2 minute read
NCW wetsuit guide - everything you need to know about wetsuits.
How wetsuits work.
A wetsuit is made from multiple layers - including a thick layer - of synthetic rubber called neoprene. Neoprene is a kind of foam rubber with a cellular structure. Nitrogen gas bubbles are trapped inside it, making it a particularly good heat insulator
Most wetsuits are made from multiple layers. Some have titanium or copper to further reflect heat back at the user. As you immerse yourself in water, a small amount seeps in and is trapped between the neoprene your skin. This warms from body heat and stays there.
A quality, well manufactured wetsuit needs water that seeps in to stay inside and stay warm. Badly fitting wetsuits, or wetsuits that are made to a high standard, allow water to flush in and out making the wearer colder than they should be.
You'll need a good quality wetsuit for when this happens.
A neoprene wetsuit keeps you warm in spite of the fact that it makes you wet. Stopping cold water flush is vital, hpowever. That's why the seams of a wetsuit are held together with special waterproof tape. Blind-stitching is also employed. instead of the stitch holes going all the way through, they go only part of the way through the neoprene from the inside. There are no stitch holes in the outside of the neoprene to let in cold water. Wetsuits have tight-fitting cuffs and legs for the same reason.
Well manufactured wetsuits allow this kind of thing all year round in the UK.
