Okay, the University of Victoria some years ago identified the major heat loss areas of the body through thermal imaging. They are:
--Head
--Neck (Carotid arteries close to the skin surface)
--Chest, just under the nipples (not much fat there, and lungs just underneith)
--Groin (just below where the aorta branches into the femoral arterias, and goes over the illiac crest of the hip)
The feet and hands are not part of major heat loss areas, because the body shuts off the circulation to keep the interior warm. That's why the feet and hands go numb; the body has sacrificed them to try to stay warm.
Keeping the hands and feet warm involves two approaches. First, keep the rest of you body warm. One other major heat loss is through respiration, especially from compressed air, open circuit scuba, which is cooled as the gas is released through the demand system. To keep the body warm, wear an appropriate wet suit. If you are a thin person, you will need more insulation than "thicker" people (there is a reason for fat).
The second is to keep good insulation on your hands and feet. Zippers in booties allow water to circulate, even if they have a backing, or are "sealed." There still is a way for water to pump in and out. Wearing the booties under the bottom of the wet suit keeps this from happening by allowing water to travel down the leg and foot instead of into the seam or top of the bootie. Also, for years I would not wear a bootie with a zipper for the reason that it was "cold." Wearing the gloves will also help the hands. But opening them up again allows circulation of cold water, and will decrease their benefit.
SeaRat
--Head
--Neck (Carotid arteries close to the skin surface)
--Chest, just under the nipples (not much fat there, and lungs just underneith)
--Groin (just below where the aorta branches into the femoral arterias, and goes over the illiac crest of the hip)
The feet and hands are not part of major heat loss areas, because the body shuts off the circulation to keep the interior warm. That's why the feet and hands go numb; the body has sacrificed them to try to stay warm.
Keeping the hands and feet warm involves two approaches. First, keep the rest of you body warm. One other major heat loss is through respiration, especially from compressed air, open circuit scuba, which is cooled as the gas is released through the demand system. To keep the body warm, wear an appropriate wet suit. If you are a thin person, you will need more insulation than "thicker" people (there is a reason for fat).
The second is to keep good insulation on your hands and feet. Zippers in booties allow water to circulate, even if they have a backing, or are "sealed." There still is a way for water to pump in and out. Wearing the booties under the bottom of the wet suit keeps this from happening by allowing water to travel down the leg and foot instead of into the seam or top of the bootie. Also, for years I would not wear a bootie with a zipper for the reason that it was "cold." Wearing the gloves will also help the hands. But opening them up again allows circulation of cold water, and will decrease their benefit.
SeaRat
