WO2000038978A1 - Apparel worn on, in or under the water and a manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of apparel designed to be worn by divers and swimmers which is formed by placing a prefabricated male mold inside a prefabricated female mold. Then a polymeric material is injected into a gap formed between the male mold placed inside the female mold. Also included is a built-in air bladder system to change a buoyancy of the diver and swimmer.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

APPAREL WORN ON, IN OR UNDER THE WATER AND A MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

—This is a non-provisional application based on Provisional Application Serial No.

60/114,047, filed December 28, 1998, incorporated herein by reference.—

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to an article of apparel designed and adapted to be worn by a human in, on or under the water, and preferably to a wet suit, diving suit, dry suit, waders, shorts, shirts, vests, hoods, socks, etc., made of or comprising a polymeric material such as a gelatinous elastomer composition, and a manufacturing method thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Apparel worn by swimmers, divers, and outdoorsmen, e.g., wet suits, dry suits,

exposure suits, diving suits, vests, shorts, etc. generally provide the wearer with a layer of

protection against cold temperatures. Such apparel also, however, affects the overall buoyancy of the wearer. Importantly, commonly available diving apparel undergoes

significant changes in buoyancy with changes in depth/pressure, making it difficult for the wearer to maintain a depth other than specifically targeted for the appropriate weight belt.

That is, for example with classical neoprene wet suits and dry suits commercially available, less

and less weight is required as the diver descends more deeply into the water to maintain position, and the amount of excess weight on the diver can become significant when the diver

proceeds to a depth greater than originally anticipated. For example, there is a reduction of approximately 40% in the amount of weight required to remain neutrally buoyant at a depth of

33 feet as compared with the surface. At 66 feet of depth, the amount of ballast must be further reduced by approximately 30%. Accordingly, there is rarely a time when their weight belt, etc. provides them with neutral buoyancy. Instead, most divers expend excess energy and air to keep at the desired depth. Becoming incapacitated in a negatively buoyant state is

extremely dangerous, for obvious reasons. Rising too rapidly also can have serious

consequences, such as the bends.

Another problem with conventional exposure suits is that foam cells contained within

the insulating material collapse due to an increase in pressure as the diver descends. Thus, the

diver's buoyancy is further affected. Also, as the foam cells in the insulating material collapse, the insulating value of the suit decreases. Further, the foam cells eventually take a permanent compression set and the suit eventually loses much of its buoyancy and insulation value.

To solve the problem of a diver's buoyancy changing at different depths due to the collapse of foam cells, Jonnes et al (U.S. Patent No. 3,660,849) discloses a wet suit which includes an insulating layer formed from separated compartments or packets containing

microbubbles. The microbubbles are pressure resistant and are used to reduce the amount of

change in buoyancy.

However, a problem with the Jonnes et al invention is that the diver still experiences a

positive buoyancy effect due to the wet suit. That is, the Jonnes et al wet suit is not neutrally

buoyant. Thus, the diver is required to wear an excessive amount of weight to descend. As

discussed above, the weight required for the diver to descend changes at different depths.

To offset the effect caused by the weight belt, external air systems are used to increase or decrease the buoyancy of the diver. However, this increases the amount of equipment the diver must wear, and further adds to the overall weight of the diver, while using up the limited

air supply.

Another problem with the Jonnes et al invention is that it describes the use of block

copolymers including polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene and polystyrene-polybutadiene-

polystyrene. Such compositions have fairly low strength, can degrade with exposure to oxygen or ozone or UV light, are excessively tacky, tend to suffer from excessive "bleeding" (migration of oil to the surface or onto adjacent materials), and are rather difficult to process.

In addition, conventional diving suits are generally manufactured by forming several

patterns of an insulating material, such as a neoprene foam material and in the process mating a fabric layer onto the outside surfaces. The patterns are then bonded together, for example,

by sewing or passing a hot knife between patterns so as to fuse the patterns together. Joints

between packets are then covered with a flexible elastomeric tape, and then typically sewn.

A problem with this conventional manufacturing method is that the joints between bonded insulating packets tend to separate after continued use. Thus, the durability of the wet

suit is reduced.

Yet another problem with the conventional manufacturing method is that an excessive

amount of steps is required, thus reducing production efficiency.

Consequently, there is a need for providing a novel diving suit which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, one which is neutrally or near neutrally buoyant, one which is

durable and user-friendly, and one which can contain a built-in air bladder system. There is

also a need for a seamless diving suit and a manufacturing method thereof, such as a one piece

diving suit, which does not contain joints that easily separate. It is also desirable that such a suit not alter in buoyancy or insulating value at common depths, such as 120 ft. or less. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned

problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article of apparel designed to

be worn by a human above, in, on or under the water, referred to herein as a "diving suit" which is neutrally (or near neutrally) buoyant.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a diving suit having a built-in air bladder system; ideally one which allows a diver to alter attitude and depth.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a seamless diving suit or a diving suit with minimal seams.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cost efficient method of manufacturing a neutrally buoyant, or near neutral buoyant seamless diving suit having a built-in air bladder system (buoyancy control device, BCD). This BCD can be positioned

anywhere within the diving suit.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a diving suit including a

polymeric material. Also provided is a method of manufacturing the diving suit including the steps of placing a prefabricated male mold inside a prefabricated female mode, and injecting the polymeric material into a gap formed between the male mold placed inside the female mold . Alternately, polymeric material can be placed in the female mold before introduction of the

male mold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying

drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a male mold used to manufacture a diving suit

according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a female mold used to manufacture the diving suit according to the present invention;

Figure 3 A is a vertical cross-section illustrating one example of applying inner and

outer fabrics to the diving suit, as well as adjusting a size of the diving suit according to the present invention;

Figure 3B is a vertical cross-section illustrating another example of applying inner and outer fabrics to the diving suit, as well as adjusting the size of the diving suit according to the present invention. Also illustrated is a method producing skin-tight ankle and wrist portions, for example, of the diving suit; and

Figure 4 illustrates an integral air bladder system of the diving suit according to the

present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Throughout the description of the present invention the term "diving suit" will be used. However, it is to be understood that the present invention relates to any type of article of

apparel worn by swimmers and divers (e.g., wet suit, dry suit, etc.), fishermen (e.g., waders, overalls, socks, gloves, hoods, etc.), boaters, sailors, lifeguards, longshoremen, captains,

mates, etc.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 illustrates a male mold 2 which is to be inserted into a female mold 10 (shown in Figure 2) to manufacture a diving suit according to the present invention. The male mold 2 may be a sand cast or fabricated aluminum mold, and is machined to dimensions of the female mold 10 minus a desired wet suit thickness. That is, a gap corresponding to the desired wet suit thickness is formed between

the male mold 2 and female mold 10. Also illustrated is an arm portion 5 and a leg portion 7

of the male mold 2. A trimline 4, indicated by a dotted line, illustrates a portion of the diving

suit to be trimmed and accommodated with a zipper, for example. Also illustrated is an inner fabric 6 covering a portion of the male mold 2.

Figure 2 illustrates the female mold 10 used to produce the diving suit according to the present invention. The female mold 10 may be a sand cast or fabricated aluminum mold, similar in composition to the male mold 2. Preferably, the female mold 10 includes two portions 17 and 18 secured with rivets 19. The female mold 10 includes the two portions 17

and 18 to facilitate machining the female mold 10 to the desired thickness of the diving suit.

Also illustrated is an arm portion 13 and leg portion 15 corresponding to the arm portion 5

and leg portion 7 of the male mold 2, as well as an outer fabric 16 covering an inner surface of

the female mold 10.

Prior to inserting the male mold 2 into the female mold 10, the inner fabric 6 is pulled

over the male mold 2, and the outer fabric 16 is placed inside the female mold 10. The inner

fabric 6 and outer fabric 16 preferably include an elastomeric material which easily stretches. In addition, it should be noted that the diving suit may be manufactured without the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 or with only one of the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16.

Then, the male mold 2 having the inner fabric 6 on an outer surface thereof is inserted

into the female mold 10 having the outer fabric 16 on an inner surface thereof. Thus, a gap 30

(as shown in Figures 3 A and 3B) is formed between the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16.

A polymeric material may then be injected into the gap 30 to form a seamless diving suit. In

another embodiment the polymeric material can be added to the female mold and the male mold can be inserted.

Turning now to Figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A illustrates one example of applying the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 to the diving suit, as well as lengthening an arm portion

5, 13 and/or leg portion 7, 15 of the diving suit.

To apply the inner fabric 6, an inner fabric molding 22 is disposed within the arm

portion 5 and/or leg portion 7 of the male mold 2, thus securing the inner fabric 6 to an outer

surface of the male mold 2. To apply the outer fabric 16, an outer fabric molding 24 is

disposed within the arm portion 13 and/or leg portion 15 of the female mold 12, thus securing the outer fabric 16 to an inner surface of the female mold 12. Therefore, using the inner fabric molding 22 and the outer fabric molding 24, the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 are

secured, and form the gap 30. In addition, the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 are preferably applied prior to injecting the polymeric material. However, the inner fabric 6 and

the outer fabric 16 may be applied to the diving suit after the molding process is completed

(i.e. by glueing or sewing the fabrics to the molded polymeric material).

To lengthen the arm portion 5, 13 and/or leg portion 7, 15 of the diving suit, a length

adjuster 20 may be inserted in the female mold 10. A thickness of the inner fabric molding 22 and the outer fabric molding 24 may also be used to adjust the arm portion 5, 13 and/or leg

portion 7, 15 of the diving suit.

Figure 3B illustrates another example of applying the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16, as well as shortening a length of the arm portion 5, 13 and/or leg portion 7, 15 of the diving suit according to the present invention. Also illustrated is one example of forming skin

tight wrist and ankle portions, for example, of the diving suit (i.e., forming a dry suit).

The inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 in Figure 3B are applied to the diving suit in

a similar manner to that shown in Figure 3 A. That is, the inner fabric molding 22 is disposed

within the arm portion 5 and/or leg portion 7 of the male mold 2, thus securing the inner fabric 6 to the male mold 2. To apply the outer fabric 16, an alternative outer fabric molding 32

(which is thicker than the outer fabric molding 24 shown in Figure 3 A) is also disposed within the arm portion 13 and/or leg portion 15 of the female mold 12. Because the alternative outer fabric molding 32 is thicker than the outer fabric molding 24, the length adjuster 20 does not

need to be included. This results in shortening a length of the arm portion 5, 13 and/or leg

portion 7, 15 of the diving suit.

Thus, using the appropriate combination and placement of the inner fabric molding 22, outer fabric molding 24, alternative outer fabric molding 32, limb adjuster 20, etc., the inner

fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 can be applied to the diving suit. Further, a length of the arm

portion 5, 13 and/or leg portion 7, 15 is easily adjusted.

Figure 3B also illustrates one example of producing skin-tight ankle and wrist portions of the diving suit. That is, the diving suit is sealed at the wrist and ankle portions, and thus a dry suit is produced. A neck portion, waist portion, etc. of the diving suit may also be sealed in a similar manner. This is accomplished by providing a thickened area. See e.g., area 34 in Figure 3B. Therefore, after the polymeric material is injected, the diving suit will seal tightly against the diver's skin at the wrist and ankle portions. The polymeric materials useful herein

mimic the skin and provide an effective water barrier.

As discussed above, Figures 3 A and 3B illustrate a method of adjusting a length of the arm portions 5, 13 and/or leg portions 7, 15 of the diving suit. However, a chest portion, neck portion, waist portion, etc. (not shown) may also be adjusted using a similar method. Further, the size and shape of the components (e.g., inner fabric molding 22, etc.) are not limited to that shown in Figures 3A and 3B. In addition, the components used to apply the inner fabric 6

and the outer fabric 16 and to change the size of the diving suit should have dimensions

(weight, thickness, etc.) set to achieve the desired result. An important feature of the

invention is that the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 are easily applied, and that the size of the diving suit may be adjusted using the prefabricate male mold 2 and female mold 10. That is, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to use different molds to manufacture different sizes of diving suits. In addition, the inner and outer fabrics may be applied only at predetermined areas of the wet suit. Thus, a stretch seam may be formed at predetermined locations on the wet suit. In more detail, the Polymeric material according to the present invention is extremely elastic

and may stretch up to 2500% of its original shape. The inner and outer fabrics tend to reduce

the stretchable feature of Polymeric. Therefore, by allowing certain locations of the wet suit

to include inner and outer fabrics and other certain areas to not have inner and outer fabrics,

stretch seams may be formed at the locations where the inner and outer fabrics do not exist.

For example, a neck portion of the diving suit may be configured to not have an inner or outer fabric. Thus, this neck portion will be extremely elastic and function as one size that "fits all." Obviously, other portions of the diving suit may be configured to not have inner and outer fabric, such as the waist area of the diving suit. In addition, only one fabric (i.e., the inner or outer fabric) may be applied to certain areas of the wet suit.

Figure 4 shows a built-in air bladder system 40 according to the present invention.

The air bladder system 40 includes a valve 46 to regulate an ingress/egress of air to an airtight

bladder member 56. The valve 46 may be threadedly engaged or glued, for example, into the diving suit after the molding process. The airtight bladder member 56 includes a bladder fabric 48 glued or sewn, for example, to the inner fabric 6 or outer fabric.

Further, fitting members 52 and 53 are disposed between the inner fabric 6 and outer fabric 16. The fitting members 52 and 53 may be sewn or glued, for example, to the inner

fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 prior to injecting the Polymeric material. As shown, an entry point 54 is formed in the diving suit between the fitting members 52 and 53 and is configured to receive the bladder valve 46.

A description of the bladder valve 46 used to regulate the ingress/egress of air to the

airtight bladder member 56 will now be given. However, it is to be understood that other types of valves may be used in the diving suit according to the present invention.

The bladder valve 46 includes an inlet 42, an outlet 44 and an extending member 55. The inlet 42 receives air from an external air source to fill the airtight bladder member 56. Then, the airtight bladder member 56 would bulge the diving suit outwards and a buoyancy of

the diver would increase. The extending member 55 of the bladder value 46 may contain

threads so that the bladder valve 46 may be threadedly engaged into the diving suit.

Alternatively, the extending member 55 may be glued into the diving suit. Air is released from

the airtight bladder member 56 through the outlet 44 by pressing a release knob 50. The release knob 50 includes a first member 47, a spring 48 and a second member 49, as shown in Figure 4. When the release knob 50 is in a non-activated state, air is maintained within the airtight bladder member 56.

The air bladder system 40 is an integral part of the diving suit according to the present

invention. Thus, the diver is not required to carry excess equipment. However, the diving suit

according to the present invention may be manufactured without the air bladder system 40.

Further, the air bladder system may be positioned at any desired portion of the diving suit. Preferably, the air bladder system is positioned at a side portion of the diver between the

armpit and hip. Also, multiple airtight members may be used. For example, an airtight bladder member may be placed on both sides of the diver between the armpit and hip. Both airtight

bladder members may be activated by a single valve, or each airtight bladder member may have its own valve. The bladder valve placement generally is restricted to placement of the airtight member. However, the valve may be a hand held mechanism connected to the airtight bladder member via appropriate tubing.

When the appropriate components (e.g., fabric moldings, length adjuster, etc.) are set

in their desired positions and the male mold is inserted, the Polymeric material may be injected

to form the diving suit. After the Polymeric material has cooled, the female mold is released

from the male mold 2, or vice versa. Thus, the diving suit having the inner fabric 6 and the outer fabric 16 is produced. Then, excess material may be trimmed from the diving suit. That is, the diving suit may be trimmed along the trimline 4 to accommodate a zipper, for example.

The polymeric material used in making the present invention diving suit can be any

useful polymeric material known in the art. The polymeric material preferably is not foamed

and preferably contains no microbubbles, hollow glass spheres, etc., and preferably is not a solid/polymer composite material in which the solid and polymer have different densities,

buoyancies, etc. Rather, the polymeric material used herein is preferably a single polymeric composition which, itself, may comprise one or more polymers and one or more solvents, additives, etc. Preferably, the polymeric material is homogeneous at room temperature. The polymeric materials useful herein include polyesters, polyethers, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyurethanes, silicones, rubbers (natural and synthetic), etc. The polymers

described in U.S. 5,830,237 and U.S. 5,603,122 (both incorporated herein by reference), are useful herein. Particularly useful are those gels described in these two patents having the

described Shore A durometer characteristic and/or a Shore 00 durometer of from 1-100.

A particularly preferred class of polymeric materials useful herein are polymeric gels formed of block copolymers and extending oils such as mineral oil, paraffin oil, etc. Such

block copolymers include diblock, triblock, etc. copolymers and specifically include SEP, SEBS, SIS, SEEPS, SEPS, etc. Useful polymers and gels are also described in the following U.S. patents, all incorporated herein by reference: U.S. 5,710,206, 5,655,947, 5,624,294, 5,633,286, 5,475,890. 5,508,334, 5,336,708, 5,334,646, 5,324,222, 5,262,468, 5,239,723,

5,153,254, 5,760,117, 4,618,213, 4,369,284, 5,441,560, 4,680,233, 4,942,270, 5, 177,143,

4,716,183, 4,852,646, 5,149,736, 5,104,930, 5,442,004, 5,541,250, 5,618,882, and

5,313,019. Preferably, the gel comprises SEBS and oil. Examples of SEBS are S8004,

S8006, and S8007 (all manufactured by Kuraray Co.). More preferably, the gel includes

SEPS and oil. Examples of SEPS are S2002, S2005, S2006, S2007, S2043, S2063 and S2104

(all manufactured by Kuraray Co.). Most preferably, the gel includes SEEPS and oil. Examples of SEEPS are S4033, S4044, S4055, S4077, and S4099 (all manufactured by Kuraray Co.) The gel may include any combination of SEBS, SEPS, and SEEPS. All of these compositions can be made to be stronger, more stable, less tacky, exhibit better oil

retention, and/or easier processing than the compositions described in the Jonnes patent. In

addition, the gel and/or fabric can include a thermal-regulating additive for absorbing and/or

releasing heat. An example of a thermal-regulating additive is microcapsules filled with phase change material (e.g., paraffinic hydrocarbons) or plastic crystals with appropriate thermal storage properties, such as one sold under the trademark THERMASORB from Frisby Technologies. Such thermal-regulating additives can cool the body when it is hot and heat the body when it is cold.

In addition to the manufacturing methods described above, the present invention diving suit can also be manufactured by sewing together flat sheets of polymeric material or by gluing

such flat sheets together. In addition, the polymeric material in sheet or piece form can be

joined to manufacture the invention diving suit by the traditional hot knife method, or a

combination of these methods.

In a preferred embodiment the polymeric material of the invention is coated on one or both sides thereof with fabric, such as spandex, nylon, etc. It is preferred that the fabric is a stretch fabric so that an intimate fit can be achieved with standard sized suits. Fabrics described in U.S. patents 5,830,237 and 5,603,122 are useful herein, and both of these patents

are incorporated by reference. Preferred fabrics have a weave, etc. that does not allow, or

minimizes bleed-through of the polymeric material during manufacture. Also preferred fabrics

have good bond strength with the gel and have good abrasion resistance. One example of a

fabric which has appropriate stretch, bleed-through, bond strength, and abrasion resistance is

"fiber-on-end fabrics" (bulkable yarns with non-woven sheet substrates), such as one sold under the trademark WEARFORCE from Xymid, LLC. Such coating can be accomplished by lining the molds described in the Figures with fabric prior to addition of polymeric material, or by pouring polymeric material on fabric and then assembling the invention diving suit, for

example. The polymeric material is preferably liquid (pourable) due to temperature, state of crosslinking etc. In addition, the invention suit can be assembled from the "flat sheet"

manufactured and sold by the Ohio Willow Wood Company.

Polymer or metal coatings can be used to improve properties of apparel related to

insulation, fπction, cleanability, bonding, suspension, water resistance, wear, etc. Examples of these coatings includes ones sold under the trademarks SUPER COMPOSITE SKIN and TITANIUM ALPHA provided by Yamamoto Corporation and PMC from Smooth-On. Gloves, boots, waders, etc. that are made from the invention material can have a non-slip material incorporated on any surface that may benefit from additional friction. For example, gum rubber could be directly incorporated into the bottom surface of boots to improve traction. The invention diving suit preferably provides a human wearer with comfort and fit,

and is neutrally buoyant or near neutrally buoyant. The neutral buoyancy of a material

according to the invention can be determined by immersing the material in water and

determining its rise or fall. In the most preferred embodiment herein the invention diving suit

is neutrally buoyant or near neutrally buoyant at the surface, at a depth of 33 feet, and at a

depth of 66 feet. Neutral buoyancy occurs when the weight of the diving suit equals the weight of an equal volume (to the suit) of water. Near neutral buoyancy is within 30, 25, 20,

15, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or less than 1% of this weight, including all numbers and ranges between

these numbers. Another preferred buoyancy for the invention diving suit is that which is equal

to human buoyancy. In another preferred embodiment, the present invention diving suit has a particular density (weight/area) that provides neutral or near neutral buoyancy. This density may range from 1-48 oz. per 9 square inches of diving suit material, including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 oz. including all numbers between these numbers, all subranges between these numbers, and all ranges between these ranges. It is within the skill of the ordinary artisan to determine the proper weight, density, etc. of the

diving suit material to provide human, neutral or near neutral buoyancy in view of the present

disclosure.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the diving suit includes

specially molded contour features. For example, the diving suit may be molded to include a compartment that lies between the fabric layers of the diving suit and which is configured to form fit around, for instance, a diving computer, covering all but the readout display while encasing and protecting the computer. Similar contour features may accommodate an air tank

attachment and stabilize the air tank directly into the diving suit. Likewise, the diving suit may

be molded to include appropriate diving clips and D-rings, and a compartment to hold a knife,

etc. For example, a contoured ring (i.e., molded ring) with built in snap fasteners on a wrist

portion of the diving suit may be included in the diving suit to allow a standardized dive

computer to be attached to the diving suit. The diving suit of the present invention may also

be molded to be thicker on a side corresponding with an appropriate fabric stretch direction to

achieve limited water ingress at apertures of the diving suit.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an article of apparel, comprising the steps of: placing a prefabricated male mold inside a prefabricated female mode; and injecting a polymeric material into a gap formed between said male mold placed inside said female mold, or inserting the male mold into the female mold in the presence of polymeric material in liquid form.

2. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming an outer fabric on an inner surface of said prefabricated female mold.

3. The method according to Claim 2, wherein said step of forming the outer fabric secures the outer fabric to said inner surface of the female mold using an outer fabric molding placed inside the female moid.

4. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming an inner fabric on an outer surface of said prefabricated male mold.

5. The method according to Claim 4, wherein said step of forming the inner fabric secures the inner fabric to said outer layer of the male mold using an inner fabric molding placed outside the male mold.

6. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: adjusting a size of the article of apparel prior to said step of injecting.

7. The method according to Claim 6, wherein said step of adjusting lengthens a limb portion of the article of apparel.

8. The method according to Claim 6, wherein said step of adjusting shortens a limb portion of the article of apparel.

9. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming at least one of an ankle and wrist portion of the article of apparel to be skin tight.

10. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: trimming excess portions of the article of apparel after said step of injecting.

11. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: applying a zipper to the article of apparel after said step of injecting.

12. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming an air bladder in the article of apparel suit prior to said step of injecting.

13. The method according to Claim 12, wherein said step of forming the air bladder further comprises the steps of: placing bladder molds at a predetermined location in said gap formed between the male mold placed inside the female mold, said bladder molds being spaced apart from each other so as to receive a bladder valve; and forming an airtight bladder member on at least one of an inner and outer surface of the article of apparel, said airtight bladder member configured to receive air via said bladder valve.

14. The method according to Claim 13, wherein the airtight bladder member is made of at least one of 1) the polymeric material, and 2) fabric.

15. The method according to Claim 2, wherein the outer fabric comprises a fabric material that precludes or minimizes bleed-through of the polymeric material.

16. The method according to Claim 4, wherein the inner fabric comprises a fabric material that precludes or minimizes bleed-through of the polymeric material.

17. The method according to Claim 1, wherein said step of injecting injects polymeric material comprising a material selected from the group of block copolymer gels.

18. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the polymeric material includes at least one of SEBS, SEPS, and SEEPS.

19. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming fabric on one or both sides of the polymeric material.

20. The method according to Claim 19, wherein the fabric is bulkable yarns with non- woven sheet substrates.

21. The method according to Claim 19, further comprising the step of: forming polymer or metal coatings on a surface of the fabric.

22. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the polymeric material includes a thermal-regulating additive.

23. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the prefabricated mold includes at least one molded contour feature configured to receive an external device.

24. The method according to Claim 23, wherein the external device includes at least one of a diving computer, an air tank, and a diving knife.

25. The method according to Claim 23, wherein the molded contour feature comprises a ring shape.

26. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming stretch seams at predetermined locations on the article of apparel.

27. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the article of apparel comprises a diving suit.

28. An article of apparel for outdoor activities comprising a first material selected from the group consisting of SEBS, SEPS and SEEPS.

29. The apparel according to Claim 28, further comprising: a second material of fabric on at least one side of the apparel.

30. The apparel according to Claim 29, wherein the fabric is bulkable yarns with non- woven sheet substrates.

31. The apparel according to Claim 29, wherein the fabric comprises at least one of 1) a polymer coating and 2) a metal coating.

32. The apparel according to Claim 28, further comprising a thermal-regulating additive.

33. An article of apparel, comprising: a pre-molded polymeric material formed by injecting the polymeric material into a gap formed between a male mold placed inside a female mold.

34. The apparel according to Claim 33, further comprising: fabric on at least one side of the apparel.

35. The apparel according to Claim 33, wherein at least one of an ankle and wrist portion of the article of apparel is skin tight.

36. The apparel according to Claim 33, further comprising a built-in airtight bladder.

37. The apparel according to Claim 36, wherein the airtight bladder member includes at least one of 1) the polymeric material, and 2) fabric.

38. The apparel according to Claim 34, wherein the fabric comprises a fabric material that precludes or minimizes bleed-through of the polymeric material.

39. The apparel according to Claim 33, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group of block copolymer gels.

40. The apparel according to Claim 33, wherein the polymeric material includes at least one of SEBS, SEPS, and SEEPS.

41. The apparel according to Claim 34, wherein the fabric is bulkable yams with non- woven sheet substrates.

42. The apparel according to Claim 34, further comprising: polymer or metal coatings on a surface of the fabric.

43. The apparel according to Claim 33, wherein the polymeric material includes a thermal-regulating additive.

44. The apparel according to Claim 33, further comprising at least one pre-molded contour feature configured to receive an external device.

45. The apparel according to Claim 44, wherein the external device includes at least one of a diving computer, an air tank, and a diving knife.

46. The apparel according to Claim 44, wherein the pre-molded contour feature comprises a ring shape.

47. The apparel according to Claim 33, further comprising: stretch seams at predetermined locations on the article of apparel.

48. The apparel according to Claim 33, wherein the article of apparel comprises a diving suit.