Most wetsuits are made from a few large pieces of rubber that are cut to resemble the human form. They are then stretched to fit a "person" and stitched together. Wetsuits made in this fashion often lack durability: the seams are stressed from holding together the large pieces of material that are stretched over a person's body. However, if you're a once-a-year diver, this kind of wetsuit is likely highly adequate.

An alternative method for making wetsuits is to make a three-dimensional design, take many smaller pieces of neoprene, and form those pieces to a person's body, much like paper mache'. Although there are more seams to contend with, the fact that those seams aren't stretched as much means they should last longer. Consequently, if you're a frequent diver, you might want to consider purchasing a wetsuit that has been crafted to fit the body carefully. In other words, you might want to look into Waterproof.

A Swedish company that has been around for 20 years, Waterproof has recently redesigned their collection of wetsuits, drysuits, semi-drysuits, and accessories, to make them warmer, dryer, tougher, and easier to don and doff. Featuring gender-specific styling; form-molded tabs; knee guards; reinforced shoulders and elbows; double-thread stitching; an extra-thick spine pad; and many other details, Waterproof's wetsuits are impressive. Although I have never dived with a Waterproof product, I saw them at OceanFest 2006, and I was mightily impressed. They looked and felt like they could withstand some serious guerrilla diving and still look good and keep you warm. Although most of the dealers are not in the US, the fact that I saw them in Ft. Lauderdale suggests to me that the Swedes will be invading soon.