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

[Soggy]

That makes perfect sense.

It's about time!

 

[ReefHound]

One more time. This is Boyle's law in action. You are inside a balloon. Fill a balloon with water. Increase the external pressure. The balloon stays the same size. Fill a balloon with air. Increase the external pressure. The balloon shrinks. You are inside the balloon. The balloon squeezes you because the volume of gas inside it is shrinking.

The "master" comment was a joke, don't get upset.

OK, put a ping pong ball in those balloons, in either case the pressure on the ball is identical at a given depth.

So which camp are you in, the one that thinks "squeeze" is the fabric is pushing on your body or the one that thinks it is the air is pulling on your skin?

 

[ClayJar]

So which camp are you in, the one that thinks "squeeze" is the fabric is pushing on your body or the one that thinks it is the air is pulling on your skin?

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

Er, sorry. I meant, drysuit "squeeze" encompasses *both* -- the hickey camp and the boa constrictor camp aren't mutually exclusive!

 

[do it easy]

I think it is the air pulling the suit onto your body

Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and put it in a plastic bag. Now suck the air out of the bag and witness the sandwich squeeze. It's not quite the same environment, but, in my mind, the principle is the same (because we all know that people behave like PB n J sandwiches at depth).

 

[Soggy]

The "master" comment was a joke, don't get upset.

I wasn't upset, I just didn't get it.

OK, put a ping pong ball in those balloons, in either case the pressure on the ball is identical at a given depth.

And?

So which camp are you in, the one that thinks "squeeze" is the fabric is pushing on your body or the one that thinks it is the air is pulling on your skin?

The squeeze is experienced because the volume of compressed gas between you and the fabric of the suit is so small that the fabric comes into contact with your skin.

The pressure inside the suit is always the same as ambient because the gas compresses. The only thing that varies is volume of gas within the suit. Your body is likely pulled in towards the suit just as the suit is pulled in towards you.

You are inside the balloon.

 

[Soggy]

I think it is the air pulling the suit onto your body

Yes, that is more like it. The air compresses, so the suit 'shrinks' to conform to the reduced volume of gas within it.

 

[ReefHound]

The squeeze is experienced because the volume of compressed gas between you and the fabric of the suit is so small that the fabric comes into contact with your skin.

The fabric of the suit comes into contact with your skin on the surface as well. The mere contact of fabric on skin doesn't cause squeeze.

 

[Soggy]

The fabric of the suit comes into contact with your skin on the surface as well. The mere contact of fabric on skin doesn't cause squeeze.

Holy hell....

This is NOT as complicated as you are making it.

You actually do get suit squeeze on the surface when the suit is purged, thus the volume of gas within the suit is reduced.

Think about it like shrink wrapping a steak with one of those Ronco machines they sell on late night TV.

Balloon. Think balloon. Boyle's law. Boyle's law. Boyle's law.

 

[Rainer]

Damn, this is getting funny...

 

[Rainer]

... and sad.