Why do you get dry suit squeeze and not wet suit squeeze?

[H2Andy]

These explanations make no sense to me. Air is compressible but it will only compress to the same psi as the water. Law of equilibrium. What does it matter if you have 50psi water or 50psi air adjacent to your skin?

because air will start at a lesser pressure than even 1 foot of water provides, thus it will always be at a pressure differential from the outside water and it will squeeze?

wereas the water will always be at the same pressure as the sorrounding water?

not sure... thinking out loud

keep in mind that if you seal your drysuit and let air out (by crouching) you will feel squeeze, because now the air inside the suit is at a lesser pressure than the air outside the suit

 

[Soggy]

These explanations make no sense to me. Air is compressible but it will only compress to the same psi as the water. Law of equilibrium. What does it matter if you have 50psi water or 50psi air adjacent to your skin?

Picture a balloon filled with water
Bring it down to 100 ft. It's still the same size

Now picture a balloon filled with air
Bring it down to 100ft. It's 1/4 the size it was at the surface

You are inside the balloon. The squeeze is, literally, the fabric of the suit itself pushing against your skin. It's not that you are feeling the air compression, it's that the air compresses, thus the suit is able to come into contact and exert pressure on your body.

 

[do it easy]

Ding Ding Ding- Soggy gets a prize. All that time spent watching Mr Wizard paid off!

I think some well fitting wetsuits will squeeze, but not for long as the water finds it's level and seeps in.

 

[spectrum]

Picture a balloon filled with water
Bring it down to 100 ft. It's still the same size

Now picture a balloon filled with air
Bring it down to 100ft. It's 1/4 the size it was at the surface

You are inside the balloon. The squeeze is, literally, the fabric of the suit itself pushing against your skin. It's not that you are feeling the air compression, it's that the air compresses, thus the suit is able to come into contact and exert pressure on your body.

That is a very good illustration of what's happening!

 

[rottielover]

wheras air is a compressible fluid

Sorry Andy, just had to call you on that one

 

[H2Andy]

Sorry Andy, just had to call you on that one

so ... air isn't a fluid and it isn't compressible?

not sure what exactly you're calling me on

 

[rottielover]

Well just that the technical def. of Fluid is a gas or liquid, but 99% of people out there are thinking air=gas and fluid = a liquid

Just thought I'd point that out so as not to confuse anyone

 

[H2Andy]

Well just that the technical def. of Fluid is a gas or liquid, but 99% of people out there are thinking air=gas and fluid = a liquid

Just thought I'd point that out so as not to confuse anyone

yeah ... that's what happened

 

[rottielover]

Just trying to be helpful

 

[ReefHound]

Still makes no sense.

Picture a 1 square inch tube pressed against your skin. Now pump it full to 50psi with air, water, bananas, oil, or jelly. The pressure exerted against your skin is going to be 50psi in all cases.

If you let half the air out of the dry suit, the air pressure inside won't be halved, the volume will be halved because the water will press the suit in until the pressure is equalized.

What if the dry suit fit so well that there was NO air in it?

I'm thinking Pascal has something to do with this.