Wetlook World Forum

Message # 14769.1

Subject: Re: Jeans

Date: Sat 26/02/05 06:04:06 GMT

Name: soggybottom

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By Sean - seantraverse@mts.net Fri 25/02/05 19:01:36 GMT

Website: groups.msn.com/wetlookpics

Levis, when broken-in properly and shrunk-to-fit, are practical for outdoor activities, most athletics, and aquatics. The famous 'top and levis' -- a neoprene jacket and shrink-to-fit Levis remains one of the best skindiving and scuba suits or diveskins, offering protection from overexposure to the sun, stings, and abrasion. Levis 501, 505 and 512 Red Tab are the best styles from Levis Strauss for swimming and diving, and provide the same thermal protection as 1mm neoprene. When worn with a 2-3mm top, you can swim and dive comfortably in water 5 - 10 degress f. cooler than you normally would. Levis skins are effective in water above 68 degrees F. In water below 68 F., depending on the water athlete's tolerance to cold, a neoprene dive suit or skin should be worn to prevent hypothermia.

In addition, Levis (and Wranglers, etc.) are approximatley 1.5 pounds negatively buoyant, enabling a diver -- either on scuba or freediving, to descend underwater more easily than with an all-neoprene diveskin (which is positively buoyant, and requires lead weights to achieve the same result). This is especially important in open water and in the ocean - where salt water makes the diver more buoyant than in fresh water.

Levis 'skins' provide swimmers and divers with additional convenience because in warm weather and climates where a complete diveskin is needed underwater, but not at the warmer surface (which might cause over-heating), the neoprene jacket can be removed and you can swim with just your jeans or with a lycra top. Most swimmers and diver combine their 'skins' with dive fins and a mask/snorkle for a very practical and functional set of swim/dive gear. The serge in the denim fabric acts as shark dendrils in that it funnels the water over the swimmer/diver's body allowing them to become hydrodynamic and swim faster underwater.