Why do wetsuits have zippers up the back vs up the front which would make them easier to put on?

Question

Why do wetsuits have zippers up the back vs up the front which would make them easier to put on?

In: 15

Answer 1

At least in the context of wetsuits for open-water swimming, having the zipper at the back better distributes your buoyancy (neoprene is slightly buoyant) and it doesn’t leak or break your streamline.

When I swim backstroke in my wetsuit, for example, water will sometimes leak in through the zipper and this doesn’t happen when I’m swimming crawl. It will still keep me warm when it leaks but the initial trickle of cold water is unpleasant.