swimsuit material

Question
I have a idea. I'm trying to locate and purchase wet suit material.

Answer
Hi Sullivan,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I was out of town and only got this message about 5 minutes ago!!

I'm not sure where to purchase neoprene fabric but I know the wetsuit manufacturers won't sell it directly to you...I've tried that approach before.

Many manufacturers have some proprietary materials and they just won't sell it to consumers.  You may be able to find generic neoprene material by Googling "neoprene fabric".  I didn't try that before sending this reply so I can't tell you what you'll find.  It's worth a shot.

You'll need to decide on what thickness you'll need.  Thicknesses will range from 0.5mm to 10mm.  The thinner material is more flexible and less buoyant than heavier material but it's not as durable as the thicker stuff.

Neoprene, itself, is a foam material so it needs to be sandwiched with some sort of layered supportive backing like nylon, rayon or similar fabric.  This fabric is the proprietary part of the material.  

There are many ways to attach neoprene.  Sewing and gluing are the most popular.  With wetsuits, we don't want the stitching holes to pass water through them so the stitching is usually blind stitching or a combination of stitching and gluing.  The stitching must allow for the stretching of the fabric.

Sullivan, I wish I could give you a better answer but this is the best I can do without research.

Best of luck with your idea!!

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com