Re: [Paddlewise] Whoa Nellie!!

 Once again, the original question asked by Ron was not about dry suits. He 
simply asked what's the best way to wear a Farmer John wetsuit for kayaking - 
with insulation over or under the suit? So let me take one more crack at this 
since there seem to be a lot of fallacies being bantered about on this topic.
   The thin Lycra suits which are sometimes worn under wetsuits are designed 
to make getting into and out of a tight rubber suit a little easier. They 
also provide some protection against rash for the more sensitive types who 
are prone to such. While some people may claim that they also provide some 
extra warmth to the suit I suspect that this is mostly psychological on the 
divers part. Lycra is a very thin material which absorbs minimal water and 
provides little insulation.
   Bulkier materials under the wetsuit allow more water in, and while the 
extra material does not seem to increase or decrease the flow of water 
through the suit, the extra water does come at an extra expense - your body 
needs to warm it. Which requires less energy to warm up, your swimming pool, 
or your spa? The spa of course. Why? Because it contains less water. Which 
will warm up more quickly, the spa or the pool? Once again the spa, and once 
again because it contains less water. The same thing is true with a wetsuit.
   The insulation of the wetsuit does not come from the water. Water is a 
really lousy insulator. Water is great for cooling things down. Your car 
engine is cooled by water, and so are nuclear power plants. If you are 
wearing an absorbent garment underneath a wetsuit then once it gets wet all 
you are left with is water! The wetsuits insulation comes from the gas 
bubbles trapped in the gas blown neoprene material. Any diver can tell you 
that as you descend to deeper depths the gas bubbles in the neoprene become 
compressed due to the additional pressures present and you began to lose your 
insulation. Of course this is not a problem to kayakers.
   Diving is a huge money making industry. I can't believe all of the color 
coordinated fancy smancy exceedingly over priced crap that every diver must 
have these days to participate in that sport. Don't you think that if it made 
any sense at all to wear some sort of material as insulation under the 
wetsuit that the industry would offer a special garment with their logo on it 
for divers or surfers, or even kayakers, to wear? If you think that wearing 
something under your wetsuit is better - then do it! I think as far as our 
applications as kayakers go we just might be splitting hairs here. But Rob 
was asking what was the most efficient use of a Farmer John wetsuit in 
kayaking - insulation under or over? There is absolutely no question that as 
far as swimming goes you will be better off with it over.

Scott
So.Cal.
   

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************