My attempt at a reproduction UDT back entry drysuit.

[floatingpi]

It has been a while since I have posted on the forum, I have kept in touch with some of the other vintage divers here on the forum. I have thought I would share one of my winter projects, a back entry style drysuit.

I love my hydroglove drysuit and would recommend it to anyone! However I wanted that frogman look. My childhood love for the UDT was the reason I got into vintage diving and hydroglove doesn't make a green dry suit. So I thought I would give making a suit out of sheet latex a try. I do plan on trying to make some valves for it here soon, however I am already looking forward to trying it out.

Front & Back




Close up of the boots:


I am pretty pleased of the progress I have made. I ordered way too much latex and I am trying to refine my patterns and improve the fit. I will chlorinate the suit once I am finished. For those wondering I got .60mm latex which puts the thickness about 0.03" thinner than the hydroglove suits. I am thinking this will last as long as my hydoglove and the boots will improve its life by a lot. I'll use my hydroglove a lot as my girlfriend won't always be there to seal me in.

[8dust]

WOW

That's fantastic! Very well done there.

What did you use to weld/seal the seams? I imagine joining the neck section to the top was mighty tough to keep flat and from getting all bunchy. Have you tried on with a tank? I would think that with that nob of material at the closure, doubles would lay on your back a lot better than a single...

again, very impressive

[Britmarine]

Very well done indeed! I'm particularly impressed with the soled feet, which are always points of fragility because they get plenty of wear. What kind of outer sole did you use? And how efficient is the back seal at excluding water, which can seep through the folds in the material?

As for the green colour, I once purchased a Hydroglove in that hue when they were available because I wanted to emulate the green Skooba-totes suits sold in the 1960s by Submarine Products in the UK. Aquala still make a one-piece "historical" dry suit in green two-ply rubber (white on the inside), with a chest-level seal effected by bunching and tying the additional material together:
http://www.aquala.com/aquala.html

[crimediver]

Very nice job!

[21]

That is a fantastic suit and a incredible winter project!

Bill Barada, who produced the first successful recreational and commercial dry suit which when commercialized became Aqula (Aqua of Los Angeles) used a Halloween monkey suit pattern for his first suit..What did you use as a pattern?

Bill was a social and diving buddy for many years. He was never bashful and related the story to me a number of times how he developed the dry suit, so before he went to the big reef in the sky I wrote and published an article about his developing the suit. I have the article packed away but if you would like a copy PM me your address and I will search it out and send a copy to you.

I miss Bill the Barracuda and his cantankerous ways--your suit brought back many memories..

Yes it is 4:30 AM in Kalifornia...

SDM

[SurfLung]

Wow, thanks for posting that. I didn't know it was possible for someone to just make their own dry suit.

[DaleC]

Fantastic as well!
I would also be interested in the details as this is one of those things I want to try and build (was thinking of rubber pond liner). Patterns, issues etc...???

[floatingpi]

@8dust
The seams are just glued with two trim pieces sandwiching it together. Helps even with the look when I look at some of the old bw photos. I have tried it with my vintage tank and I am glad the back seal is soft rubber doesn't feel that out of place.

@21
I did grab a pattern for a monkey suit for the hood. For the body I found a pattern for a one piece pajama from kiwi. The monkey suit had the wrong sleeve cut. Right now I am tweaking the pattern and trimming to slim it down a touch. Also, thanks for the offer on the article I sent a PM.

@Britmarine
I was just going to use some crushed up tires and some barge cement. While at the store they had a sale on slippers with those rubber bottoms. Use some left over material and worked very well.

I haven't got into the water yet, everything is all frozen over here for a another couple months. Sadly even the local indoor pool is shut down for repairs for a while. Hence all the photos in my living room. However it does hold air, I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[1969ivan1]

Wow that looks really nice! You may have a new business there in SD. I can't wait to see it in action at Portage. Did you make the harness also? The last time I saw one like that was on page 181 of Diving Pioneers and Innovators. The pic was of Dick Bonin in 1953 UDT gear. I am really excited to hear how the new drysuit performs and look forward to hearing about your refinements.

[easydiver1]

WOW!!!! That is about the neatest vintage diving project I have seen. I also have been interested in UDT since I was a kid. I collect anything UDT and the green back entry drysuit is the holy grail. Your suit looks great and I give you a lot credit for even trying a project like this. I have thought about doing the same thing many times. I do have a original green back entry suit and would be happy to share any details of it with you. By the way, this suit went missing and was recovered for me by members of the vintage diving community. I am very gratefull to all that helped. I have a NOS exhaust valve that I would be happy to lend you if you want to try and have it duplicated. At one time, I had a different but similar UDT suit that was made by Desco. It also was a green back entry but has lacing on the back of the neck and bands on the cuffs. Frogmen by C.B.Colby has many photos of these suits and you can see the different models that were used.2 piece Pireli suits are also shown. I am just blown away with your great suit. The navy started experimenting with these suits in 1945 and by 1947 the back entry suit was standard. They experimented with various zippers but they all leaked so they copyed the back entry from the Navy shallow water suit known as a Jack Browne or "bunny suit" and used the same brass clamp to close the entry. Desco still lists these clamps in their catalog.---- I feel like I am rambling on. I just can't help it because your project is very interesting and an amazing challenge. Please let me know if I can help with your project.

[floatingpi]

@1969ivan1
I did not make the harness Allan made it for me over the summer. I saw his post showing off one he made for someone else and asked him for one. Did a great job, used it the first time when I got my search and recovery certification this summer.

@easydiver1
I remember seeing the posts about you being ripped off and you getting it back on christmas eve. I have looked at the photos of the suit for insight when making mine.

I will take you up on your offer! That was the next step of my project was trying to make those valves. If I would make a mold of yours that would save me a ton of work plus help me figure out the best way of attaching it. How are the attached? They one or two pieces? I am really curious about them I have a bunch of sketches on my workbench just thinking of what direction to go. I am thinking about making one out of wax or foam (unless I can borrow yours), then make a mold of it and then cast some wax ones. Then cast several at a time using loss wax process.

I have seen that catalog and the clamps been searching around the internet to find one myself. Perhaps the last part of making the suit for now I got some really thick and heavy rubber bands that work great. Its interesting to see all the various drysuit during that time. I have a few photos from the 1950s which look like all the udt members are wearing different drysuits and even different shades of green.

[easydiver1]

Send me a pm with your address and I will send the exhaust valve for you to copy.

[scubasteve59]

AWESOME! It's 1950 something all over again.