Wetsuit

Abstract

A wetsuit is provided with knee pads. Each knee pad comprises a ring of relatively stiffer elastic material extending around the kneecap of the wearer to provide compression around the kneecap of the wearer, and a central region of relatively less stiff elastic material that rests on the kneecap of the wearer. A compression strip extending along a region corresponding to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the wearer may also be provided. The wetsuit may provide enhanced proprioception feedback to a wearer in the subject region of the wearer.

1 . A wetsuit having knee pads, each knee pad comprising a ring of relatively stiffer elastic material, the ring extending around the kneecap of the wearer to provide compression around the kneecap of the wearer, and a central region of relatively less stiff elastic material, the central region resting on the kneecap of the wearer. 
   
   
       2 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a compression strip extending along a region corresponding to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the wearer. 
   
   
       3 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the compression strip comprises a strip of additional material joined to the wetsuit on the inner side of the knee. 
   
   
       4 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the compression strip comprises a strip of additional material joined to the inside of the wetsuit and extending at a slight angle along the leg of the wetsuit. 
   
   
       5 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the compression strip is joined to the wetsuit at a position located laterally to the ring of relatively stiffer elastic material. 
   
   
       6 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the compression strip comprises an additional strip of neoprene attached to an inside surface of the material from which the wetsuit is made. 
   
   
       7 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 3  wherein a strip of enhanced stiffness is formed as or in conjunction with the strip of additional material. 
   
   
       8 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 7  wherein an outer surface of the wetsuit is provided with a printed region that increases the stiffness of the material of the wetsuit above the strip of additional material to thereby form the strip of enhanced stiffness. 
   
   
       9 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the strip of enhanced stiffness is made from a material that is relatively stiffer than the material from which the wetsuit is made. 
   
   
       10 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the ring of relatively stiffer material includes a relatively flat outer land extending around an outer periphery of the ring and a relatively flat inner land extending around the inner periphery of the ring. 
   
   
       11 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the ring of material has a thickness that increases in an inwardly radial direction from the outer part of the ring towards and inner part of the ring. 
   
   
       12 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the ring of material has a maximum thickness positioned at a distance closer to the inner periphery of the ring than the outer periphery of the ring. 
   
   
       13 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the thickness of the ring of material decreases from its maximum thickness in a direction moving from its maximum thickness to the inner periphery of the ring. 
   
   
       14 . A wetsuit as claimed in  claim 10  wherein, when viewed in cross section, the thickness of the material making up the ring of material gradually increases from an inner part of the outer land of relatively flat material towards a maximum thickness, with a relatively steep decline in thickness from the maximum thickness to the thickness at an outer part of the relatively flat inner land.