Entering the world of wetsuits is a wild and scary one. There’s a wetsuit for every activity and they come with quite the price tag. So, in case you’re just entering this world and have no idea where to start, I thought I’d tell you about mine, which is the Peak UK Centre Long John. It’s the one my favourite watersports company uses and having decided I liked the one I borrowed for a kayaking half day several years ago, it’s what I chose when the day came when it was best to have my own.
As the name suggests, it’s a long-john style – think dungarees except with velcro instead of buckles or ties on the shoulder straps. Being sleeveless means you have a good range of movement and it’s also more adaptable. You can add a neoprene jacket if you want more coverage – I haven’t wanted to, which is good because neoprene jackets and tops are expensive – or a rash vest underneath or just go out bare-shouldered if you don’t mind getting sunburnt. I wear it over a rash vest and then if I’m paddling and it’s anything other than a glorious day, I add a sailing cagoule which means I stay warm and dry and there’s no extra neoprene restricting movement in my shoulders and arms. Off I paddle!
I know people like shorty wetsuits, with short sleeves and legs, especially for summer. I personally like the long legs on this one because I’m nervous of wading out, pushing my boat, and walking into a jellyfish. Once I’m in the boat, my top half isn’t going in the water so there’s enough neoprene to keep me warm, not too much to make me too hot and I don’t need to worry about jellyfish on bare arms.
It’s also a pretty good price. The “Centre” in its name means that it’s meant for outdoor activity centres – to be put on by unsuspecting tourists who don’t know how to treat it properly, battered day after day and washed and dried by being dumped in a bucket of fresh water and hung up in a shed. It’s tough enough to last well under less-than-optimal usage conditions and cheap enough to be replaced regularly. Centres running short trips for beginners don’t need anything technical or expensive and neither do I. Mine was £69 with free delivery when I bought it in 2019 and it’s now £75. I’m ok with that. Having seen the price of wetsuits, I’d have expected to pay a lot more.
The Centre Long John is nicely shaped, with actual knees which have a slightly grippy pattern on them and what the website calls “super tough seat” – 3mm on the bum instead of 2.5mm everywhere else and textured again for grip when you’re sitting in a boat. Mine is a little bit long for me but that’s my fault for being a bit wide for my height. The XL fits me quite comfortably. That’s another point in its favour. Anyone who’s not waif-like has probably struggled into a borrowed too-tight wetsuit at some point and felt like a sausage about to burst its casing. This one doesn’t feel like that. This one feels very natural, which is why I decided to go for one of my own. I daresay I look like a black version of Baymax but I feel good in it.
To be honest, back in 2019, I didn’t think I’d get that much use out of my own wetsuit. I bought it as an extra safety precaution to go with my inflatable kayak. Wearing a wetsuit is more buoyant than not wearing a wetsuit. But since then, I’ve got into kayaking, so I’ve worn it on many training days and fun paddles, I wore it a lot for sea swimming last summer and now I wear it for boat club. I watch the kids struggle into long-sleeved wetsuits with zips up the back, I watch our instructor wave her arms around in an attempt to arrange her sleeves so she can move enough to paddle and I think I’m quite comfortable enough. I no longer have to take a chance on borrowed kit that might not fit, I know I’m going to be comfortable and safe and warm and I can play with my layers to keep my body temperature happy.
Four years down the line, I admit that it’s had quite light use. Certainly light compared to what it was designed for. It’s in impeccable condition. I take it home, hang it on the washing line and spray it with the hose after every use so it gets cleaned and dried. Leaving it in the sun isn’t the best for it but I can’t have a dripping wetsuit in the house so it has to hang outside. I did once hang it over the shower screen but if you find yourself in the bathroom in the middle of the night, a long black human-shaped thing hanging over the bath is the stuff of nightmares. I do fold it in half but otherwise I try to roll it or fold it loosely so it doesn’t wear out along the same fold lines week after week.
So that’s my recommendation. If anyone’s looking for a first wetsuit, if you want one for general purposes, one that’s not going to break the bank, I’d go for the Peak Center Long John. Obviously, if you’ve got a specific purpose for your wetsuit and need a specific type, go for that. I can’t advise on that. There are purpose-designed swimming wetsuits, surfing wetsuits, diving wetsuits, triathlon wetsuits. Different thicknesses, different shapes. This is for people who just want a wetsuit, who don’t need any particular style for any particular activity. I’m inclined to say it’s better quality than the cheaper ones you’ll find in the supermarkets – absolutely go for the cheap supermarket ones, especially if you’re buying for kids or teenagers who are going to outgrow them within a year or two, it’s incredible that you can just buy a wetsuit alongside your bread and milk, but this is a very good price for a good quality all-round long-term wetsuit that you’re going to get a lot of use out of. The long-john shape is a good one for ease of putting on and range of movement, so you might want to bear that in mind even if you’re looking at other brands.
