Re: [Paddlewise] Drysuits

From: tompage <

>  In a coated suit, you're
>nice and warm too, maybe warmer, when you're paddling, but it would seem
>when you stop paddling, all that soaked clothing around you now acts to
>conduct heat away at a much greater rate than if it were dry, air filled,
>insulating clothing.  Granted, soaked polypro inside a nylon shell is
better
>than nothing at all should you take a nasty dip, but Gortex would seem to
be
>much superior in performance.
        Not really.  For one thing, all that moisture is at or close to your
body temperature.  There's no heat gradient to speak of that would draw more
heat from you.  Heat losses to the outside are mainly radiation and
convection.  Convection is almost absent since the impervious drysuit layer
prevents air movement over the wet clothing, hence also no loss via
evaporation (which takes heat away).  I'm generally toasty warm in my
drysuit when I'm quiet, even if I'm sweatsoaked on a cold day.
        If I hit the water there's some small loss which is quickly
replenished from my body -- but far less than otherwise.
JP


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