Do Wetsuits Help You Float?
Diving and surfing are interesting activities for many individuals across the globe. The advantages and thrill to dive and surf make a lot of people feel comfortable and eager to learn and practice. What about you? Are you interested in trying these water sports where you achieve the goals of self transcendence? How do you achieve the goals of diving or surfing in any water source? You may be an experienced diver or love to add some more. Whatever it is, did you ever think about how your wetsuit works in the water? If not, in this article we shall see how wetsuits help you float.
WETSUIT IMPORTANCE
You know the importance of a wetsuit for diving purposes. And an experienced diver knows it too. The significance of a wetsuit is known to you because you would have experienced its thermal features when you swim in the water. Whatever the task you do like surfing, swimming, and diving, the requirement of a wetsuit is inevitable, especially when the water is cold. The wetsuits play a vital role whenever an individual is heading into the cold water. Hence, choosing a wetsuit based on your requirement is vital to you in all aspects. This equipment keeps you safe and warm in the water when you swim. The wetsuits have paramount importance when the task of swimming occurs. It has certain materials and science behind it when we speak about floating.
DO WETSUITS MAKE YOU FLOAT?
Before we get into the details about the floating property of wetsuits, let us get into the question directly by answering. The experts and some researchers say that the wetsuits offer some floating features to the individual who swims or surfs. An additional floatation is possible through the wetsuit you wear. According to some trainers and professionals in the diving industry, it is understood that the thicker wetsuit offers more floating. When we speak about the wetsuit's buoyancy factor, the experts also say that the wetsuits do not have the property to provide too much buoyancy you expect or believe. It cannot match the personal floating devices that are specially designed for floating on the water. You cannot compare the wetsuit with either a life jacket or a life ring for the buoyancy factor.
Understanding the Basics of Wetsuits
What is the making of a wetsuit? Neoprene is the basic material for making a wetsuit in common. The different thickness feature of wetsuits helps an individual to remain in a comfortable status in various ranges of temperature. The small pores in the wetsuit allow water to enter, and hence some water is trapped inside the neoprene. The temperature of your body raises due to the insulation layer of the neoprene. Hence, the neoprene thickness and warmness are directly proportional, which I stated above.
Expert Suggestions and Scientific Research about Wetsuits You Wear
The above basic understanding of the wetsuit gives you some idea when we speak about the buoyancy feature of the wetsuit. You can get some inference if you go through the scientists' suggestion about the wetsuit properties and working functions. A close look gives you a better understanding and interpretation of your question. A simple understanding based on the principle of old scientist Archimedes can help you to get the solution to the question like whether wetsuits help you float or whether wetsuits are buoyant. If we understand this principle, we shall easily correlate with the understanding of the wetsuit's buoyant property to the core. Why does a wetsuit float on the water? The wetsuit's neoprene material weighs less than an equal volume of water significantly. This is the reason why the wetsuit floats on the water.
Floating on the Water Requires Some Movement of the Individuals
People who are wearing wetsuits differ in many aspects. Each individual has his or her own different features. Both wetsuit displacement and a person's displacement are equal. Hence, some of the divers or surfers who wear a wetsuit float without any discomfort. These people float easily on the water after wearing the wetsuit. While some divers or swimmers maintain an upright position inside the water using walking movement to float on the water. While they walk, the hands are kept in circular motion downward. This movement is known as tread water movement. This movement helps the customer from sinking into the water further. As already we mentioned above, the wetsuit provides a certain level of buoyancy but not too much.
The Thickness of Your Wetsuit Increases the Floatation a Lot
You can understand from the above discussion that neoprene adds the feature of floating and warmness for an individual. So, if you have more neoprene on the body, there will be more buoyancy. Hence, the floatation feature is also increased. You could see some wetsuits that are made up of more thickness to suit the cold conditions have better floating property. Hence, experts recommend the customers to choose the proper wetsuit as per their conditions when they do the water sports. You should also understand how the wetsuits help you to float in different situations like swimming, surfing, scuba diving, and triathlon.
Buoyancy Factor in Scuba Diving
An individual should understand about buoyancy the wetsuit will provide in various conditions. What about the scuba diving activity? An experienced scuba diver knows basic features to float or remain in a certain depth in the water during scuba diving. An individual who attempts scuba diving in a cold condition knows about his requirement. He does not forget wearing a thick wetsuit when he goes scuba diving. He may use a thicker wetsuit when he dives for his comfort and safety. Of course, buoyancy control is essential in scuba diving, and requires a lot of skills.
Remain in the specific depth without sinking - An expert or a trainer may advise you to do this. When we look at a majority of scuba divers, they usually go for neutral buoyancy. Why do customers like to have a neutral buoyancy factor inside the water? The reason is that the customers like to remain in specific depth inside the water. They remain in the same position or at the minimum depth without sinking.
What about Buoyancy Fact on Surfing?
Surfing individuals need not worry or speak about buoyancy a lot. Why? The surfers are strapped to the foam-filled board while they surf. They remain floating on the water due to this feature, and hence buoyancy does not come in this place for discussion. However, you can imagine what would happen to you if the leash breaks. You would be caught in trouble if it happens, and as a result, you would swim across the water to reach the shore for your safety. However, it would be a long journey for you to reach the shore. If not imagine what would happen to you if a big wave pushes you still deep.
Wetsuit adds comfort to your activity when compared. The extra flotation support offered by the wetsuit that you wear is remarkable indeed. Earlier before the introduction of the wetsuit, many professionals felt discomfort and irritated due to various issues during surfing without wearing a wetsuit. Surfers feel comfortable and warmer in cooler conditions by wearing comfortable wetsuits. Modern neoprene wetsuits make your life so comfortable when you surf due to their making.
What about Triathlons?
Wetsuit comfort provides an extra advantage to the people when they participate in triathlon. The participants feel comfortable, happy, and successful by spending extra time in swimming activities. What is the significance of a wetsuit here? The extra lift provided by a tri wetsuit is an extra feature to the participants. A desiring participant who participates in the competition may swim an extra distance due to the extra comfort offered by the wetsuit. Many experts are stating that many companies are designing wetsuits that give extra buoyancy to various participants. This extra buoyancy makes you position yourself in a particular orientation. You could also experience an extra advantage when you are inside the water. The entire body of the customer is lifted to the surface with the help of a wetsuit which you should understand.
CONCLUSION
When we consider the above points about a wetsuit buoyancy fact, we shall come to the following interpretations.
YES to Your Question
The question “Do Wetsuits Help You Float” is now solved by saying "Yes". To what extent? The extent of comfort and practical applicability is less when compared to the life jacket. To an extent, the wetsuit gives a certain level of floatation feature, but you cannot expect it on the whole. Yes, you get floatation to an extent in various situations and activities you undertake. Yet another advantage of the wetsuit is its warmth feature to the user who wears the suit.
Compatible Wetsuits
The correct fit and shape of the wetsuit give you the required happiness, comfort, and flexibility. So, you shall consult the experts about the wetsuit that is required for your activity. Never go blindly with the suggestions of your fellow swimmers or scuba divers about the wetsuit. Check with the features of the brand before you wear them for your use. Even though the wetsuits give you a floatation feature, depending on it solely does not yield results in the water. Do not put it under a safety floatation device ever in your various activities in the water.
Also of Interest:
Different Types of Wetsuits Explained
How to Buy a Wetsuit? A Complete Guide
Single Lined or Double Lined Wetsuits