Asymmetrical zippers Zippers with staggered teeth, invented to keep a tighter seal and let less water in. Common in newer zippered suits. Beavertail Early wetsuit design in the ’70s that had a large ...

Introduced in the early 1950s, wetsuits flopped among surfers, who saw the uncomfortable rubber skins as more suitable for wimps than wave riders. Enter Bill Meistrell, a dive-shop owner who used a ...

When buying your suit, consider: Fit: A wetsuit should be snug but comfortable. A too-loose fit will allow water to flood the suit, undermining its warmth, while a too-tight suit can be constricting ...

For those of us who try to spend our dollars on more environmentally-friendly gear, there is an uncomfortable truth that we don’t like admitting: Sometimes, these products don’t perform as well as ...

At 77, Bob Meistrell leads deep-sea diving expeditions to Catalina Island and remains at the helm of Body Glove International, the multimillion-dollar Redondo Beach surf company he co-founded with his ...

Zero petrol, a new alternative to neoprene : Naturalprene, by Picture Organic Clothing If you’re looking to be one with the ocean on your next scuba, snorkeling, or just general aqua-based excursion, ...

Ever the innovator, the California-based clothing company Patagonia recently created and unveiled the first-ever line of neoprene-free wetsuits — setting a new industry standard in environmentally ...

When choosing your next winter wetsuit, there's a trade-off between flexibility and warmth. It's an age-old discussion, and depending on where in the world you are surfing, your choice will vary. For ...