May 14, 2008
Thank you, Hugh Bradner
BY: ScubaSuz
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Hugh Bradner, and you didn’t know that he passed away this week. Or that he had a distinguished career as physicist, professor emeritus at Scripps and diving pioneer.If you surf or dive, chances are you’re in debt to Dr. Bradner for making your oceanic fun more comfortable; he also invented the wetsuit. Although many make this claim, it was Hugh Bradner who first reasoned that trapping water beneath a material containing air bubbles could provide insulation, and designed a suit based on this very principle.These days, millions of divers, surfers, and even a penguin rely on wetsuits for warmth while enjoying aquatic adventures. Next time you don your wetsuit, take a moment to thank Hugh Bradner for his revolutionary idea.