Diving in Levi's??

[Moogyboy]

I don't have the URL here, but the entry on Levi's jeans at Wikipedia makes a really big deal about Levi's being an ideal garment for all manner of water sports, including swimming and especially scuba. Now I've seen people diving and/or swimming in cut-off jeans but this anonymous writer makes it sound like Levi's are the next best thing to a wetsuit and skin combined, and that it's a "classic" application. I personally have never seen someone dive in a regular old pair of jeans. I would also think that all that cotton denim would introduce a lot of drag. Can someone shed some light on this?

cheers

Billy S.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Levi's are cotton ... diving with anything cotton is not a good idea, even in tropical environs. Once wet, it offers no thermal protection at all ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaFreak]

Levi's are cotton ... diving with anything cotton is not a good idea, even in tropical environs. Once wet, it offers no thermal protection at all ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Here Here

 

[SueMermaid]

In my water safety survival class, we had a demonstration of what it's like to swim in clothing. We were instructed to jump into the lake wearing jeans and shirts, and swim laps. The drag was incredible, it was as if I had 10 lb weights tied to my hips. We were taught that the jeans, while they do offer very minimal thermal protection, will cause you to use up all of your energy.
Underwater clothing needs to he hydrodynamic, close-fitting and stretchy.

Whoever said that about jeans is full of horsehockey.

 

[Web Monkey]

I don't have the URL here, but the entry on Levi's jeans at Wikipedia makes a really big deal about Levi's being an ideal garment for all manner of water sports, including swimming and especially scuba. Now I've seen people diving and/or swimming in cut-off jeans but this anonymous writer makes it sound like Levi's are the next best thing to a wetsuit and skin combined, and that it's a "classic" application. I personally have never seen someone dive in a regular old pair of jeans. I would also think that all that cotton denim would introduce a lot of drag. Can someone shed some light on this?
Billy S.

They give no insulation, and unless you bleach them to death when you're done, they're going to develop severe funk.


Terry

 

[captain]

Here in south Louisiana Levi's are common on spearfishing dives on the oil rigs. They keep your flesh from being shredded if you get dragged across a barnacle incrusted pipe by a large fish. They also are worn over wet suits to protect them.

Captain

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

In my water safety survival class, we had a demonstration of what it's like to swim in clothing. We were instructed to jump into the lake wearing jeans and shirts, and swim laps. The drag was incredible, it was as if I had 10 lb weights tied to my hips. We were taught that the jeans, while they do offer very minimal thermal protection, will cause you to use up all of your energy.
Underwater clothing needs to he hydrodynamic, close-fitting and stretchy.

Whoever said that about jeans is full of horsehockey.

Way back in my Boy Scout days I did a water survival course, and found the same thing. You can, however, inflate wet jeans as a make-shift flotation device.

Nope, don't recommend swimming/diving in jeans.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

As a muck diver, I had a friend who dove in jeans, no wet suit. A small catfish went up his pants leg, got trapped in the material and finned him through the knee. He developed a severe bone infection and almost had to have his leg amputated.

 

[suthnbelle]

I personally have never seen someone dive in a regular old pair of jeans.

I've never seen anyone dive in a pair of Levi's, but if you go down to Carolina Beach you'll see lots of folks frolicking in the waves wearing their cut off Levi's. Notice I'm from North Carolina, 'nough said.

 

[Juls64]

Last summer out at the lake, a guy was diving in jeans. While I thought it was odd, I didn't ask. I didn't want to be rude. Perhaps the wet jeans act as more weight so he can take some off his weight belt.