freediving wetsuits Smoothskin vs Lining

freediving wetsuits Smoothskin vs Lining

The other fator in wetsuit design is the application to a layer of nylon/lycra fabric to the surface of the neoprene. Neoprene rubber is a fairly soft material, and attaching fabric dramatically increases the durability of the suit. Manufacturers usually refer to neoprene with fabric bonded to the surface as "lined," "nylon lined," "jersey lined," or they invent fancy names like "superstretch lined." Neoprene sheeting with with a smooth, bare rubber surface is usually referred to as "smoothskin" althoug a few manufacturers erroneously refer to smoothskin surfaces as "open cell" which is wrong because open cell refers to foam rubbers that have bubbles that connect with each other, creating what is also known as a sponge rubber. There is a true open cell rubber surface used in spearfishing suits that we will describe later, though, but it's important not to confude open cell foam rubber with the smooth rubber protective coating on the surface of closed cell foam rubber.

Most scuba divers get nylon-lined neoprene because they feel that the stress of straps, weight belts, sliding over the edge of boat gunwhales, etc. will abrade smoothskin neoprene too easily and the suit won't last very long. I'm not aware of any company making smoothskin suits out of high density neoprene for scuba diving nowadays, although maybe they exist.

http://www.alphawetsuits.com/it/48-freediving
http://www.alphawetsuits.com/it/6-spearfishing
http://www.alphawetsuits.com/it/
http://www.alphawetsuits.it/
http://www.alphawetsuits.it/categoria-prodotto/apnea/mute-apnea/
http://www.onex-diving.com/
http://www.onex-diving.com/freediving.html