286 



WET SUITS 



mitts, and boots, and the exclusive use of Velcro rather than zippers. The inner surfaces are 

 lined with nylon for ease of donning and doffing. The trousers are provided with a high-rise 

 back to minimize cold-water flooding in that region. The boots are fitted with high-modulus 

 rubber soles to protect them against puncture and scuffing and to minimize the possibility of 

 the diver slipping while walking on a wet deck. 



-SUIT PARTLY DONNED 

 (a) 



COMPLETE WITH BATTERY PACK 

 (b) 



Fig. 108. Aquanaut Tolbert wearing the elec- 

 trically heated wet suit (a) With snagsuit 

 partially donned (b) Complete with battery 

 pack 



HEATED BOOT 

 (0) 



NOTE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS 

 (b) 



HEATED MITT 

 (c) 



Fig. 109. Several views of the electrically heated wet suit (a) The 

 heated boot (b) The electrical connectors (c) The heated mitt 



The buoyancy and thermal insulation of the gas-inflated wet suit would suffer serious con- 

 sequences if the outer rubber skin were punctured or torn. An outer suit, a snag suit, was 

 designed to guard against tear, puncture, scuff, and abrasion. The snag-suit design includes 

 using both a nonstretch and a stretch material in a zippered coverall with separate boots and 

 mitts. The nonstretch material is polyurethane-coated nylon fabric chosen for strength and 

 good resistance to mechanical damage. The stretch material is used to permit mobility in a 



