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
Everyone saying the layer of water keeps you warm is wrong. ~~Water is a terrible insulator.~~ Edited to acknowledge that water *can* insulate.
Wetsuits are generally made of neoprene, which acts directly as an insulator. A secondary factor is that the wetsuit stops your body from directly touching the cold water. Think of a wetsuit as a jacket for your entire body, one that’s flexible and durable and can get wet.
Consider two simple questions:
– If you needed water for a wetsuit to work, would it keep you warm *out* of the water?
– If the neoprene didn’t matter, would you need a thicker suit for colder water?
Wetsuits absolutely heat you up before you get to the water, and you do indeed wear thicker suits in colder water.
Latest Answers