For this week's blog we thought we would change it up a bit and, instead of sharing an article with you about our normal topics on conservation, dive gear advice or travel tips, we would offer the water-enthusiast side of your brain some fun trivia about the history of wetsuits. Without wetsuits, the majority of us just wouldn't be diving. Period.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact inventor of the wetsuit. Who was first all depends on who you ask. Nevertheless, in the 1950's a few different men (or we should say, one man and two sets of brothers), independent of each other, started dabbling with the idea of wearing a material called neoprene to stay warm while in the water.
The three 'fathers' of wetsuits:
1. Hugh Bradner
Hugh Bradner, a physicist from the University of California at Berkeley, is often considered the inventor of the modern wetsuit. In 1951 he started toying with the idea of using a material called neoprene as insulation. Although he was not actually interested in wetsuits or watersports, he may have been the first person to come up with the idea of using this tight fitting material against the skin to offer insulation in the form of trapped air bubbles within the fabric. This was a revolutionary idea in that he discovered a diving suit did not need to be dry in order to be insulative.
2. Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill is who most people would pinpoint as the creator of the modern wetsuit; especially in the surf industry. Yes, we are talking about the same O'Neill that started the surf brand "O'Neill" in his garage in 1952. He and his brother, Robert O'Neill, found that this material called neoprene was a really good insulator, so they started cutting vests and long John suits out of it and found that people would actually buy them.
3. Bob and Bill Meistrell
Bob and Bill Meistrell, twins from Manhattan Beach California, would be the third set of water enthusiasts to be credited with the invention of the wetsuit. They started experimenting with neoprene around 1953. This exploration and enthusiasm in using neoprene to keep surfers and divers warm in the water pushed them to start up a little company you may know as Body Glove.
These first wetsuits being produced in the 1950s did not solve all problems, however, especially in the surfing world, as the suits were stiff and most often did not fit very well. These original wetsuits were made of raw sheets of foam rubber that were not lined, causing them to be very fragile and easily torn. Talcum powder was used to help slip into the wetsuits.
The surfing craze of the 1960s saw an increase in demand for these new wetsuits. It was up to O'Neill, Body Glove, and a few new wetsuit companies on the scene, to figure out how to make the neoprene more durable and easier to get on. The invention of a material called nylon was the perfect answer. It was used as the perfect backing material, therefore strengthening the suit and making it easier to sew. A much more advanced version of nylon is still used in wetsuits today.
In the 1970s double lined neoprene was invented, where they put nylon on both sides of the wetsuit, improving the durability of the suit and now allowing the awesomeness of colors! Since the 1970's, wetsuit technology has grown by leaps and bounds. Neoprene has been modified to be thicker, more durable, and more stretchy all at the same time.
Thanks to these men who pioneered the wearing of rubber suits to keep warm, we can enjoy our water activities for longer than we ever could before and in colder waters than ever though possible.
