Staying Warm in a Wetsuit

One of the biggest problems with diving or any other water sport such as kayaking or surfing is maintaining body temperature in cold water. Without some form of water compatible insulation most ocean or lake water will quickly take body heat right out of you. The traditional neoprene wetsuit has served this purpose very well for many years and still works effectively in many harsh water environments.

Wetsuits are normally made out of thick neoprene rubber. They generally range in thickness from 3 mm to 9.5 mm so you can get an idea just how thick they are. As the name implies, these suits are not waterproof and as a result, your skin will be in contact with the water all the time. The suits work by trapping a relatively thin layer of water against your skin, which is heated by your body. The idea is keep this layer of water constant and not to flush it with new water. This requires that the wetsuit fit very tightly against your body with no air pockets and gaps. If there are gaps or the wetsuit just plan doesn't fit you the motion of your body in the water will end up pushing the heated water close to your skin out and introducing cold water in its place which of course defeats the purpose of maintaining body warmth. A properly fit wetsuit is actually fairly uncomfortable and difficult to breathe in because of this tight fit. But as long as you maintain this tight fit the thickness of the neoprene acts as insulation to keep you and the layer of water against your skin warm. Thicker wetsuits are for use in colder waters. For example, 9.5 mm thick suits are for use in water that is 35 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 3 mm thick for waters 70 to 85 degrees in temperature. Another disadvantage with the traditional wetsuit is once you get out of the water you will continue to get colder because the water in the wetsuit will start to evaporate and pull your body heat out with it. The way to get warm after a dive in a wetsuit requires that you take the suit off, towel off and get some warm cloths on.

To help combat some of these problems drysuits were developed. As the name implies these dive suits are waterproof and designed to keep ocean and lake water out of the suit. This does not mean that you won't start sweating in them if you overheat but keeping the ocean water out does allow for greater flexibility as far as insulation and temperature control are concerned. Most drysuits are relatively thin compared to wetsuits and usually rely upon undergarments to provide insulation unlike wetsuits that only get their insulation from the neoprene suit itself. One of the more popular materials used to make drysuits is called trilaminate. This is made up of 3 layers of material; a thin layer of waterproof nylon on the inside and outside with a thin layer of rubber in the middle. Of course the technology that makes drysuits possible requires that all the seals and zippers be completely watertight so a drysuit will fit tight at the wrists and neck, for example, but in general drysuits are more comfortable compared to wetsuits.