Why are Surfing Wetsuits Black? – 10 Facts
If you are a surfer, and when you take a look at most surfers’ wetsuits, the dominant color is black. Even some of the most prominent surfers in the world dress in black wetsuits when going for tournaments or just surfing for fun. This begs the big question, why are surfing wetsuits black in color? There are many colors surfing wetsuits could come in. It, therefore, becomes rather puzzling when you see almost every surfer at the beach in black surfing wetsuits. Well, if you are one of those surfers trying to figure out the reasons why, here are some reasons RunRex has established.
1. Black swimsuits provide warmth
Water in the ocean is usually cold. It even gets colder when it’s cloudy or when it starts to rain. The human body requires heat to be able to function perfectly, and black wetsuits provide just that. Scientifically, black absorbs heat much faster as compared to any other color. It, also, loses heat much slower. This property makes it ideal for swimsuits. Black wetsuits will help you absorb heat faster when you are exposed to the sun and aid conserve your body heat when you submerge in water.
2. Easy to spot in case of an incident
Accidents do occur when people go surfing, and someone may just be overwhelmed by the water and start drowning. Given that ocean water is blue in color, black provides the perfect contrast with the watercolor. It, thus, becomes much easier to spot the surfer hence making the rescue operations much easier. With other colors, it can be hard to spot the surfer in the water, especially if the color of the wetsuit almost resembles color blue.
3. Black matches with other pieces of surfing equipment
Color black matches incredibly with other surfing equipment. Whether you have a black, a red, an orange, a blue or purple surfboard, a black wetsuit will match it perfectly. Additionally, most of the surfing gear is black in color hence matching perfectly with a black surfing wetsuit.
4. Black color affects your performance positively
Interestingly, the psychologists indicate that the color of your wetsuit will affect how you perform when surfing far more than you can imagine. Most people perceive black as an evil color, and research shows that black color increases the aggressiveness of athletes. Color black can make you feel tough hence make you more aggressive. The more aggressive you are, the easier it is for you to conquer even bigger waves and perform better against your opponents.
5. For protection against sea predators
The greatest predator surfers always risk facing while surfing is the shark. Shark can easily spot the bright colors since there are easily noticeable. It is advisable to put on black wetsuits because, while sharks can see them, they cannot spot them easily as compared to other brighter colors. Black does not reflect light as much as the other colors do. Black wetsuits do not eliminate the chances of a shark spotting you completely, but they significantly reduce the chances of sharks spotting you as compared to other colors.
6. Black brings out style
Black is one of the colors that bring out the classic look and feel of something. Therefore, if you are seeking to show off your surfing skills, black is just the color to choose. Black, also, somehow gives a slimming look hence making it ideal for style – especially for ladies. And on top of that, black color fades much slower as compared to other colors hence it becomes you can maintain your style for a longer period.
7. Black is easy to clean
Unless you stain your black wetsuit with something that has a bright color, it is not easy to spot stain on a black wetsuit. It is even much easier to clean a stain on a black wetsuit as compared to cleaning and removing stains from a white, green or any wetsuit that has a bright color.
8. Black does not show wear and tear
When you look at surfers who buy wetsuits of other colors, you will notice that they do away with them within just a few trips to the ocean or just a few months due to wear and tear. On the other hand, those who purchase black wetsuits tend to stay with their suits more even more months and even more than a year. Frequently replacing your surfing wetsuit is not a good thing for your wallet.
9. Fabric friendly
Almost all materials can take on the color black. It can be hard to give some types of fabrics a different color shade like silver or gold. But giving the wetsuit fabrics a black shade is very attainable.
10. Black never goes out of fashion
People easily get tired and bored with other colors but not with black; at least for most people. Black has been a fashionable color over the years expressing its dominance for decades. We cannot say the same for other colors. Only a few people can love a particular color, and even those tend to get bored with time.