A wetsuit is an invaluable piece of gear that enables year-round swimming, surfing, scuba diving and paddle boarding activities. Not only will it keep you warm in the water but it can also prevent hypothermia – an extreme drop in body temperature – from developing.
Wetsuits are made of neoprene rubber, which traps water that’s warmed by your body temperature into its pores. There are various thicknesses and styles available depending on the water and weather conditions you may be encountering when swimming or diving.
Neoprene
Neoprene is a type of synthetic rubber first created by DuPont in 1930 and used widely across a range of products including wetsuits, clothing and footwear.
Neoprene is an increasingly popular material for cold water wetsuits and other swimming gear, offering an effective solution for keeping warm in the water. A wetsuit made out of this material traps and heats any trapped water, keeping you toasty warm while swimming or diving.
Your wetsuit may offer up to 5 millimeters of insulation depending on its thickness. While this might feel heavy to wear, its warm protection certainly justifies any inconvenience it might present.
Neoprene comes in various varieties and brands that use unique variations of this fabric to keep you warm, so the key to selecting an effective pair is finding one that suits you and your body type.
Neoprene should also be evaluated based on whether it is natural or synthetic material. While most commercial neoprene is made using petroleum-derived components, there are some companies trying to create natural-source neoprenes.
Neoprene used in wetsuits, footwear and other clothing items is manufactured through an elaborate process that begins with polychloroprene entering textile factories as liquid form and being combined with additives and dyes to form a doughy mixture that’s then put in an oven to cook before being cut into strips known as slices.
Once the slices have been cut, they’re loaded onto pallets and sent directly to apparel manufacturers for further processing. When the pieces arrive at apparel manufacturers, patterns are traced onto them before sewn together into final products.
When washing a neoprene wetsuit, follow the same method that would be used when caring for any garment. Gently launder it using mild detergents or shampoos before leaving it soaking for several minutes and squeezing out any extra moisture before air drying the item.
Insulation
A wetsuit can help keep you warm underwater by acting as insulation against cold air and water temperatures.
Insulation can be defined as any material that serves to retain heat while keeping out cold. Insulation plays an integral part in your home’s heating and cooling systems as it helps block air escaping through cracks in walls and roofs and maintain stable temperatures within your living environment.
To keep heat from escaping, the insulation material must have low thermal conductivity and emissivity levels, with minimal solid material content relative to its volume of void being filled by discontinuous fibers.
Wool, cotton, and fiberglass all make great insulators materials, with these fabrics trapping air bubbles to trap heat inside and prevent it from escaping through fabric fibers.
The best insulators are lightweight and breathable; both factors contribute to ease of wear. Breathable fabrics allow sweat and moisture to escape while maintaining insulation properties when wet.
Another effective example is down, which traps air in millions of tiny air pockets to provide warmth. This explains why down jackets have earned themselves such a good reputation while remaining light as air yet so effective at keeping you warm.
Polartec and PrimaLoft have become increasingly popular with synthetic insulation options that mimic down in terms of warmth. Their fabrics look and feel similar, but are less susceptible to getting wet or sticking to clothing clinging on when exposed to rain and humidity.
Other types of insulation which are more eco-friendly include cellulose insulation made from recycled paper that can be installed through blow-in, rolls and batts, loose fill, loose fill foam insulation as well as loose fill.
Both insulation options are highly energy efficient, which makes them popular choices in new construction and renovation projects. They help keep homes warmer in winter than in summer – thus helping reduce energy costs overall.
Seals
Seals are semi-aquatic mammals who have adapted well to life in the ocean by developing acute senses and diving techniques that allow them to survive at great depths, as well as being capable of swimming nearly twice as quickly as humans can.
Pinnipeds belong to a marine mammal family known as pinnipeds that also includes dolphins and whales. Most of their lives take place underwater or near water, although they must come onto land to give birth, mate, and molt their fur periodically.
Seals have evolved to regulate their body temperature in cold waters by using fat known as blubber to retain heat in their bodies and keep warm.
Fat also slows the movement of heat throughout their bodies, making it harder for seals to lose warmth. Another method seals use to stay warm is regulating their heart rate by relaxing their muscles and breathing faster – something they can achieve by controlling their heartbeat rate with their breath rate.
Seals use their skin, fur and circulatory system to regulate their body temperature by moving heat from their blood into their fur coats and vice versa. Furthermore, their waterproof fur coats protect them from the elements, decreasing risk of frostbite.
Seals use their dark skin to absorb sunlight and stay cool under its intense rays, and large eyes that let in lots of light, enabling them to see underwater clearly.
Seals also possess whiskers designed to detect vibrations in the water, helping them locate prey quickly while also providing guidance in murky conditions.
Fur-covered marine mammals can be found worldwide and most commonly inhabit Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
Seals are pinnipeds, and one of the most threatened species on Earth due to habitat loss, hunting pressures and climate change.
Seals are highly intelligent animals, capable of remembering patterns for approximately 18 seconds and repeating them verbatim. Additionally, seals respond well to musical rhythms and communicate through various means such as whistling and grunting.
Design
If you plan to go snorkeling or surfing, a wetsuit may be essential to ensure both warmth and comfort while being immersed in water. Wetsuits come in various designs to meet this need and keep users warm as well as ensure comfort during their aquatic experience.
A wetsuit is typically constructed out of neoprene rubber, an elastic substance. Neoprene is naturally buoyant and laminated with nylon fabric for additional strength. Neoprene also helps retain water temperature to keep you warmer in cold conditions.
Neoprene material is used to craft wetsuit sleeves, legs and bodies from. To be suitable for swimming use, this waterproof and flexible material must not restrict movement while swimming.
Neoprene comes in various forms and can be used to fashion different wetsuits for specific uses; some wetsuits are tailored specifically for divers, while others serve swimmers and surfers.
Most wetsuits are constructed from neoprene with thousands of nitrogen gas bubbles embedded within it, to reduce thermal conductivity in water and provide insulation against it. This makes neoprene an efficient heat barrier.
Wetsuits utilize neoprene as it provides excellent insulation properties. The thick foam neoprene holds in body heat effectively and trapping air can make you feel even warmer than before!
Water can drain away heat 32 times faster than air does, meaning when you swim or paddle in cold water your body absorbs its heat instead of getting its own. If your core becomes cold enough for hypothermia to set in and you begin losing heat at an alarming rate you could die within minutes if your core temperatures don’t warm back up again.
Selecting an appropriately sized and fitted wetsuit is crucial. It should fit comfortably around the chest, waist, neck and back while being snug around wrists and ankles; additionally, any seams must be flat locked, blind stitched, taped, glued or heat sealed so it remains waterproof.
Thickness is essential in choosing a wetsuit because it determines the amount of water entering it. Thicker suits are generally better at protecting you against the cold waters, however each additional layer increases weight and makes moving around in them harder.