Seland Wetsuit Sizing Guide: Buyers Guide Part 4
Welcome to the Seland Buyers Guide. The 4th part of our Buyers Guide is a “Seland Wetsuit Sizing Guide.” This comprehensive guide aims to familiarize you with Seland; a company that is well known in US canyoning circles, but not well understood. The intent of this buyers guide is to bring clarity to their history, technology, products, sizing, and environmental impact.
Sizing Your Seland Wetsuit: Tips And Tricks
Canyoning wetsuits are a critical piece of safety equipment. By keeping you warm they keep you alive. But, since canyoning is such a niche sport in the US it is hard to get your hands on a Seland Wetsuit before you buy it. In the past this resulted in a lot of guesswork and poorly fitting wetsuits. Our Seland wetsuit sizing guide aims to help you in the decision making process. Suits are expensive, you want to be able to buy with confidence!
Nothing Beats Trying Your Suit On In Person!
It is true, there is no substitution for trying your wetsuit on in person. Unfortunately there are not many locations in the US where you can do so. Wild Sky makes our entire fleet of 2-piece wetsuits available to try on from May through September every year. Email us at info@wildskyguides.com and we will set up a meeting time in our service area of Snoqualmie Pass. We have a full line of Aneto 2-piece wetsuits and womens specific Luna 2-piece wetsuits that are available to try on at no obligation to buy (we do have the best price though!). At this moment we are unable to provide 1-piece steamers or drysuits for fitting.
First, Know Which Wetsuit You Want!
Seland sells a wide variety of canyoning specific wetsuits. It can be overwhelming to choose which wetsuit that you want. We suggest browsing the different wetsuits for sale on our website and studying the different materials that are discussed in PART 2 of this buyers guide. Each product on our website includes a photo that explains the different material construction of each suit. The above photo of the Luna is a great example. We like the Luna because of the durability provided by the Small Diamond and RF-06 rubber coating. The elasticity behind the knees, in the back panels, and under the armpits is what sets this suit apart from others, and explains the difference in price. If you are having difficulty deciding which wetsuit to choose email info@wildskyguides.com for a free consultation.
Next, consult the sizing Chart.
If you are unfamiliar with working in Metric then you can just input your height and weight into google and ask it to convert to metric. Once you have the correct sizes then you can choose which suit you fit into the best.
Advice For In-Between Sized Men and "unisex" suits.
Some people land right in the middle between two sizes. We have some advice for you. First, ask yourself, which of the two measurements are you closer to the extreme end of? If you are on the shorter end of one size, but have a gut that puts you into the higher end of the weight range, then maybe you should size up the suit.
wHAT ARE st, mt, lt SIZES?
Glad you asked! The “T” sizes mean Tall. This is a size that is specific for people who are lanky. For example, the MT suit is designed for people whose height puts them into the L size of suit, but weight puts them in the M sized suit. This means that the length of suit components will be sized L, but the circumfrence will be sized M. This option is highly recommended for skinny people with long arms and legs.
Advice For In-Between Sized wOMEN.
Seland is a leader in designing womens specific wetsuits. Instead of building “unisex” wetsuits that are actually designed for mens bodies, they have invested in women. Their investment has paid off, and they make the best womens specific canyoning wetsuits on the market. That being said, there are many types of bodies, and the standard sizing may not fit yours. Below is some advice I have learned from speaking directly with Seland and prominent women canyoners.
hOW ARE THE SUITS SHAPED DIFFERENTLY?
The main difference is in the hips. If you compare the suits side by side you will notice that the intersection of the hip panels and lower back panels are shaped differently. This gives more space for a womans hips.
What are the SW MW And LW sizes?
Much like the T sizes for the mens wetsuits, the W sizes are mean to accomodate women with curves. For example the MW is meant for women whose height falls into the M range, but weight falls into the L range. The diameter of the suit is size L and the height of the suit is in the M range.
What if My Body Doesn't Fit Any Of Those Gendered Stereotypes?!
This is a common complaint that we hear from people of all genders. If your body doesn’t fit any of the sizes that we described above then we have a solution for you too. Mix and Match! Below are some of the common body-type specific complaints and some advice for how to order your suit for your body.
If you have narrow hips and slim buttocks but a generous chest and slim shoulders.
A common complaint is that the womens suit is too spacious in the hips for this body type. But the mens top will flush constantly because the shoulders are too wide. For this situation we recommend a mens bottom and a womens top. Contact us at info@wildskyguides.com for custom ordering. We will get you the suit that you need!
If you have Wide hips and Chest and are short.
This is a common complaint in men. The larger sized wetsuits are longer, leading to the Farmer John needing to be folded around your ankles. We have seen two solutions for this problem. You can buy the larger jacket, and a smaller Farmer John. The Farmer Johns seem to handle stretch in the waist better than the jackets. The other solution is to get a mens top in your size and then get one of the Womens W Farmer Johns. The colors may clash, but you will appreciate the mobility and comfort! Contact info@wildskyguides.com with any questions.
Try Before You Buy!
If you are in in-between size then it is especially important that you try on your Seland Wetsuit before you buy.
Conclusion
Seland should be commended for investing in wetsuits for all different body types. They have in-between sizes for different body types, and they have a whole line of womens specific wetsuits. Wild Sky Guides sells Seland wetsuits and drysuits in our shop. Check out the link below and get your wetsuit shipped to your door today!