Bioprene™– the revolution in diving insulation
Protective suits have a long history in diving, insulating us from the harsh environments found underwater. Originally made from canvas, leather and rubber, we now have neoprene and membrane of all different weights and thickness. Kevlar pads, and crushed neoprene, latex or neoprene seals and all manner of configurations now adorn divers the length of the country.
However, a new development is about to take the market by storm – Bioprene™
Bioprene was developed by a British Diver in response to the gap he saw in the market. Previous dives had left him cold, no matter what he wore as a drysuit or undersuit.
Undersuits such as thinsulate, high loft options or even the very popular fleece suits proved no match for the chill of a UK quarry dive in mid winter.
Below: The developer with his identity obscured to prevent harassment by eager divers.
The importance of maintaining a steady core temperature is underestimated by many divers, its role in allowing efficient off-gassing of nitrogen accumulated during the dive is vital in decompression. The shunting of blood away from the extremities and muscles and towards the core as the diver cools can seriously affect the rate of gas transfer and lead to incomplete decompression if this occurs too much. This was acknowledged by the developer as a serious problem, and spurred him on to develop this exciting new product.
So he set to work, the unique qualities of Bioprene were honed to perfection over a period of months, working tirelessly to develop the ultimate insulation for the average UK diver.
Bioprene offers excellent insulation and yet maintains its flexibility no matter on the thickness worn. It can be custom made to insulate the vulnerable areas of the body, such as the stomach and chest in men and buttocks and thighs in women.
Although soon for initial trial release to the public, Bioprene is unfortunately still very early in its development, and therefore is available in only one colour – a very pale pink. Through extensive research it was discovered that this colour allows maximum efficiency in insulation, proving itself above black or even the traditional silver for reflective qualities.
Tipped to become the biggest development in the UK diving scene since the development and popularisation of Nitrox, Bioprene will no doubt be seen being worn at a dive site near you soon.
Bioprene is released to the general public on the first of next month.
This looks like the seasons ‘must have’, can’t wait till it gets past the trial stage so I can coat my extremities!
Once they get it sorted in black, I will be first in the queue.