"Titanium" wetsuits- Good science or good marketing?

[Wiggsy]

Seems very fashionable over the last decade for suits to be marketed with either Stainless, Titanium or even "Gold" metallic lining. Many suits now have titanium lining on either internal or external neoprene surfaces (or both). This is supposed to retain more heat through reducing radiative heat loss. I read a good article in Undercurrent archives (like from 2001) that questions the science behind this (actually blows it out of the water), and I'm just wondering how valid the concept is!
Firstly, how much of our heat is lost through 'radiation' when underwater? I would have thought conduction is the problem a wetsuit faces, not 'radiation'. The article explains that the gap between skin and neoprene is too small to allow radiative heat loss. This seems pretty logical to me. I accept that suits with a metallic lining rather than interior nylon against the skin would feel warmer as there is more direct skin/neoprene contact and, maybe, better sealing. But how much difference? In the early days of 'metallic' suits, marketing claimed an extra "2 mm" of warmth.
I'd just be interested in people's impressions of metallic suits - better, much better, or no better? What do you think?

 

[Wayward Son]

marketing, IMO

 

[Thalassamania]

As far as I know it is all marketing and no science.

 

[spectrum]

Insiders have told me it's marketing hype and my logic agrees.

Pete

 

[fstbttms]

Like toothbrushes and razors, every year there's a new gimmick, some new "innovation" in the technolgy, designed to get you to buy.

 

[cmburch]

I have a couple of suits with it. I think they are more comfortable and easier to get on versus bare neoprene. As for more warmth, who knows. I would have to try a similar suit without the coating side by side. I would not discount it though. I would have to say BS on the 2mm warmth.

These suits fit me and they happened to have the coating on Yamamoto neoprene. They did not have uncoated in the suits that fit the best at the shop.

 

[meesier42]

is there any titanium in there? from those industry people I have spoken to no, its just the name that someone attached to the titanium colored liner and it stuck due to fantastic marketing. Same was true with the gold core- it was a good suit till it blew apart, but there was no gold there.

 

[weaserm99]

The only thing in wetsuit marketing that i have seen make a difference is the merino lined wet suits from pinnacle. The "gold core" wet suits from henderson are warmer than something like a hyperstretch suit but i think it is due to the "gold" liner sticking to the skin, until i bought dry gloves i would always use my gold core gloves for colder water.

 

[Wiggsy]

All this pretty much concurs with my research too. Gee, aren't we divers a gullible bunch! At least the marketers must think so.....When Henderson "Gold core" contains no gold (and nothing special in the 'core').....and Titanium suits refer to the colour only! And yet the blurb supplied insists on reflectivity of heat and reduction of raditation due to the presence of metallic linings! Shouldn't be hard to test, but yet to see any hard evidence. I do accept that the on skin contact of coated neoprene is a factor, and that sealing against the skin of coated neoprene is more important and actually makes a difference. So, why doesn't the advertising just tell us that? The simple truth would do. It really does stick in my craw that manufacturers play us for fools and make totally insubstantiated claims.

 

[lxchin]

i have used normal wetsuits and also a gold lining wetsuit. Th egold lining is a 3mm compared to my other normal 5mm suits. Due to the interier forming a skin tight seal throughout your whole body, it is indeed significantly warmer then a nromal 3mm, however it is not as warm as a 5mm. The only thing i hate is getting into the gold lining suit. i use a plastic bag to slip in my arms as the lining is rubbery and makes it hard to push my arms in. fi they made some sort of teflon slick lining that would provide the perfect balance of suit.