Body Glove

In 1953, twin brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell co-founded Body Glove when they designed the first practical wetsuit. It all began in a pool in Booneville, Missouri.

Bill and Bob were fascinated with the water. When they were 14 years old, they fashioned their own diving helmet out of a vegetable can and a tire pump. One explored the bottom of a pool reading magazines while the other held the air pump on the surface.

Bill and Bob needed to find a way to combat California’s cold water. They tried everything from wartime electrically heated flyers’ suits to wool sweaters that lasted only as long as they were dry. Finally, in 1953, they discovered an insulating material used in the back of refrigerators. With this “neoprene” the Meistrell brothers fashioned the first practical wetsuits, and Body Glove was born.