Sewing neoprene

[Sam Miller III]

There were a number of exposure suits on the market, and a number of failures until the wet suit as we know it was created.

Hugh Bradner's was pattened on "unicelluar foam"

I have only dove with one person, Fred Roberts who owned a Cousteau suit, he was always cold. It was a very thick rubber and apparently not cellular foam. I don't know the exact difference, but there has to be a difference..

I recall Fred was the "Personality spot light" of the month in SDM and was pictured wearing the suit--and cold!

SDM

 

[Akimbo]

Unicelluar foam is new to me. Is it open cell (as in a sponge) or maybe more like the split cell, commonly called open cell by some freediving suit manufacturers? It is hard to imagine a single cell as the name implies.

Do you have any idea if this material was Neoprene based or a different elastomeric? Also, do you know the story behind how Rubatex came to dominate the market over Kirkhoff? I have heard "stories" that Rubatex was making sound insulation for automobile hoods for GM.

Apologies to the OP for getting off in the weeds.

 

[starrlamia]

thanks for the posts guys, that helps a ton! And now I have a new project to work on once my halloween costume is finished and I can find time to squeeze it in between work and school (not enough hours in the day).

And no worries about going off topic, I love history and do not know much about it in relation to scuba, always love to learn something new!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Unicelluar foam is new to me. Is it open cell (as in a sponge) or maybe more like the split cell, commonly called open cell by some freediving suit manufacturers? It is hard to imagine a single cell as the name implies.

Do you have any idea if this material was Neoprene based or a different elastomeric? Also, do you know the story behind how Rubatex came to dominate the market over Kirkhoff? I have heard “stories” that Rubatex was making sound insulation for automobile hoods for GM.

Apologies to the OP for getting off in the weeds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
OOPS "multicelluar"

I know nothing about rubatex other than they made sheet rubber used in wet suits.

SDM

 

[Akimbo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
OOPS "multicelluar"...

Any idea what made Fred Roberts' Cousteau suit so much less effective? Do you recall if it was less supple or heavier after exiting the water? It is hard to imagine that the material had an open cell like a sponge.

It is interesting how dependent emerging technologies are (like diving in the 50s) are on material technology. I still find myself looking at components wondering how I can adapt them to solve a diving problem.