How Beavers & Otters Are Helping To Create The Wetsuits Of The Future.
Every surfer and water user has always wanted to stay in the water for longer especially in the winter months where the wetsuits get a lot thicker.
Researchers at MIT have been busy in studying and finding an solution to produce the warmest wetsuit in the world. How have they been going about achieving this i hear you ask.
Well it all stems down to are furry friends the Beavers and the Otters and how they manage to stay warm whilst spending time in cold waters.
The researchers looked at beavers and otters because the small mammals stayed warm while remaining nimble and agile, key traits for wetsuit material. Their pelts also offered clues for how to keep surfers warm while submerged yet quickly shed water when they pop up on their boards. While the current understanding of their hair theorize longer "guard" fur trapping air in the dense "underfur" beneath it, the exact mechanics were unknown, requiring further research by the engineers.
So now this is where it gets very technical as they then used mathematical equations on the thickness and spacing between each hair that enables the animal to create an air bubble between the water and it's self. Thus keeping it warmer for longer without heat loss. Using this information you could then produce a wetsuit with the exact density needed to keep you as warm as a Beaver.
So when will we be able to buy this new wetsuit? Well the research was commissioned by a wetsuit company so it remains to be seen when we will be able to purchase our new suits.