Alec, Have you ever tried Hard Hat dry suit diving. If so, can you please pas on your impressions of the experience. It would be a Totally different experience i'm sure
Hi, Alec, I enjoyed the video very much. By the way, the "blending-brown" Skooba-"totes" suit you used in your demonstration may have been "carried" by Aurora Pro but it was actually manufactured by the So-Lo Marx Rubber Company in Loveland, Ohio, between 1958 and the late 1960s. The suit was also available in yellow, red and green. In the 1950s, the company's charismatic owner Joe Marx came up with an extraordinary array of products for everyday and sporting use, which were advertised widely both in the USA and abroad. The firm still exists, but it is now known as Totes Isotoner. You mentioned having some Skooba-"totes" gloves in your collection and I would have liked to have seen those and any of the other suit accessories listed in the catalogue. There was also a patch kit, although the suit was billed tear-resistant. It was quite a popular suit in its day, not least because it was much cheaper than wetsuits of the time. Incidentally, the Skooba-"totes" was not only used by divers but also by water-skiers and cavers. In 1961, So-Lo Marx offers a deal on Allen-A thermal underwear to keep wearers warm as well as dry. Thanks again for your entertaining and informative video!
can't wait for rest of the series - thanks. By far the most expensive item to purchase for diving and after trying/owning a couple different types I have better idea what works for me.
My dad did his diving padi exam at Stone Cove in the Uk in the winter like 1 degrees they used to run to the shower put the wetsuit on and fill it with hot water then run into the lake hoping it would keep them warm that was a drysuit back in the day
Interesting video Alec , I'm looking for a dry suit suit for the summer, so I will wait for your video on the two Dry Suits and decide which is the more relevant for me... thanks for posting..
The two kinds are basically neoprene drysuits and fabric drysuits. For warm water diving you would want a thinnest fabric drysuit you can find. However, why do you want a drysuit in warm water?
Another great video 😀 9 minutes goes by so fast though....can’t wait for the next video. On a little sidenote, on Kevins Facebook profile....is he diving with goggles ? What gives ? Master of equalizing ? Take care, Alec 👍
Hi Alec, I can't picture myself wanting and buying a rubber dry suite. 1st i dislike the cold and have no desire to dive being uncomfortable. 2nd cost $1,000 to $3,000 forget it. Found this informative and somewhat funny. A modern wonderment 👍
Keep an open mind Mark, cool water diving like in British Colombia or very cold in the arctic. There is lots to see around the world and you can be comfortable too in a dry suit. Alec
Dear Alec, this was fun to watch, got a good laugh from it.. Kinda wonder of Poseidon have stuck to their rubber drysuit since the early days? Best easter greetings from Tom and Yvonne here in Norway..
It might be funny tom watch now but it wasn't funny then. It was hard work and cold! New divers have no idea what we went through in the beginning. Good to hear from you guys. Alec
Hi Alec. would the Hard Hat dive suit be considered the first dry suit? You never mentioned if you ever had a chance to try hard hat diving? Great history lesson as always thanks Owen M
Alec, thank you for your videos, there is so much we lern from you, sure others coult teach also from the stone age of diveing, but because they never had the same experiece as you. It would be the same as a bike soecialist, who never drove a car would teach about cars from the 40's. It's just not the same if you explain, because you had the exact same experiece or if you haven't.
Hi Alec, Thank you very much for all your informative videos about diving. I have learned a lot viewing all of them. What do you feel about using a 40" hose and elbow for your second stage and routing it under your arm? I've heard some people really like this method but I have not tried it yet. Thanks.
There have been a few production regs like that. Only the Sherwood Maximus is still available in that configuration that I know of. I've used it and it's OK but, to me, nothing special. In fact, in today's standard set-up, it can be a nuisance. The underarm primary hose is where the Safe Second hose would be. Plus, I like the idea of the primary over my shoulder. Than way, if the reg is out of the mouth on the surface, it stays in place hanging on your chest below your chin. Notice that these regs, including the current Maximus, comes with a neck strap to keep it up there. Neck straps were used on ALL regulators at one time, up to about the mid-60's but the strap was a pain too. So, to answer your question, no benefit and adds some complications. Alec
Alec will you do a video about hookah diving apparatus, dangers, benefits, possible home build options & safety precautions(I understand today's liability garbage so 'hypothetical' answers are 'understood') you just sharing old equipment provides ideas without saying 'hey you should build this' wink wink.. only reason I ask is because I've started off river free-diving and would like to stay at 10-15 ft for longer than one breath lol (filming, finding & fulfilling.. for fun..)
On a unrelated note, I’m curious to what you think of lavacore products. I personal find them fantastic! Would love to hear your opinion in a video or such if you had the time.
There have been diving suits, some dry, some not so much, for hundreds of years. The Greeks and Romans would regularly send divers down to salvage what they could sunken ships. I'm not sure what dive tables they used! Thanks for watching. Alec
We still use rubber drysuits in Finland www.sukelluspukuloitokari.fi No neckseal or wristseals, handmade to mesurements and the only suit i know you can repair in the field if you get a cut in the suit. The best money can buy in my opinion.
So why can't we get that here?? We have Sitec from Norway and Suunto from Finland. Darn government tariffs! Bloody tariffs are simply a government attempt to protect and industry that isn't competitive. If our suits are not as good as your suits, we should be buying your suits - simple! Thanks for watching. Alec
I love these videos explaining the progression of dive equipment
Alec, Have you ever tried Hard Hat dry suit diving. If so, can you please pas on your impressions of the experience.
It would be a Totally different experience i'm sure
Hi, Alec, I enjoyed the video very much. By the way, the "blending-brown" Skooba-"totes" suit you used in your demonstration may have been "carried" by Aurora Pro but it was actually manufactured by the So-Lo Marx Rubber Company in Loveland, Ohio, between 1958 and the late 1960s. The suit was also available in yellow, red and green. In the 1950s, the company's charismatic owner Joe Marx came up with an extraordinary array of products for everyday and sporting use, which were advertised widely both in the USA and abroad. The firm still exists, but it is now known as Totes Isotoner. You mentioned having some Skooba-"totes" gloves in your collection and I would have liked to have seen those and any of the other suit accessories listed in the catalogue. There was also a patch kit, although the suit was billed tear-resistant. It was quite a popular suit in its day, not least because it was much cheaper than wetsuits of the time. Incidentally, the Skooba-"totes" was not only used by divers but also by water-skiers and cavers. In 1961, So-Lo Marx offers a deal on Allen-A thermal underwear to keep wearers warm as well as dry. Thanks again for your entertaining and informative video!
Wow! Thanks for adding that extra info.
I knew the suit was made by a rubber company in Ohio but I didn't have all the details.
Take care.
Alec
Thanks for the history lesson Alec! I think they marketed that same rubber suit for weight loss in the '60's! Probably worked better for diving...
Looking forward to the drysuit videos, it's often our largest investment.
Ps I think that gimp suit must have come from another hobby 🤣 haha!
@Enrique Terrence f**k off
@Preston Davion don't encourage the spamming scammers.
@Preston Davion ow wait, you both joined TH-cam 2 weeks ago? What a coincidence! I wonder if you're you're same person?
can't wait for rest of the series - thanks. By far the most expensive item to purchase for diving and after trying/owning a couple different types I have better idea what works for me.
Thanks Alain.
Alec
My dad did his diving padi exam at Stone Cove in the Uk in the winter like 1 degrees they used to run to the shower put the wetsuit on and fill it with hot water then run into the lake hoping it would keep them warm that was a drysuit back in the day
Interesting video Alec , I'm looking for a dry suit suit for the summer, so I will wait for your video on the two Dry Suits and decide which is the more relevant for me... thanks for posting..
The two kinds are basically neoprene drysuits and fabric drysuits. For warm water diving you would want a thinnest fabric drysuit you can find. However, why do you want a drysuit in warm water?
summer != warm water... maybe warmer :)
Another great video 😀 9 minutes goes by so fast though....can’t wait for the next video. On a little sidenote, on Kevins Facebook profile....is he diving with goggles ? What gives ? Master of equalizing ? Take care, Alec 👍
Sunglasses!!! from way back when I was a 50 year young diver in Utila.
Take care.
Hi Alec, I can't picture myself wanting and buying a rubber dry suite. 1st i dislike the cold and have no desire to dive being uncomfortable. 2nd cost $1,000 to $3,000 forget it. Found this informative and somewhat funny. A modern wonderment 👍
Keep an open mind Mark, cool water diving like in British Colombia or very cold in the arctic. There is lots to see around the world and you can be comfortable too in a dry suit.
Alec
Dear Alec, this was fun to watch, got a good laugh from it.. Kinda wonder of Poseidon have stuck to their rubber drysuit since the early days? Best easter greetings from Tom and Yvonne here in Norway..
It might be funny tom watch now but it wasn't funny then. It was hard work and cold!
New divers have no idea what we went through in the beginning.
Good to hear from you guys.
Alec
Hi Alec. would the Hard Hat dive suit be considered the first dry suit? You never mentioned if you ever had a chance to try hard hat diving? Great history lesson as always thanks Owen M
Alec, thank you for your videos, there is so much we lern from you, sure others coult teach also from the stone age of diveing, but because they never had the same experiece as you. It would be the same as a bike soecialist, who never drove a car would teach about cars from the 40's.
It's just not the same if you explain, because you had the exact same experiece or if you haven't.
Much appreciate the feedback Ben. Glad you like my videos and wacky humour.
We still use talc powder in the UK on our drysuit seals.
I only use talc when I put on my drysuit here in Norway, then again it's almost never allowed to get dry LOL.
Tom Knudsen yeah I generally just use it for getting on but also if it's going to be stored for a little while.
How did you dealt with the squeeze without the possibility of compensating?
Hi Alec,
Thank you very much for all your informative videos about diving. I have learned a lot viewing all of them.
What do you feel about using a 40" hose and elbow for your second stage and routing it under your arm? I've heard some people really like this method but I have not tried it yet. Thanks.
There have been a few production regs like that. Only the Sherwood Maximus is still available in that configuration that I know of. I've used it and it's OK but, to me, nothing special.
In fact, in today's standard set-up, it can be a nuisance. The underarm primary hose is where the Safe Second hose would be.
Plus, I like the idea of the primary over my shoulder. Than way, if the reg is out of the mouth on the surface, it stays in place hanging on your chest below your chin. Notice that these regs, including the current Maximus, comes with a neck strap to keep it up there. Neck straps were used on ALL regulators at one time, up to about the mid-60's but the strap was a pain too.
So, to answer your question, no benefit and adds some complications.
Alec
Alec will you do a video about hookah diving apparatus, dangers, benefits, possible home build options & safety precautions(I understand today's liability garbage so 'hypothetical' answers are 'understood') you just sharing old equipment provides ideas without saying 'hey you should build this' wink wink.. only reason I ask is because I've started off river free-diving and would like to stay at 10-15 ft for longer than one breath lol (filming, finding & fulfilling.. for fun..)
On a unrelated note, I’m curious to what you think of lavacore products. I personal find them fantastic! Would love to hear your opinion in a video or such if you had the time.
Lavacore has built a good reputation and why not? Their stuff looks good and performs well. It's worth the extra cost.
Thanks for watching.
Alec
Pure Gum Rubber - how long did it last? Actually, they don't look toooo bad.
I think dry suits date back to the early 1800's, if you include hard hat diving.
There have been diving suits, some dry, some not so much, for hundreds of years. The Greeks and Romans would regularly send divers down to salvage what they could sunken ships. I'm not sure what dive tables they used!
Thanks for watching.
Alec
Will corn starch help preserve my open cell spearfishing suit?
It's ok but it will last just as long with a good rinse, wash and dry after each trip than any powder can. Keep on hunting Ben.
A.
Can you do a full face mask episode Alec
This is crazy.
Hey, Scuba diving is crazy!!
Alec
We still use rubber drysuits in Finland www.sukelluspukuloitokari.fi
No neckseal or wristseals, handmade to mesurements and the only suit i know you can repair in the field if you get a cut in the suit. The best money can buy in my opinion.
So why can't we get that here??
We have Sitec from Norway and Suunto from Finland. Darn government tariffs!
Bloody tariffs are simply a government attempt to protect and industry that isn't competitive.
If our suits are not as good as your suits, we should be buying your suits - simple!
Thanks for watching.
Alec
I need to find a rubber bag... and poke out some armholes...