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Need help on 1960s Dry Suit Identification

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 9:04 am
by simonbeans
Having neither knowledge nor interest in dry suits, I would like those of either to assist in identifying this dry suit obtained from the widow of a Sheriff Department diver from NY State. It is very yellow and in remarkable condition with a M II infused at the edge of the waist of pants. I will be offering it to anyone interested as I am slowly realizing that I have too much stuff. Thanks for assistance. Allan
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Re: Need help on 1960s Dry Suit Identification

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 9:07 am
by SurfLung
- I think it might be a Totes suit. My Dad had a Totes that looked like that but was brown.

Re: Need help on 1960s Dry Suit Identification

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 10:48 am
by Vintagediver
I think Eben might be right on that being a Totes, and if my memory serves me correctly I think I remember seeing this suit offered in one of the U. S. Divers catalogs back around1959. Terry

Re: Need help on 1960s Dry Suit Identification

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 11:51 am
by Britmarine
I can confirm that your suit is a Skooba-"totes" "Golden Tiger" suit, which was first introduced in February 1959 as a cheaper and thinner version of the "blending brown" Skooba-"totes", which itself came on to the market in May 1958. The suit appeared in the 1960 edition of the "Divemaster" catalogue. Yellow was a popular colour in 1959, as this US Divers advertisement shows:
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The manufacturer of your suit was the So Lo Marx rubber company of Loveland, Ohio. Below is a rare period colour picture of a female diver modelling a yellow Totes suit for the front cover of a Florida magazine in January 1960:
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A 7-page monograph on Skooba-"totes" suits can be downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/ljb2tb2. I research vintage dry suits as a hobby and I am in the process of updating the document. Here is a picture of my own "Golden Tiger" suit, which came with an integrated hood and which I purchased "new in box" about a decade ago:
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I have snorkelled with the suit in the cold waters of the North Sea off the North East of England coast. It kept me warm and dry and I had fun learning how to seal and vent the suit, which has no valves. I also own a brown "Professional" Skooba-"totes" dry suit, which resembles the "Golden Tiger" but is made of thicker material. In their day, Totes dry suits were not only used for breathhold and scuba diving but also worn for water-skiing and caving.

By the way, the embossed "M" on your suit stands for "Medium", as I'm sure you will already have guessed. I see your suit has a separate hood and includes a waist ring, which helps to effect a watertight seal between the jacket and pants after the skirts are rolled together. Ask away if you have any more questions about the suit manufacturer So Lo Marx or about the history of the suit itself. I created a timeline for So Lo Marx dry suits a while ago.

Re: Need help on 1960s Dry Suit Identification

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 1:29 pm
by simonbeans
Thanks guys. I knew you all have much more knowledge on this suit than I. Never the less, it is FOR SALE. I am accepting offers as I have NO idea as to value. Contact: 585-733-6193 or [email protected]

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