Sirensong, too, but they're even shorter. Haha.
    https://www.facebook.com/SirensongWetsuits

  15. #15
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    I see various colors of wetsuits hanging off peoples' balconies and porches around here all the time (beach town = surfers all hang their stuff out) but indeed, most of those have a lot of black involved even if it's colorful in general. I have yet to see someone in one of the cool shark-repel colored suits, but we also just don't hear about sharks around here. Still, were I going to buy one, I'd want whatever makes me look least like a seal.

    I love the Siren Song wetsuits! Thanks for that link. Bookmarking that. However, I think maybe those aren't about staying warm so much as wearing an alternative rash gaurd and a suit that won't come off while you surf....

  16. #16
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    ^^yep-
    the more coloured suits are all thin and more for surfing than diving...

    I do have such a suit already, but I can't find one that's suitable for cold waters.
    And I wasn't even looking for something fancy, plain white or blue would have sufficed

    Some companies I was looking at (searched them all until my eyes hurt) haven't even caught on the fact that nowadays women are allowed to dive
    all their equipment is still men's only. lol

  17. #17
    Senior Member Pod of The South MermaidHyli's Avatar
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    I'm currently getting my new wetsuit for Isla Mujeres from this designer. I love her stuff and its super cute!

    https://www.facebook.com/SirensongWetsuits

    I wish I was away in Ingo
    Far away across the briny sea
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  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by MermaidHyli View Post
    I'm currently getting my new wetsuit for Isla Mujeres from this designer. I love her stuff and its super cute!

    https://www.facebook.com/SirensongWetsuits
    *Added ro her faves, even If she hasen't touched a surfbourd in her entire life*

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by AptaMer View Post
    LOL- your wish is Cynthia Rowley's command

    Name:  m-251-93728-2-FLYFW2nXPdb9.jpg
Views: 1139
Size:  44.2 KB
    They're cool- they have a little pocket in the back you can put your keys in Name:  CR204WGTUR-CYNTHIAROWLEY-3_400X500.JPG
Views: 1037
Size:  37.1 KB

    http://modaoperandi.com/a-master-mix...-wetsuit-93728

    http://www.surfstitch.com/product/cy...-turquoise-dot
    hold on i need to make a seperate reply for this.
    The SeaGlass Siren

  20. #20
    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!
    The SeaGlass Siren

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