----- Original Message ----- Hi Rob, >>>I've been taught a wetsuit works by trapping a thin layer of moisture next to your skin allowing it to be warmed by your body. << More accurately, it does not allow a Large amount of cold water next to your skin A moisture layer is not necessary for the functioning of a wetsuit. Rather, it works to minimize your exposure... >>For a wetsuit to do its job it must fit snugly so that the warmed water inside the suit does not easily exchange with the cold outside water.<< Yes, so that only a small amount of water needs warming and your body doesn't have to lose a lot of heat to do so... >>>Some folks advocate a THIN undergarment like polypropylene worn under the suit as assisting with slowing the exchange of body-warmed moisture with the cold surrounding fluid. <<< But that's the main job of the wetsuit!!! You really don't need a conduit to permit more cold water to get under there... I wouldn't call this 'assisting'... Another function of the wetsuit is as an insulation layer to keep that now-warmed water from transferring that heat to the colder water on the outside. Joe P. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Mar 12 2003 - 10:28:33 PST
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