wetsuits and wool

[serambin]

The fibers are semi-hollow, but not watertight. When the wool is saturated, there are no trapped air spaces. If there were we wouldn't need closed-cell neoprene Hence, there is no "equalization" or anything like that.

There's no volume loss. The wool soaks up the surrounding water, and you have a totally waterlogged space of a wool and water mixture (with no air) between yourself and the actual insualation (the air spaces in the neoprene). The wool fibers do absolutely nothing to insulate when they're soaking wet. It would provide the same amount of underwater insulation as a cotton layer... zero. Out of the water, the wool will dry significantly faster, and should add slightly to surface insulation, but underwater it's highly counterproductive.

I thought one of the reasons wool insulated well was do to with the natural lanolin in it. This prevents the fiber from becoming completely saturated. This might provide some additional insulation even at depth.

Stan

 

[Babydamulag]

As a "in-a-pinch" liner for your wet suit you can use the military lightweight polypro undergarments. I tried it with a 3mm full suit and I got pretty darn warm on a 50 min dive in 24 C water. Always keep 50 bar!

 

[Web Monkey]

I just read the page you linked to and it's complete BS.

Wool is not "exothermic" in any measurable sense underwater. It does have some nice thermal regulation properties, but again, these are in air, not submerged. It does contain lanolin, which is nice for your skin and water repellant (not waterproof) until is washes away after it goes in the ocean a few times..

The only reason why sheep can get wet and dry for years and still stay warm is because they make lanolin. You would only have whatever is left in the wool once it's made into a wetsuit.

Although wool fibers might slow down water flow in the suit, they won't slow it down as much as not having water in there in the first place. A wetsuit that fits well will contain very little water.

"Water in your wetsuit" does not keep you warm (or cold). Once you heat it up, it's the same temperature as you are. Water that flows in an out of your wetsuit definitely makes you cold, since you are now attempting to warm the ocean using your body heat.

A rubber wetsuit keeps you warm, since it has a higher r-value (resistance to heat flow) than water does and when sized properly keeps most of the water out and limits the flow rate.

Terry

I recently had a discussion with someone in regards to the use of wool as a liner in wetsuits to keep you warmer. Im interested in the physics behind this. Im referring to specifically the Pinnacle line of wetsuits which use Merino wool. Pinnacle explains the benefits of the wool here:

http://www.digitaligual.com/pinnacleaquatics7/html5/merino.htm

Now, Ive always thought it was common knowledge that the water in your wetsuit is part of what keeps you warm, as well as the neoprene, though Ive never delved into the physics. Im told by others however that this is wrong, and wetsuit companies lie about it.

Ok, so now add wool, which absorbs water, effectively keeping more water in your wetsuit. Depending on the truth, this extra water will either make you warmer or colder. In addition, Pinnacle states that the wool is exothermic, that it generates heat when wet.

So, could someone try and explain what the truth about water and wool is, and explain the physics behind it?

 

[www.freedomfilm.com]

It's bull.. wool warms slightly when absorbing water vapor. Any heat given off when absorbing as much water as it takes to fill that wetsuit wouldn't even warm up the water itself more than a couple of degrees, if anything.. much less impart any warmth to you.

There's no way around it, a fully wet layer of wool provides 0 insulation and is probably counterproductive

The fibers are semi-hollow, but not watertight. When the wool is saturated, there are no trapped air spaces. If there were we wouldn't need closed-cell neoprene Hence, there is no "equalization" or anything like that.

There's no volume loss. The wool soaks up the surrounding water, and you have a totally waterlogged space of a wool and water mixture (with no air) between yourself and the actual insualation (the air spaces in the neoprene). The wool fibers do absolutely nothing to insulate when they're soaking wet. It would provide the same amount of underwater insulation as a cotton layer... zero. Out of the water, the wool will dry significantly faster, and should add slightly to surface insulation, but underwater it's highly counterproductive.

Not thinking of insulation in the common form like a igloo cooler or fibreglass pink: a layer of cotton underwater or in a survival situation I believe does keep you warmer than NOTHING. Or in this case than simply a layer of water. (yes we all know cotton cools you fast when wet... blah blah) If the wool or cotton restricts or limits water flowing over your skin... then it restricts or limits cooling by convection... right...

But exothermic... Im stilll waiting...

New, sodium lined wetsuits...

 

[jon m]

that's it!
i'm bringing back my pinnacle!
or, at least i would if it didn't keep me so freakin warm.....