DECK
1 .
WET SUIT , DRY SUIT , OLD SUIT , NEW SUIT .
The evolution of underwater apparel .
BY ROBERT MONROE were among the first to test the suit , and Bradner himself would join Scripps in 1961 , always insisting that the invention was an ensemble effort .
By that time , Scripps scientists like Paul Dayton and Gerald Kooyman were exploring new technologies to investigate the near-frozen waters of Antarctica . For that , they would try a variety of wetsuits and dry suits — named for the way in which water is fully excluded — and ultimately set standard protocols for Antarctic diving through trial and error . Today , the preferred apparel for polar dives is a watertight dry suit , synthetic undergarments , and electrically heated vests and gloves ( 3 ).
2 .
THERE ARE MUST-HAVE fashion accessories , and then there are must-have accessories : as in , you risk death without them .
In the realm of research diving , Scripps Institution of Oceanography has led the development of many must-haves , starting in the 1950s when soon-to-be Scripps Oceanography students Conrad Limbaugh and Andreas Rechnitzer , MS ’ 51 , PhD ’ 55 , bought the third and fourth Aqua-Lungs sold in the states . The pioneering SCUBA gear came with no owner ’ s manual — dive officers like Limbaugh and James Stewart were self-taught and would come to create the first standards in research diving .
Today , Scripps officers and researchers are among the first to test new equipment , and the institution is a leader in scientific diving certification — a far more rigorous credential than that of recreational diving . Strict medical and swim proficiency requirements and more than 100 hours and 14 dives are required before collecting any data underwater . Dive students are versed in wet and dry suits , as well as immersion or “ Gumby ” suits , floating fullbody covers used in the event of an abandon ship . So when the latest suit hits the deep in the name of science , you can bet it will have earned its stripes at Scripps .
3 .
But what to wear underwater ? Scripps ’ s first use of SCUBA for research was the 1952 Capricorn Expedition in the central Pacific Ocean ( 1 ). In the warm tropical waters , scientists were able to get by with the basics : fins , a mask , and a pair of shorts .
A good solution for cold water diving had yet to be found . Until 1951 , when UC Berkeley physicist and diving enthusiast , Hugh Bradner , used the synthetic rubber neoprene to create the first version of the modern wetsuit ( 2 ). The suit traps a thin layer of water against the skin , which is warmed by the body and serves as insulation . Scripps scientists and divers
42 TRITON | WINTER 2021