Tami,
I own 8 wetsuits. I've surfed all my life. All my wetsuits absorb water.

They all get really heavy when they are wet and when I hang them to dry they seep water for hours...the water runs down the material and the legs and ankles are the last parts to dry.

Wetsuits work by trapping a layer of water next to your skin which your body heats up. The water isnt in the suit before you enter the water, it soaks in. It holds the water, in the suit, thats the point.

I'm not putting a big sponge on the top of my mast and dont think anyone else should.

A closed cell foam - think swim noodle - would be a much better solution.

If you dont believe me take a wetsuit - weigh it and then dunk it in water. Take is out - shake it off and then weigh it again. I'll be dramatically heavier, I promise.

Dont use neoprene for a mast float, it will absorb water.

I dont care what the engineers say, they are wrong. As far as your diver example, I agree, the rubber in the suit wants to float, but so does our body, so it doesnt prove your point.

Bill