No. Really, why are wetsuits black? It seems to me that other colors MIGHT not attract predators/sharks. I know that in the late 80’s/early 90’s O’Neill made some green ones. Anyone?
“Becuase they have always been that way” is not an acceptable answer!
That the natural color of the rubber used. Its an aextra step to add color and a lot of the time printing comes of fairly easily
No. Really, why are wetsuits black? It seems to me that other colors MIGHT not attract predators/sharks. I know that in the late 80’s/early 90’s O’Neill made some green ones. Anyone?
“Becuase they have always been that way” is not an acceptable answer!
Don’t worry about sharks,they aren’t out to get you…
black is slimming, so other colors wouldn’t sell nearly as well.
black is slimming, so other colors wouldn’t sell nearly as well.
Take back what I said,slimming black wetsuits on women will have the land-sharks circling…
Neoprene is black to protect it from UV damage. Wetsuits with an fabric layer, inside or outside, use whatever color the designer desires, white, silver, yellow, patterns…whatever.
It seems to me that other colors MIGHT not attract predators/sharks.
I would doubt that. First, sharks do not have great vision, but they do have an awesome sense of smell.
Then, I have seen some excellent videos of this, if you study how a big shark attacks prey on the surface, they do it from below. As soon as you get down to any depth in the ocean, the amount of light decreases dramatically. So sharks don’t really ‘see’ you or your color, what they do see is the prey’s profile relative to the better lit surface, so they see a dark profile relative to a light background. So if you are their prey item, they do seem to see and differentiate your profile, but I would doubt they would notice the color of your wetsuit until very, very close.
But this is a very low risk issue. How many triathletes have been attacked by sharks in the last year, or last 10 years? Not many.
On the other hand, having a colored wetsuit for the purpose of avoiding a boat strike, that might be a great idea.
I’ve always wondered why they don’t make the arms and maybe shoulders or back bright colors. Not because of sharks, but for visibility from watercraft or to signal for help. Black blends in with water and waves. A bright color would be much more visible to others.
Bright colors don’t make it easier to see someone in the open water.
I spent 10 years honing my skills of seeing someone in the water from the back of a helicopter as a Naval Rescue Swimmer. Color doesn’t make it any easier to see. Even reflective doesn’t doesn’t make it easier.
Furthermore, a whole bunch of bright colored wetsuits all together aren’t going to make it easier to see you. Swim caps are bright colors, for this reason. But it still doesn’t make it easier.
Color on wetsuits is hard to do if you are thinking of dyeing it first. Paint is something you can put on, but it will eventually come off. Both cases will likely help to drive up the cost of manufacturing and I would bet you that cost will only roll over to the end consumer.
Wetsuits are becoming more colorful as of late. Take a look at what is available this year.
jake
I had the white part of my TYR hurrican wetsuit go a darkish brown, might be another factor
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I had the white part of my TYR hurrican wetsuit go a darkish brown, might be another factor
Another victim of the Schuykill brown trout release program?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgivzBEwurY
At the risk of exposing myself as an idiot, what the hell was the point of that video?
Bright colors don’t make it easier to see someone in the open water. I spent 10 years honing my skills of seeing someone in the water from the back of a helicopter as a Naval Rescue Swimmer. Color doesn’t make it any easier to see. Even reflective doesn’t doesn’t make it easier.
Good to know.
Would anything else make a wetsuit easier to see to a boater?
So you can social acceptably wear them after Labor Day
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That might be true from a helicopter ditance but not from a boat. I would guess that from a distance you would look for pattern changes. Up close colors really help. It is very easy to spot crab pots in a boat at 40mph and avoid them. Why? Because they are brightly colored. From a surfing standpoint it is also easier to see a guy in a pink rashie than a black wetsuit. Surf wetsuits are available in a variety of colors. I believe neoprene is naturally white and has to be dyed black so it can take virtually any color you want.
Scuba diving wetsuits can come in different colors and I’ve never heard that color would be a contributing factor for shark attack.
Scuba diving suits have a fabric layer, made of Cordura, on the outside for enhanced durability, the colors are a thing of fashion - and because of colors can help to recognize your buddy in a group of divers.
Swimsuits doesn’t have that outer layer, because they don’t need it. They are more slippery without that layer.
The colors of diving suits don’t have anything to do with sharks.
Sharks don’t care about the color of their food. From what I know, they don’t even see colors.
Shark-food has to taste good. Thats it.
You are probably right as per the fabric. However my 1995 Beuchat wetsuit (green sleeves / blue body) has exactly the same feel and texture of my Orca 3.8 wetsuit. Either way, layer or not, I guess the OP question is valid from a “fashion” perspective.
Agreed that colors don’t play a role in shark (or any other sea creature) attack. 
You are probably right as per the fabric. However my 1995 Beuchat wetsuit (green sleeves / blue body) has exactly the same feel and texture of my Orca 3.8 wetsuit.
May be.
I dive drysuits, and they aren’t even made of neoprene.
My only (diving) wetsuit is a Mares shorty, wich I use in the red sea, or the carribian sea.
On that shorty you can tell the difference to a swimsuit by pressing a fingernail into the material.
While there is nearly a cut in my Swimsuit from that touch, the diving suit shows absolutely nothing like this.
Agreed that colors don’t play a role in shark (or any other sea creature) attack.
I wouldn’t say that.
I always feel like about to attack, when I see guys in pink-violet-yellow-ish suits