There can't be that many surfers, particularly around the British coast, that are silly enough to brave the elements of British waters without a wetsuit. The wetsuit has been a godsend for those surfing fanatics who are not content with only participating in their sport for the 2.6 weeks of summer that this country gets.

Wetsuits have opened up the whole sport to something that you can do for pretty much the whole of the year. They have come a long way from the constrictive, skin ripping garments of a few years ago and now consist of neoprene panels stitched together to form a super stretchy barrier that traps a thin layer of water against the skin. The body quickly heats this water to body temperature and leaves you with a liquid blanket that keeps you snug as a bug in a rug, or at least a little warmer than no wetsuit at all.

The panels of the wetsuit are stitched together and some are glued to form a suit with virtually no seams. This means more comfort and less chance of leakage and this also applies to the more pricey suits. The more you can afford to splash out on a wetsuit, the more likely you are to get a good one of quality that will keep you warm and last for a good few years.

The wetsuits are often held in place with a zip up the back. Those who have attempted to get in and out of one of these straight jackets of the surfing world will know how inconvenient a back zip is. Once in, whilst still dry, movement is somewhat restricted so trying to reach behind yourself to grab and secure a zip is very difficult.

Once you have finished surfing for the day, trying to get out of that wetsuit with the back zip is nigh on impossible. After much huffing and puffing, you reach behind you and eventually manage to get a grip on the zip pull. Ok, so you may have undone it but unless you have a neoprene style can opener that suit isn't coming off for love nor money.

A wet wetsuit will love you and stick to you and want to stay with you forever. You will grapple, struggle, pull, grunt, moan and sweat but it still ain't going anywhere! In the end, you resort to getting a few mates on the end of your legs to pull at the suit. This will often be enough to shift it to the point where you can climb out but expect to lose a layer of skin in the process.

Skin removed via a wetsuit can be a painful experience. That said, it is one method of hair removal so far untapped. Not your conventional method and more painful than a bic razor but effective nonetheless.

The development of the wetsuit has meant that surfers can now continue with their sport for much of the year, particularly if they own a 6mm suit. This is pretty thick and effective at keeping out the cold. I used one of these in eighteen degree water in October and, after the initial shock of cold water down the neck, it did the job.

Today's wetsuits for those that can afford the top end designs, are now made of material that is so stretchy that they can be accessed through the neck leaving no awkward zips or itchy seams or chances of water leakage. I wouldn't fancy trying to get out of one of these things!