Reason to wear wetsuit

[The Chairman]

Yeah, please change your settings so we can see it easily.

Many, many years ago, whilst diving off of Venice Beach, Florida, I had missed the memo about the purple meanies swimming all over the place. EVERYONE was in full neoprene, including gloves and hoodies. Everyone, but me. I was in shorts and my infamous tiedyed T-shirt. Not wanting to miss the dive, I relied on my situational awareness. Man, I even heard one trying to sneak up behind me, but I made two 90 minute dives without nary a hit. I escaped the Purple Meanie invasion unscathed. What's remarkable about that was that I was the only one to do so. EVERYONE in full neoprene got hit and there were many tears on that boat. Just not mine.

So why do I dive without protection? When you're built like a manatee: you get to dive like one.

 

[KathyV]

Explanation: in the 1954 movie The Caine Mutiny, the mutineers called Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) "Old Yellow Stain".

That is a great movie (and book)!

 

[dead dog]

"Reason to wear wetsuit"
To Keep warm!

 

[Altamira]

Yeah, please change your settings so we can see it easily.

Many, many years ago, whilst diving off of Venice Beach, Florida, I had missed the memo about the purple meanies swimming all over the place. EVERYONE was in full neoprene, including gloves and hoodies. Everyone, but me. I was in shorts and my infamous tiedyed T-shirt. Not wanting to miss the dive, I relied on my situational awareness. Man, I even heard one trying to sneak up behind me, but I made two 90 minute dives without nary a hit. I escaped the Purple Meanie invasion unscathed. What's remarkable about that was that I was the only one to do so. EVERYONE in full neoprene got hit and there were many tears on that boat. Just not mine.

So why do I dive without protection? When you're built like a manatee: you get to dive like one.

No hits. Maybe your tie dyed T shirt scared the crap out of them!

 

[The Chairman]

No hits. Maybe your tie dyed T shirt scared the crap out of them!

These guys are all about inflicting pain...

 

[CajunDiva]

So why do I dive without protection? When you're built like a manatee: you get to dive like one.

The critters obviously don't like it when you pee on them!

 

[Johnoly]

A wetsuit makes you look better and 10 pounds slimmer !!

 

[Sam Miller III]

In 1954 after the release by the Swimmers Panel of the National Security Council the very first wet suit was marketed by EDCO .
Surprisingly the wet suit was not immediately accepted by the general public and even yours truly -- in the then small California diving community there was nothing wrong with using a surplus GI sweater or long underwear for thermal and abrasive protection.

Several months later the late Chuck Blakeslee the co-founder of the worlds first dive magazine Skin Diver; a magazine for skin divers and spearfishermen published and article "Wear the new wet suit for safety and protection" in which he identifies about 25 reasons why a diver of that era should wear a wet suit.

So we all trotted over to Kirkhill rubber company in Brea purchased a sheet of rubber for a hard earned California dollar and a can of Black Magic glue and made wet suits

Now almost 65 years later the diving community is STILL discussing why to wear a wet suit

I was considerably more impressed with Chucks article than I am with the reason presented in this thread

Com on fellows -- get real

Sam Miller, 111

 

[Charred]

Having taken a couple trips this year where the water was 84 at the surface, I finally did dives with no wetsuit using just a LONG sleeve rash guard and knee length board shorts.

As a minimalist already diving a bp/w, now being able to feel the water on my skin: Wow. That took diving to another level for me.

If you have never felt the tropical ocean on your skin as you dive, you are missing something.

 

[ReefHound]

Having taken a couple trips this year where the water was 84 at the surface, I finally did dives with no wetsuit using just a LONG sleeve rash guard and knee length board shorts.

As a minimalist already diving a bp/w, now being able to feel the water on my skin: Wow. That took diving to another level for me.

If you have never felt the tropical ocean on your skin as you dive, you are missing something.

Actually, I think you made me realize that is the real reason I go suitless whenever I can.