Antifreeze options

In the early 1950s, San Francisco surfers would wait until water temperatures dipped below 50 degrees before bothering to wrestle into a proto-wet suit.

“It was a straitjacket,” said Jack O’Neill, 81, of his early innovation, which was nothing more than unicellular foam plastic glued onto thin plastic in the shape of a vest. “In those days, you would last about an hour before the ice cream headaches set in.”

In the half century since O’Neill’s design mushroomed into a multinational company with thriving competitors, wet suits have come of age.

Suits are now made of nylon and neoprene, with the newest models layering neoprene with a warmth layer -- such as polypropylene, or neoprene infused with titanium -- to reflect heat back to the body.

The market has expanded to include wet suits specifically for divers, rafters, kayakers, water skiers and water rescue teams. But with the newest high-end models approaching $400, it’s essential to know when to skimp with an online bargain and when to invest at the local shop.

First things first: Wet suits are cut differently depending on the activity. Surfing wet suits are comfortable in the shoulders and translate well to rafting or paddling. But a wet suit made for diving, which requires more warmth than flexibility, is bound to be a dud on a surfboard. Once you narrow down your activities of choice, try one on.

If your wet suit doesn’t fit properly, life’s miserable every time you wear it. Too tight and you can barely breathe, let alone climb into it; too loose and you get to carry around pounds of cold water that seep in.

Sometimes brand can help determine the fit. Nick Liberato, a wet-suit fitter at ZJ Boarding House in Santa Monica, says he usually steers the husky toward O’Neill suits and more slender types toward the Quiksilver brand.

And, he says, skill level shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor.

“As a beginner you may not want to spend $350 on a wet suit, but when you’re getting cold water leaking in through the neck or seams, you see why people spend the money.”

Online shoppers beware: Wet suit manufacturers generally provide sizing charts, but what might fit in the virtual world and what does fit in the real world can be determined only by putting the thing on.

Wet suits come in different thicknesses, rated in millimeters. Surfing suits generally are thicker in the torso and slimmer in the arms to allow for freedom of movement; 3/2 mm suits, which means 3 millimeters in the torso and 2 millimeters in the arms and legs, are common for Southern California waters.

Wet suits with 4/3 mm will usually do for winter surfing or trips to Northern California. Spring suits generally are thin and have short sleeves and legs. A “Farmer John” suit has a tank top, perfect for kayakers wearing life vests.

The NRS Steamer wet suit (3 millimeters) is inexpensive at $149.95 and suitable for water sports such as whitewater rafting or warm-water diving. Its long front zipper, however, would be plenty painful for a surfer to lie on, and it might even wind up damaging a surfboard.

Of three top-of-the-line wet suits tested by The Times, the O’Neill Psycho 1 (4/3 mm, $299.99), the Rip Curl Elastomax 2 (3/2 mm, $249.99) and the Quiksilver Cell (3/2 mm, $282.95) all provided plenty of warmth for a foggy day at El Porto or a chilly morning at Zuma.

All three brands waterproof their seams by “welding” rubber to stitched areas. Also common are fabric gussets in the back that provide an extra barrier between your skin and water that may seep in through the neck and zipper.

What sets these the suits apart are the little features. The O’Neill suit includes an drain hole below the zipper.

The Quiksilver Cell is probably the closest to mimicking a second skin: Made from only three panels (a typical wet suit has more than a dozen), the Cell has fewer seams and is tight but not constricting.

The Rip Curl e2 fabric is stretchier and softer than the others, eliminating the need for a rash guard -- a nylon/spandex top worn beneath a wet suit to prevent chafing in the underarms.

Online deals are out there, but the best prices are generally found in odd sizes and from less known manufacturers. Don’t order one if you can’t try it on before buying or are able to return it upon receipt.

Some manufacturers allow you to exchange an ill-fitting suit for another size, but it’s a gamble. On the other hand, that $35 spring suit just might do the trick. Because about one-fourth of wet suit buyers are women, major brands have rolled out product lines designed for the feminine figure.

The same golden rule applies: A suit that fits poorly isn’t worth it. And aiming to appeal to women who want to bare some skin but still wear a functional, warm garment, Ripcurl this summer will introduce Women’s Wetskins, a collection of shorts, sturdy tops and ‘40s-style belted one-piece suits sure to turn a few heads.

Emmett Berg is a freelance writer based in Santa Monica.

Outdoors Institute columnist Julie Sheer has the week off.

To read previous Outdoors Institute columns, go to latimes.com/juliesheer.

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SNAPSHOT:

Thick or thin?

Before buying a wet suit for surfing, think about water temperatures. If it’s in the 50s or below, add booties and a hood. If it’s warm, a spring suit may do. Here are a few surf spots that currently demand everything from no wet suit to a very thick one.

*--* Water temperature Wet suit thickness Surf spot (in degrees) (in millimeters) Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii 76 Rash guard only Makahu, Peru 69 Torso: 3 mm Limbs: 2 mm Salt Creek near Dana Point 61 Torso: 3 mm Limbs: 2 mm Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay 51 Torso: 5 mm Arms: 4 mm Legs: 3 mm Narragansett, R.I. 42 Torso: 6 mm Arms: 5 mm Legs: 4 mm

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Sources: Body Glove; www.surfline.com.