Wetsuit buoyancy loss - how much?

[surlyc]

Is there a way to calculate the buoyancy loss of a wetsuit for depth? Is it half as buoyant at 33 ft. as at the surface?

Or, has anyone determined how much buoyancy their wetsuit loses at particular depths relative to being at the surface?

Thank you.

 

[Soggy]

I don't think there is any real forumla...it has to do with the quality and thickness of the neoprene, really.
I know that I need a boatload of air at depth compared to an empty wing near the surface.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Not the question I thought it would be.

A wetsuit also loses buoyancy as it ages, so if you own a new wetsuit, you really should re-check your weight requirements 12 to 20 dives into the season. You will almost always find that you can take off a few extra pounds of lead and that will reduce the amount of air required in the wing at depth.

 

[surlyc]

I finally found an answer to my question at Rodale's at http://www.scubadiving.com/training/instruction/buoycalc/qna.shtml:

"Most divers know that neoprene compresses with depth, losing buoyancy the deeper you go. But you might be surprised by how much it compresses. Most lose half their buoyancy in the first 33 feet, two-thirds by 66 feet and nearly all of it by 100 feet. At that point, 7mm neoprene foam has become solid neoprene less than 2mm thick. In this case, the buoyancy shift between the surface and 100 feet can be more than 20 pounds from the wetsuit alone."

 

[Albion]

also new suits are much more bouyant than old. suits do get less bouyant and therefore offer less thermal resistance as they age