Synthetic Blubber

[Akimbo]

Why is it better than air?

Different gasses have different thermal conductivity properties:
Thermal Conductivity of Gases Chart | Engineers Edge | www.engineersedge.com

Keep in mind that these numbers are for pure gasses, uncontaminated by high moisture levels.

 

[Rollin]

Different gasses have different thermal conductivity properties:
Keep in mind that these numbers are for pure gasses, uncontaminated by high moisture levels.

I'm aware of that. However, as the argon-study has pointed out, the real benefit is close to zero. Water vapor combined with the fact that lots of air is trapped inside anyway (which is hard to flush out) makes me wonder why one just doesn't use air. It is not worth the hassle.

But divers are human I guess, and susceptible to the placebo-effect. Nitrox is another good example (when used to be less fatigued post dive).

 

[Akimbo]

I'm aware of that. However, as the argon-study has pointed out, the real benefit is close to zero. Water vapor combined with the fact that lots of air is trapped inside anyway (which is hard to flush out) makes me wonder why one just doesn't use air. It is not worth the hassle.

My apologies, I should have prefaced my previous post with "I agree with you". Theoretical calculations often overlook real-world factors, like body sweat and 98% humidity.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

How about calling it 'flubber'?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Didn't Cousteau have some constant buoyancy wetsuits made with nitrigen encased in glass spheres?

 

[WetSEAL]

The other interesting idea about replacing the air gaps in wetsuit with heavier gases is that the suit would have less buoyancy, which means you wouldn't need to carry as much extra lead, and hence you could also use a smaller wing. Overall this could be a really cool solution that allows for more minimalistic diving. One of the gases the article mentioned was xenon, which is almost 6 times denser than air. It's hard to know how much of a difference this would make without doing the numbers.

 

[kelemvor]

I hate to be captain obvious, but... why not just use the age-old drysuit? Isn't this a problem that's already been solved?

 

[WetSEAL]

I hate to be captain obvious, but... why not just use the age-old drysuit? Isn't this a problem that's already been solved?

The fact that wetsuits are still worn, manufactured, and bought proves that the existence of drysuits has not rendered wetsuits obsolete.

 

[kelemvor]

The fact that wetsuits are still worn, manufactured, and bought proves that the existence of drysuits has not rendered wetsuits obsolete.

No of course not. I prefer my wetsuit (or no suit) if the temps are warm enough. If it's so cold that a neoprene wetsuit won't do though, a drysuit doesn't seem like a stretch.

I prefer my drysuit over a 7mm wetsuit. But I prefer a 3mm over those, and a lavacore over that and a pair of shorts over everything else.

 

[WetSEAL]

No of course not. I prefer my wetsuit (or no suit) if the temps are warm enough. If it's so cold that a neoprene wetsuit won't do though, a drysuit doesn't seem like a stretch.

I prefer my drysuit over a 7mm wetsuit. But I prefer a 3mm over those, and a lavacore over that and a pair of shorts over everything else.

The point is that this technology would allow a thinner wetsuit to provide the same level of protection as a thicker normal wetsuit. So, perhaps you can get the same level of protection out of a noble gas infused 3mm wetsuit as you currently get from a 7mm wetsuit, with the advantage of significantly improved mobility and lower complexity...not to mention the fact that your suit would have less inherent surface buoyancy (due to the denser gas), which means you don't have to carry as much weight, or add as much air to your wing at depth to compensate.