Okinawa - Bubbles Wetsuits?

[Baracuda Smile]

I don't know what to call it, a crouch strap, tail, groin cover, loin cover. It is a 1960 style of wet suit that a tail piece from the jacket hangs down then is run between the legs and is fastened in the front. This is used to decrease the body temp loss through the groin area.

Any one know what I am explaining? Anyone know the proper name for this extra neoprene?

 

[globalhopper]

It's a farmer John style ... I wonder if they can make a Tanuki style with two long integrated weight pockets in the lower front area....

~K

 

[Rickg]

I don't know what to call it, a crouch strap, tail, groin cover, loin cover. It is a 1960 style of wet suit that a tail piece from the jacket hangs down then is run between the legs and is fastened in the front. This is used to decrease the body temp loss through the groin area.

Any one know what I am explaining? Anyone know the proper name for this extra neoprene?

My first farmer john wetsuit that I bought in '85 had one of these and I always heard it referred to as a "beavertail".

Seldom see this style in the US any more since they went to the step-thru farmer john tops but they are still quite common in Japan.

 

[nipponliving]

pretty decent service, and the prices aren't that bad if you need a custom suit.

I prefer Bare suits if you can get them in your size.

They do make a really cool looking spiderman wetsuit that I've been tempted to buy though...

My wife owns Bubbles Wetsuits and is currently working on creating a website to answer all your wetsuit questions. They have over 25 years experience designing, and hand making thousands of ready-made and custom-made suits. I know I need a new one as for some reason they shrink over the years.

 

[Baracuda Smile]

My wife owns Bubbles Wetsuits and is currently working on creating a website to answer all your wetsuit questions. They have over 25 years experience designing, and hand making thousands of ready-made and custom-made suits. I know I need a new one as for some reason they shrink over the years.

Is it common for wet suits to shrink more around the waist for men and around the rear, and upper legs for women over time?

Give your wife a big hug for me as a thank you, as I love my Bubbles Wet suit as it kept me plenty warm this winter.

I love the custom wet suit!

My only question is that there have been many advances in wet suit design in the last couple years...is there any way to incorporate some of those features in the bubbles design?

 

[nipponliving]

Is it common for wet suits to shrink more around the waist for men and around the rear, and upper legs for women over time?

Give your wife a big hug for me as a thank you, as I love my Bubbles Wet suit as it kept me plenty warm this winter.

I love the custom wet suit!

My only question is that there have been many advances in wet suit design in the last couple years...is there any way to incorporate some of those features in the bubbles design?

My wife is dedicating all of her time to Bubbles now. She always owned it, worked part –time there but had a fulltime job elsewhere. Our kids are all out of school, Bubbles is super busy so she quit her other job and is managing the shop full-time now. She is VERY happy!

She’s looking always interested in ideas, new material, and designs and just about anything related to wetsuits. She is a member of a few organizations here and listens to suggestions. The Okinawa Diving union recommended she uses a new high tech stretcher material for some suits. She found out who manufactures the material, bought it and now has a lot of orders from the union.

If you have any ideas or whatnot please feel free to contact her directly or let me know and I’ll pass it on.

She, Kazumi, can be reached at 098-936-8110 or email bubbles0327@circus.ocn.ne.jp. She prefers phone calls over email if possible.

 

[Mar Scuba]

Quite frankly, there is a large demand outside of Japan for the old skool wetsuits, like the kind worn in the James Bond movies.

If you are serious about expanding the business, etc. you could partner with some dive shops (such as us) to make suits. Also, are your patterns based upon foreigner sizes or ???

Best of luck,

 

[Baracuda Smile]

Quite frankly, there is a large demand outside of Japan for the old skool wetsuits, like the kind worn in the James Bond movies.

If you are serious about expanding the business, etc. you could partner with some dive shops (such as us) to make suits. Also, are your patterns based upon foreigner sizes or ???

Best of luck,

Bubbles make custom wet suits...So they have you in a t-shirt and shorts and then use a tape measure and measure every centimeter of your body. They have an extensive catalog and you design you wet suit the way you want it. I knew that the seams, and the zippers are biggest points of failure for wet suits so I designed mine with the least amount of seams and zippers through the torso area where all the major heat loss occurs. My wet suit is so warm I often have pull open the neck seal several times during the dive and flood my body with cool water. I added ankle and wrist zippers for the convenience of doffing and donning the wet suit. The zippers have doubled up neoprene just like the commercial suits. The other best feature from bubbles is that you can design the colors, and the panels any way you like. Bubbles have a large catalog and you can pick and chose styles, designs and colors or just make up your own. I have seen camouflage for those spear fisherman, and I was going to design mine after aquaman, but I went for canary yellow to match my dive gear. I like the farmer john style with the beaver tail as I can just use the jacket in the spring and the fall when water temps are not cold enough to wear the entire wet suit. However in the dead of winter I can wear both and get a total of 10mm through the chest/torso area and yet have only 5mm at the extremities. Having the zipper in the front was the original design for divers, the back zip wet suit came from surfers who must lay on the surf board. The front zip wet suit zipper is nice for surface intervals when to water is cold but the air is hot and you unzip and cool down your chest easily and look cool while doing it, vs back zip is difficult at times requires a buddy to help you zip up or down.

 

[Mar Scuba]

Thanks, Baracuda Smile, I am well aware of the process for made to measure suits as we have attended training seminars from various manufacturers.

The pattern that I refer to is the way that they cut the original starting material from the roll or sheet of raw material, then that gets trimmed after making the measurements. Depending on the way it is cut, patterns can also be used for stock size suits.

 

[The Mushroom King]

measure every centimeter of your body.

every centimetre??? cheeky