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.
They really don’t keep you warm, that’s why dry suits exist.
Because how cold is “cold” here? You’re recommended not to use the wetsuit in water less than 60°F, cause it doesn’t do enough to insulate. That’s honestly lukewarm at best
Same way a string vest and a sweater with lots of holes keeps you warm. Those trap air that your body heats up and which insulate you. A wetsuit traps water that does the same.
From what I understand, a wetsuit traps a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit, which your body heats up. The suit then acts as insulation to keep that warm water close to your body. Pretty amazing how something as simple as water can help keep you warm!
Eli5 explanation is this:
Without a wetsuit, you have cold water continually washing away your body heat as you swim.
With a wetsuit, you have a protective layer of the SAME water-soaked material that your body heat can warm. The cold water washing over you doesn’t wash away your body heat.
You are kept “relatively” warm compared to the surrounding water but obviously won’t be warmed up like you would be under a blanket next to a roaring fire.
Latest Answers