RE: [Paddlewise] Ice Swimming

There may be an entrepreneurial opportunity here.  We seem to have a need
for a non-compressible insulation material that will keep the insulating air
from being squeezed out from under a dry suit and keep the insulating air
from collecting near the feet of the paddler and holding the paddler upside
down in the water.  Although I have never tried it, I am told that extensive
paddling in a head down, feet up position is not a recommended practice and
may be anti-survival.  I will leave the experimental proof to others. 

Dana Dickson

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven LaDue [mailto:due459_at_frontiernet.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 10:47 AM
To: Dickson, Dana A.
Cc: 'PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net'
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Ice Swimming
<snip>

  Having spent many hours underwater in a dry suit while scuba diving, I
know it
gets cold.  The suit that I used was vulcanized rubber with a thick
insulation
suit underneath.  Experience showed that the more air that was inside the
suit,
the warmer I was.  Water compresses any insulation reducing it's ability to
keep
you warm.  Many times I would have to float with my feet higher than my head
just to get the air around my feet to warm them up.  I also found that a
good
fitting wet suit worked just as well as my dry suit will under water, the
dry
suit was better during the entry and exit from the shore. Just food for
thought.
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