Wetsuit and Duvets, deep down or made of down they are very similar.

So there are generally 4 categories of people in this world:

1. Those who understand which wetsuit is best for the water temperature they are diving in but have no idea what a tog is
2. Those who know exactly what tog factor is but don’t have a clue why you wouldn’t wear 3mm wetsuit in Iceland
3. The clever people who know their togs and mm’s
4. Everyone else who doesn’t care or wish to know, and frankly are they worth knowing anyway?

So in case you haven’t worked it out we are about take you from a 1 or 2 person in to hopefully a 3 person. Something that should make you sleep easier at night and not worry if your nipples are going to pierce your wetsuit (just to clarify this is not sexist as it happens to men and women).

This is a very basic guide so if you are the CEO of the worlds largest duvet or neoprene manufacturer I do apologies for making your world sound a lot more simple then it probably is.

This article assumes that your duvet will stay dry and your wetsuit will get wet, not the other way round!

So let’s crack on! The smaller the number of mm’s of your wetsuit, or the TOG number of your duvet, the less insulation properties it will hold. Putting it simple…

If you have a 3mm wetsuit or a 3 tog duvet you will potentially look like you are smuggling peanuts if you were to use them in the cold/winter. If you have a 3mm shorty wetsuit, it’s like having a 3 tog duvet but sticking your feet out of the end of it. Perfect for a hot sticky summer night at home, or in 30 water of somewhere tropical.

If you get really hot then you might swap your duvet for a cotton sheet and go naked. You can go naked in the sea (as is the tradition for your hundredth dive) but it’s probably better to wear board shorts and rash vest as you are much less likely to be arrested or gain unwanted attention from a Hollywood film producer that might just happen to be swimming past you.

The 5mm wetsuit is comparable to a 10 tog duvet. It’s a great all rounder and can be used most of the year. But be warned, there are good quality duvets/neoprene and poorer grades. A Canadian goose down duvet is the equivalent of a Bare, Fourth Element or Waterproof wetsuit, while a cheap own label supermarket plasticky duvet would be like having a similar wetsuit from the same range.

Now in to autumn and the beginning of winter, time to wrap up warm! Divers would opt for a 7mm or a 6.5mm semi dry. Unless you leave your heating on max all night it’s time to pull the 13 tog out of the cupboard and snuggle under that crisp duvet.

Next is the middle of winter and the heating’s bust, the diving equivalent of ice diving or wraysbury on a crisp January morning. Time to get the big guns out – a 15 tog duvet with a pair of bed socks, or a good dry suit and undersuit. Don’t get it the wrong way round as a 15 tog duvet won’t keep you warm in the water, and a 5mm neoprene drysuit in bed can be a little restrictive and you are much less likely to attract the cuddles from your bed partner.

Now, what if you really feel the cold? In bed you might opt for an electric blanket, while dry suit divers can actually buy heated tops that work on battery power. If you want a cheaper alternative then you could go for a hot water bottle or divers can get heat pouches.

So I hope that makes it easier the next time you are looking to buy a new duvet or wetsuit? Unfortunately Oyster don’t do duvets but we do have an excellent range of wetsuits and dry suits. Keep warm and sweet underwater dreams.