"Titanium" wetsuits- Good science or good marketing?

[cmburch]

I also have problems with the arms on my suits due to having large arms. I started lubing the arms before getting into the suit. I have a small spray bottle with dilute hair conditioner. I think it is 1/4 or greater dilution. Wetsuit lube is available at freedive shops. A hair conditioner that does not irritate skin, smell too strong, and is Eco-friendly may be best.

 

[StevenN]

I have one of the "titanium" wetsuits and I just wrote the phrase off as marketing bs.
I know there is no titanium in the suit but I didn't know it was a reference to the color,I bought it because it was the top of the line suit at my LDS.

 

[widget]

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.

No, none as far as I know, and I visit Sheico at least once a year.

In my opinion its not so much about the material (neoprene) but more about the "cut" and the way the differant types and thicknesses of neoprene are fitted together that makes a suit more comfortable. There is no way a 3mm neoprene suit (no matter the marketing blurb) will be warmer than a 5mm suit, you know it, I know it and the manufacturers know it.

All marketing in my opinion.!

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

All marketing as far as the Titanium issue is concerned . Merino lining works ... a little . No substitute for thicker neoprene .

 

[Rhone Man]

Not the same question as the OP was asking, but I have heard good things about 'fleece' lined wetsuits that punch above their weight (thickness, anyhow) in terms of warmth. Any first hand experiences?

 

[widget]

Not the same question as the OP was asking, but I have heard good things about 'fleece' lined wetsuits that punch above their weight (thickness, anyhow) in terms of warmth. Any first hand experiences?

I think the "power of suggestion" is very strong in the wetsuit market.

I think maybe, we associate "fleece" to "warmth" in land based thermal wear - so its easy to put together a marketing campaign to convince us it works in wetsuits, but personally, I have never seen any conclusive proof of this.

To be honest, fleece lining never made much differance to me, the "skin feel" is differant and maybe this has something to do with making us think its warmer, but as far as better thermal properties go........Naa, no differance to me.

Fleece also needs a bit more attention (regular washing) if you are to prevent it holding odours, which is one of the most common issues people have on fleece lined suits.

Really, my personal suggestion to most divers is just get a good basic suit of the right thickness, that fits well and feels comfortable, - I just dont think theres any substitute for appropriate thickness and a good fit.

 

[msg]

I tried the "metal" lined suits and didn't feel any warmer. As far as fleece, love it with my drysuit

 

[Wiggsy]

We all seem to agree. You should take a look at this superb article which tackles a lot of westuit 'myths'. It seems to come down to a few things combined - firstly, there is no substitute for neoprene thickness - a 3mm is never going to be as warm as a 5mm no matter what titanium bells and golden whistles are offered. Secondly, minimal water entry is the key - good fit, wrist seals, zipper seals or gussets. Thirdly, lowest volume possible of water in the suit - a great cut that fits loke a second skin - and a coated suit rather than a plush lining appears to be warmest - it is not the fictional 'gold' or 'titanium' coating that does the job, rather the fact that is bypasses nylon or plush linings and is warmer through direct skin contact. Have a look at this detailed report.

http://dcusubaqua.com/content/Articles/Wetsuit Hype - 10 big lies.pdf
OR...try....
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...1lPNPQ&sig=AHIEtbRSwr9rD94FdZVakrbaEzHq3_643g

 

[RJP]

marketing hype

You're being redundant.

 

[Wiggsy]

Or tautological, even.