As the title suggests I’ve always hated getting into cold water and have been told a wetsuit keeps you warm, how exactly does that work?
In: Biology
The only reason I’m commenting on top of what’s already been said is the water that gets in doesn’t really matter that much. It definitely helps, but is not crucial to the suit keeping you warm, and I didn’t see that specifically stated in the comments I scrolled down through. Some water always gets in by design, sometimes parts of the user stay dry, depends on the activity and how tight the suit is and the quality of the seams, etc. The main reason they work is they are made of a synthetic rubber called neoprene with nitrogen bubbles intentionally trapped inside it like a foam, and that makes the material a good insulator.
All of the ones I’ve used were coated with some kind of fabric on the inside and outside to protect the neoprene and make them more comfortable to wear and easier to get in and out of, so you won’t see the tiny air pockets unless it rips or get cut or something.
Edit: there are neoprene alternatives out there because it’s not an environmentally friendly material, but they have tiny bubbles inside too and work the same way.
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