Photography by Dorys Foltin

They slide on easily, fit comfortably, protect you from scrapes and stings, and provide that just-right thermal protection in water temperatures ranging from the low 70s to the mid-80s-what's not to love about 3mm wetsuits? Fit, of course, is the most important thing to look for in any wetsuit. A suit that conforms to your body is 90 percent of the battle. The final 10 percent comes down to features that prevent cold water from flowing into the suit. If you need maximum thermal protection from your 3mm suit, we recommend these water-blocking features:

Glued and blind-stitched seams. An assembly process in which the seams of the suit are glued together, then sewn so that the needle pierces only the top layer of material, ensuring that no leak points are created. By contrast, flat-lock stitching creates thousands of tiny needle holes that slowly seep water.

Neck seal. A smooth-skin lining on the neck helps seal the insulating neoprene to your skin and prevents it from scooping water.

Zip seal. While every suit in this review has some kind of zipper flap to impede water flow at the largest opening, this icon represents those with overlapping smooth-skin flaps that seal water out.

Wrist and ankle seals. This icon indicates the presence of either rounded cuffs known as O-ring seals or smooth-skin linings that seal to your skin.

The 11 fullsuits in this review run the gamut of prices, features and designs, so the odds are good that one or more of them will fit you and your specific wetsuit needs. For additional details, click here.

(A) Body Glove

EX3 Durability, flexibility, plenty of insulation and the lowest retail price of any suit in this review ($165) make the EX3 one sweet suit. Flex panels in the arms, down the legs, on the back and at the knees allow freedom of movement, and the large, durable kneepads provide extra protection. Bonus: The chest and back panels have a comfortable plush lining.

(B) Oceaner

Performance 3/2 Steamer This a good basic suit with some exceptionally durable kneepads. A smooth-skin neck seal and hidden wrist gaskets work well to reduce flushing. Flexible material and ankle zippers make for an easy entry. The flat-lock stitching is durable, but it also lets water sneak in through the seams, making this suit better for the warmer end of the tropical diving spectrum.

(C) Akona

Quantum Stretch For maximum warmth and flexibility, it's hard to beat this new suit from Akona. It has every water-blocking feature we could ask for. The adjustable collar, wrists and ankles are all sealed with extended sections of Glideskin material, and the zipper is guarded with a skin-to-skin seal. Plus, it's made from a four-way stretch nylon-covered neoprene that conforms to your body for a comfortable, flexible fit. There are also reinforced pull loops at the zipper's base and the kneepads-while small-are flexible and durable.

(D) H2Odyssey

Pismo 3/2 Although it's from H2Odyssey's surf line, the Pismo holds its own for tropical diving. The Superstretch neoprene may compress more at depth, but the glued and blind-stitched seams are backed by a liquid weld to seal water out, plus the suit has an effective skin-to-skin zipper seal, and an adjustable skin-in collar. Smooth skin chest and back panels help prevent evaporative cooling during surface intervals, and the knees are covered with thin but flexible pads.

(E) Mares

Trilastic Deluxe 3/2/2 Mares makes it easy to get into their new wetsuit. It's made of super elastic neoprene for hassle-free donning and maximum flexibility. For added comfort, the interior is lined with a plush Dryfire material. Sapphire Skin seals at the neck, wrists and ankles keep cold water out, while the 3mm torso features skin-out Tricore chest panels to reduce evaporative cooling. The Trilastic Deluxe 3/2/2 was one of only a few suits reviewed that had all of our favorite water-blocking features.

(F) Bare

3/2 Velocity Full If you can't find a comfortable, flexible fit in the redesigned 3/2 Velocity, you might not be human. It's now available in 16 men's and 13 women's choices, and strategically placed Progressive Stretch panels (including the Lumbar X-Tender panel in the 3mm torso) smooth out any differences between you and the size chart. There's a new contour neck and, for even more flexibility, the arms and legs are made of thinner 2mm neoprene, making the Velocity ideal for the warmer end of the tropical spectrum.

(G) O'Neill

Sector 3mm Another top-quality suit from O'Neill, the Sector 3mm is made of Ultraflex neoprene panels that are joined with a minimal seam design. The glued and blind-stitched seams are further backed by a Fluid Seam Weld to prevent any seepage. The knees are heavily reinforced with rugged pads that extend down to cover the shins. For comfort and warmth, the interior torso panels are lined with Firewall insulation and unique to the suits here is the Code Red urethane-coated zipper-its offset teeth work with a zipper flap to prevent water intrusion almost as well as a smooth-skin seal.

(H) Waterproof

Capri Waterproof uses anatomical shaping and a wide range of sizes (20 men's, 18 women's) in the quest to fit divers. The company eschews high-stretch neoprenes that it says compress too easily to provide maximum insulation at depth. While noticeably stiffer than high-stretch suits, we found the Capri easy to don, thanks to a plush lining and convenient wrist and ankle zips. Special accordion panels at the elbows, back and behind the knees allow for greater flexibility, while glued and blind-stitched seams and a smooth-skin zipper flap block the main routes of water flow. The arms and legs use internal cuffs that work with gloves and boots to keep cold water out. Bonus feature: The Capri features a comfort zipper at the neck so you can relax the fit between dives.

(I) ScubaPro

Everflex Steamer 3 The most comfortable suit in Scubapro's thermal protection line goes on easy and conforms to your body for maximum flexibility. There is glued and blind-stitched construction throughout and while the adjustable neck is not smooth-skin lined, it's so soft and pliable that it did a good job at keeping cold water out. Other nice touches: Flexible Tatex kneepads, a thick zipper flap that doubles as a spine pad and a convenient thumb loop at the zipper base.

(J) Pinnacle

Merino Elastiprene 3 Pinnacle has every reason to be proud of this suit, one of only three featuring all of our favorite water-blocking features. But that's just the beginning. For comfort, the suit is lined throughout with the company's plush Merino wool material and, for durability, there are stress discs applied to all seam intersections. The neck seal is a dry suit-style rolled neoprene collar, plus this suit boasts a 10mm spine pad/zip flap that seals out cold water.

(K) Tilos

3/2 Architec The 3/2 Architec is built for flexibility. The torso is made from a forgiving titanium stretch 3mm neoprene material; the arms and legs from an even more forgiving 2mm Ti-Superstretch material. There's an adjustable Glideskin neck seal, a smooth skin chest panel to prevent evaporative cooling and huge Tatex kneepads for flexible protection.

How Wetsuits Work

As soon as you hit the water, even in the tropics, the clock is ticking toward hypothermia. Your wetsuit slows the process of heat loss by providing insulation (from the millions of tiny gas bubbles trapped in the neoprene material) and by minimizing the flow of water across your bare skin. Fit is the most important feature to look for when choosing a wetsuit. A suit that fits like a "second skin" will provide the best thermal protection regardless of any other features it may or may not have. Try on as many different brands and models as it takes to find the one that conforms to your body. Avoid any large gaps or pockets in your armpits, groin, behind your knees and in front of your elbows. As you move, these pockets become pumps, sucking cold water in and squirting warm water out.

Water-blocking features-such as glued and blind-stitched seams, smooth-skin seals at the neck, wrists and ankles, and overlapping smooth-skin zipper seals-add an additional layer of protection in colder waters.

Still looking for the perfect wetsuit? Past wetsuit reviews are available here.

| Wetsuit Features| | | PRICE| SIZES| MADE IN| WARRANTY| STITCHING| | AKONA: Quantum Stretch www.akona.com| $180| 9 Men's 6 Women's| Taiwan| 2 years| Glued and blind-stitched| | BARE: 3/2 Velocity Full www.bare-wetsuits.com| $199.95| 16 Men's 13 Women's| Canada| Ltd. lifetime| Flat-seam| | BODY GLOVE: EX3 Fullsuit www.bodyglove.com| $165| 10 Men's| Thailand| 1 year materials; life-workmanship| Glued and blind-stitched| | H2ODYSSEY: Pismo 3/2 www.H2Odyssey.com| $219| 6 Men's 6 Women's| China| 1 year| Glued and blind-stitched| | MARES: Trilastic Deluxe 3/2/2 www.mares.com| $280| 5 Men's 6 Women's| Thailand| 1 year| Glued and blind-stitched| | OCEANER: Performance 3/2 Steamer www.oceaner.com| $229| 7 Men's 8 Women's| Canada| 1 year materials; life-workmanship| Flat-seam| | O'NEILL: Sector 3 mm www.oneill.com| $259.95| 11 Men's 9 Women's| Thailand & Mexico| 1 year| Glued and blind-stitched| | PINNACLE: Merino Elastiprene 3 www.pinnacleaquatics.com| $385| 13 Men's 10 Women's| Philippines| 1 year materials; life-workmanship| Double-glued and blind-stitched| | SCUBAPRO: Everflex Steamer 3 www.scubapro.com| $273| 7 Men's 7 Women's| Thailand| 1 year| Glued and blind-stitched| | TILOS: 3/2 Architec www.tilos.com| $170.08| 11 Men's 6 Women's| Thailand| Ltd. lifetime| Flat-seam| | WATERPROOF: Capri www.waterproof.se| $270.48| 20 Men's 18 Women's| Sweden| 2 years| Glued and blind-stitched|