I know when it is really really cold and I am going to be all day on the lake, I stay warm. I used to dive alot until I was injured as a fireman. I still have my wet suit from diving. It really works well and it does float. I keep extremely warm and if I would fall through I float like a bobber. The only draw back is if I have to use the bathroom, ittakes a while. But I already had the wet suit so I did not have to make a large investment in the Arctic Armour. You can get the wet suits in 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8" thickness. Just a thought.