Our Story

HISTORY TIMELINE

 

1953 | Dive N' Surf Opens | Dive N' Surf opened at 223 Hermosa Ave., Redondo Beach with a 30-day lease. The ocean was so close that the waves would break the windows. Here was where they discovered Rubitex and invented the first wetsuit. Dive N' Surf was the first dive-and-surf shop in the world.
First Custom Wetsuit & Sizing Chart | In 1953, the first commercial custom wetsuit and first sizing chart were created. This sizing chart is still used universally by every wetsuit manufacturer.
1955 | A Commitment to Safety | Bill and Bob contributed to the safety standard for the entire diving industry. Bob was the first person to be dive-certified in LA County.
1957 | Custom Wetsuits | They were the first to customize wetsuits for the military, as well as for the LA Police, LA lifeguards, and the medical, dental, and electronics industries. They were the first to make custom wetsuits for Yamaha and Kawasaki.
1958 | Sea Hunt | Bill and Bob started working with the television industry to provide wetsuits, dive gear and scuba training for the TV show Sea Hunt.
Athletes of the Decade | Bill Meistrell, Founder | Bob Meistrell, Founder | Bev Morgan, Diver | Hap Jacobs, Longboarder
1960 | Wetsuits with Style | Body Glove was the first to add fun design elements to their wetsuits, such as the Kossick stripe, and even attempted to paint the neoprene.
1963 | Raising the Emerald | Bill and Bob, along with Don Siverts, Leonard Wibberly and Harry Pecorelli, raised the sunken sailboat, The Emerald, from the bottom of Redondo Beach Marina using 140 inner tubes.
The Glass Bead Suit | Body Glove designed a wetsuit made of glass beads that was compression-proof and tested at 900 feet.
1968 | Back-Zip Wetsuit | Body Glove introduced the first back-zip wetsuit. The back zipper made getting into and out of the suit easier.
Athletes of the Decade | Mike Purpus, Surfer | Robert August, Surfer | Greg Noll, Surfer | David Nuuhiwa, Surfer
1970 | Evolution of the Wetsuit | New features, such as across-the-back zippers, up-the-back zippers, up-the-front zippers, dual-shoulder zippers and colored neoprene, were invented.
Body Glove Sponsors the Bronzed Aussies | The Bronzed Aussies were the first commercial ambassadors of professional surfing, in its pre-dawn era. You could say they were the original influencers of the sport.
1972 | A New Discovery | Bill and Bob discovered Chinese anchors, dating back 4,000 years, off the coast of Redondo Beach.
Athletes of the Decade | Gerry Lopez, Surfer | Allen Sarlo, Surfer | Herbie Fletcher, Surfer | Rick Fignetti, Surfer
1980 | First California Surf Series | Body Glove created the first California Surf Series, which led to the PSAA and eventually the Bud Surf Tour. The first-place prize was the largest in surfing history.
Body Glove Introduces Day-Glo to Wetsuits | The neon look that Body Glove is so iconically known for made its first splash on the wetsuit scene.
1981 | Body Glove designs the first neoprene swimsuits
1980s | Body Glove in Fashion | Body Glove was the first surf brand to grace the covers of fashion magazines, including Vogue, Seventeen, Mademoiselle, and Harper's Bazaar.
Katin Pro Am Winners | The Katin Pro Am took place in Huntington Beach, California between 1977 and 1998. This competition was for the best of the best of pro surfing, and Body Glove team members Scott Daley, Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Jimmy Hogan, Brian McNulty, Joey Buran and Matt Warshaw were all winners.
Body Glove Patents | Innovative designs, such as the ice-pack wrap, no-zip wetsuit, across-the-shoulder-zip wetsuit and slant-zip wetsuit, were patented.
Catalina Island Conservancy of Divers | Bill and Bob co-founded the Catalina Island Conservancy of Divers to help clean up the waters surrounding Catalina and to preserve its natural eco-system.
Athletes of the Decade | Joey Buran, Surfer | Scott Daley, Surfer | Peter Townend, Surfer | Ben Severson, Bodyboarder
1990 | Body Glove Technology | Body Glove released titanium fabric, an innovation that made the wetsuits warmer. They were also the first to introduce 100% neoprene and water-repellent fabric for wetsuits and boardshorts.
Bill and Bob, respectively, were inducted into the Pioneers of Surfing and the Hall of Fame of Diving. This same year they were awarded the Reaching Out Award, which recognized those who had made a significant contribution to diving.
Body Glove Surfabout Lower Trestles | Kelly Slater won the Body Glove Surfabout Lower Trestles for his first pro win. Kelly would go on to be an 11x World Champion of Surfing.
1993 | Body Glove Dominates Jetski Competition | From 1993 to 1997, Body Glove dominated the personal-watercraft industry with the most innovative products and with successful team members who won the most championships in both men's and women's classes.
Athletes of the Decade | Pat O'Connel, Surfer | Rob Machado, Surfer | Peter Townend, Surfer | Ben Severson, Bodyboarder
2000 | The Vapor Wetsuit | Body Glove was the first to release a water-resistant wetsuit, called the Vapor. The Vapor boardshort and bikini would soon follow in 2002.
Awards & Recognitions in the Industry | 2000: Bill and Bob were awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from SIMA | 2000: Body Glove is recognized in the Top 50 SGI Brands | 2003: Bill and Bob were inducted into the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame | 2004: Bill and Bob were inducted into the South Bay Surfing Walk of Fame
Athletes of the Decade | CJ Hobgood, Surfer | Bruce Irons, Surfer | Holly Beck, Surfer | Rusty Malinoski, Wakeboarder
2006 | Remembering a Legend | On July 26th, 2006, at age 77, Bill died of Parkinson's disease at his home. The community paddled out to honor the pioneer of surf and dive with a traditional waterman memorial ceremony.
2008 | Body Glove Eco Wetsuit | Body Glove launched the first environmentally friendly wetsuit, designed with Body Glove's signature BIO-Stretch rubber and ECO-Flex exterior. These two materials created the purest known form of non-toxic stretch material at the time.
2011 | Bob Dives Twice His Age | Bob, with three generations of the Meistrell family, dove twice his age in depth for his 82nd birthday.
2012 | Team Rider Harley Clifford Dominates | Body Glove team rider Harley Clifford dominated the wakeboard pro-competition scene in 2012, winning Nationals, Worlds, the 5-Stop Pro Wakeboard Tour Season title, and the coveted 8-Stop King of Wake Series title.
2013 | Together Again | On June 16th, 2013, Bob died of a heart attack on his boat, The Disappearance. Before Bill's death, the twins had never spent a day apart, except for two years in the army in the 1950s. On this day, Bill and Bob were finally together again.
2013 | Body Glove Mavericks Invitational | In 2013, Body Glove announced its sponsorship of the Mavericks Invitational. Mavericks is considered one of the most dangerous waves in the world, and only the best big-wave surfers were invited to participate in the competition.
2014 | Bill and Bob Memorialized | In 2014, Redondo Beach honored Bill and Bob by erecting a statue of the twin lifeguards at King Harbor's entrance to the Seaside Lagoon. The placement seemed fitting: The two would drive by this spot multiple times a day while running between their Dive N' Surf shop and their boat.
Athletes of the Decade | Jamie O'Brien, Surfer | Slater Trout, Waterman | Tatiana Weston-Webb, Surfer | Harley Clifford, Wakeboarder
2016 | Body Glove & Marquee Brands | In 2016, Marquee Brands acquired a majority share of Body Glove.
2019 | Tatiana Weston-Webb's Eco Collection | In 2019, Body Glove partnered with team rider and surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb to launch her own eco-friendly collection of activewear.

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