Dick Long, founder/president of DUI
in a wetsuit before he discovered
the comfort of diving dry.

By Divers, for Divers. Much of DUI's success can be traced to the fact that the people who develop our drysuit technology are experienced divers who understand divers' thinking and physical requirements. Every new concept we develop is rigorously tested by our staff of test divers, then fine-tuned through a series of modifications and retested until it meets the DUI standards of performance. Communication is an important part of our operations. We are in constant contact with divers to assess their changing equipment requirements.

Superb Craftsmanship. In the diving world, DUI craftsmanship is without equal. Every suit is handmade and treated as if it's being prepared for the deepest dive in the harshest conditions. In our view, true craftsmanship can only be gained through experience, and that is where DUI separates itself from the rest.

The Highest Quality. No drysuit leaves the DUI plant until it has passed what many feel are the highest quality standards in the industry. "Quality" also applies to our customer service program. We provide a full after-sale program that ensures your system functions at peak efficiency.

Making History. The accomplishments of Dick Long and his staff have played a key role in the evolution of diving. As long ago as the early 1960's, Mr. Long was working with the Underwater Demolition Teams to provide longer-lasting underwater protection. His initial success led to a consultation assignment with SeaLab II, which was deployed off the coast of La Jolla, California.

From there, he was called on by the offshore oil industry to provide solutions that allowed their divers to remain underwater longer. His hot water systems enabled the divers to significantly increase their dive time. A diving equipment retailer at the time, Mr. Long sold the business and focused his energy on improving diver performance and comfort.

The goal was to create a drysuit that would approach the same level of thermal protection as a hot water suit. Along with chief engineer Bob Stinton, he developed a number of technological advances -- company patents -- that have since become the industry standard. These breakthroughs have given divers the means to increase the depth and duration of their dives in the harshest of conditions.

To this day, Mr. Long remains very active in testing, applying his extensive knowledge to the ongoing evolution of DUI's drysuit technology.

 

The SeaLab project established DUI as
a leader in the development of
underwater diving technology.

From the North Sea to the Gulf of
Mexico, the advancements made by DUI
have greatly benefited the offshore
oil industry.
PATENTS by DUI
 
  • Heated Underwater Diving Suit - The first working free flooding hot water suit. This remains the standard for all offshore deep water diving in cold conditions.b>
  • Hot Water Heater System For Divers - Automatic mixing and control system that improves the control of the supply of water to the free flooding hot water suit. Prior to this, it was necessary to constantly monitor the water temperature.
  • Deep Sea Speech Converter - Unscrambles divers' helium-distorted voices.
  • Diver's Gas Heater - A respiratory gas heater that heats the diver's breathing gas and reduces the heat loss caused by the increased density of gas on deeper dives.
  • Diving Bell Heater and Absorbent System - A device that heats the diving bell wall and scrubs the CO2 from the diving bell's atmosphere.
  • Non Return Hot Water Suit - A closed-design hot water suit that works better in high current situations and provides a larger margin of diver safety in the event of hot water supply failure.
  • Underwater Diver's Suit and Method of Sealing - A sealing method that blocks wicking of water through the fabric surrounding the seams of a drysuit. Used in CF200 fabric.
  • Low Friction Means to Facilitate Putting on an Underwater Diving Suit - A nylon cuff attached to the inside of the sleeve of a drysuit. During the donning of a suit, the cuff provides a low friction surface for sliding the hands through the wrist seal. After donning, the cuff tucks back up the sleeve out of the way of the sealing surface.
  • Easy Access Underwater Diving Suit - A self-donning diving suit featuring a telescoping torso with diagonal zipper, and suspenders & crotch strap to control the telescoping torso. Enables divers to adjust torso length to accommodate different insulation systems.
  • Air Inlet Valve for Underwater Diver's Drysuit - A hose reserve that provides a large initial volume of air when the air inlet valve is actuated.
  • Survival Suit - A continuous wear anti-exposure suit made of breatheable materials that provides exposure protection in or out of the water.
  • Underwater Diver's Drysuit Having a Permanently Compressed Cellular Layer - CF200 material. A durable, flexible and stretchable material used in shell (membrane) drysuits.
  • Diver's Weight Assembly - A weight and trim system that allows the diver to position weights at preferred heights, eliminating tightness, slippage, and rotation. Divers can adjust the trim to meet their diving needs. They can also drop half or all of their weights in case of emergency. The system is very effective in reducing back pain and bruising.
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