YOU ARE A BEGINNER SURFER
You are learning to surf or surf only a few times a year, during your holidays or a surf trip. You stay where you can touch the bottom, in tiny waves or broken waves. You surf for the pleasure of being in the water and for the feeling you get from it. During your sessions, you often fall but you fall in waves that are not very powerful. We have designed a wide range of products for you, to suit your occasional activity and your body shape.
How to choose the right wetsuit (Part 1)
The first selection criterion when choosing a surfing wetsuit is the water temperature.
Water temperature varies according to the location and the time of the year.
Systematically make sure that the water temperature at your spot corresponds to the recommended temperature range:
Water warmer than 20°C.
Water between 17 and 22°C.
Water between 12 and 17°C.
Water between 7 and 12°C.
Visit the site seatemperature.org to find out the temperature of your spot.
How to choose the right wetsuit (Part 2)
The 2nd criterion to take into account is the length of your sessions. If your sessions last less than an hour, the 100 models will be suitable. For up to 2 hours, opt for the 500 models and for up to 3 hours, the 900 models. Compared to the 100 models, the 500 models will be more efficient at reducing fatigue (more freedom of movement) and irritation. The same is true for the 900 models compared with the 500 models.
NOTE: the 900 models are easier to put on.
Choose the right size
To make the most of the features of your wetsuit, it is necessary to choose the correct size. A surfing wetsuit should be a very tight fit and there should be no visible folds. When dry, it is perfectly normal to feel like it is too tight, this discomfort disappears as soon as the wetsuit gets wet.
Fastening
Our zips and fastenings are laboratory tested in order to ensure an optimal lifespan and good resistance to salt water. We have put the zip at the back of the wetsuit for more comfort during surf sports (when lying down to paddle).
An outfit for every temperature range
When we are in the water, we lose more than half of our body heat through our extremities (feet, hands, head). Consequently, here are the recommended accessories:
- in water > 17°C: low neoprene shoes.
- in water between 12 and 17°C: High booties (boots) and gloves.
- in water between 7 and 12°C: High booties (boots), gloves, hood and hooded top.
OLAIAN, DECATHLON'S SURF BRAND
Based in Hendaye, in southwest France, OLAIAN is Decathlon's new surfing and bodyboarding brand. In our offices at the water's edge, we can design a swimsuit or wetsuit and then on the same day test it directly in the sea to check it stays in place in the waves.
