Kategorie: News
A new approach to thermal protection
You are what you eat, they say. Does the same apply to diving: you are what you wear? Izabella Meyer would sign that immediately. When she started diving in 2007, she was fascinated from the very first moment by this magical world underwater. One thing, however, bothers her so much from the start that she rethinks the story of warming protection.
Report by Sibylle Gerlinger
Neoprene is simply disgusting to her. She considers the smell and the lack of hygiene to be "unbearable" in the truest sense of the word. When she looked into the environmental properties of the material and its production, Izabella decided: "There has to be another way". More hygienic, easier to put on and clean, more beautiful, more colourful, more feminine and above all one thing: more environmentally friendly !
Neither the production of neoprene, nor the wearing of it or its subsequent disposal can be considered ecologically harmless. Chloroprene rubber, colloquially known as neoprene, is extracted from petroleum in elaborate processes. The commercially available black colour of neoprene is produced by using "carbon black". The so-called "industrial carbon black" is produced by burning crude oil and strengthens the rubber and improves its UV resistance. Eco-neoprene", which has been on the market for several years, is produced on the basis of limestone. In both processes, a lot of chemicals and above all a lot of water are used until the desired soft, rubber-like foam quality is achieved. Solvents and adhesives can also cause allergic reactions. When worn and washed, the abrasion of microplastics and thus a run-off into the sea and groundwater can hardly be avoided, and in the end, of course, the entire material is not biodegradable.
"The smell of the worn diving suits on the diving boats made me nauseous", Izabella tells "I found the material and the urine smell so disgusting that I looked for alternatives together with a textile engineer".
A new approach to traditional neoprene suits
Her first trade fair appearance with Mermaid Protector in 2017 during the Interdive in Friedrichshafen polarised people. Models strolled through the halls in unusual overalls that did not correspond at all to the usual look of diving suits. The unusually loose fit of the clothing, with knitted cuffs on the arms and legs and printed with colourful motifs from the underwater world, is more reminiscent of futuristic astronaut clothing. It is the antithesis of the mostly black and tight-fitting neoprene suits that have been around for decades. But many divers are enthusiastic.
Of course, there are also setbacks and infantile diseases at the beginning. Material, fit, seams and zips have to be changed until they meet Izabella Meyer's quality standards. Those who get to know the small woman with the long blond hair and the soft voice soon realise that there is a firm will in her delicate figure. She is not discouraged and she has a vision. And meanwhile, her initially female fan base is growing.
The Mermaid Protector suits are made entirely of recycled polyester, and technical fabrics from other outdoor sports have been adapted and adopted. The suits are easy to put on and take off, are machine-washable, colourful and have a high-quality finish. In short: they are practical, comfortable and sexy!
Of course, no machine-made garment is ever completely sustainable. Nevertheless, the ecological footprint from production to use to disposal should be as small as possible. Of course, the suits are shipped plastic-free!
Birthday Party in the Maldives
The team will celebrate the sixth birthday of the Mermaid Protector brand with friends and companions during a diving safari on the M.S. Moonima through the Maldivian islands. The right partner for this is Alexander Rausch's EcoPro Divers, who tries to make the trips with his safari ships as environmentally friendly as possible.
The programme includes the most beautiful sites of the Central Atoll. The first dive takes place close to the harbour and is already a real challenge. Nerumathi in the North Male Atoll can easily compete with the experiences in Fuvahmulah. Like there, sharks are fed. You may not like it because it changes the behaviour of the animals. But it does give divers encounters with large sharks. Tiger sharks, grey reef sharks and even a great hammerhead shark majestically patrol past the divers here.
Hurahu Kandu in the southern Vaavu Atoll is probably one of the most beautifully vegetated sites in the entire country. The steep walls of the dive site with its overhangs, small caves and openings are densely covered with magnificent, predominantly golden-yellow soft corals.
Kudarah Thila is one of the most unusual dive sites in the Ari Atoll. Thilas are rather rounded reefs whose roof does not reach the surface. Kudahrah has almost a playground character, because there is something different to see at every corner of the clearly arranged reef. Grey reef sharks are often seen at the outer edge of the current, while a little above, huge shoals of blue-striped snappers cover the reef blocks in a bright yellow robe. Overhangs with large red fan corals provide shelter for bigeye perch and midnight snapper.
Then, in Fesdhoo Lagoon in North Ari Atoll, after another exciting day of diving, the large headlamps are attached to the ladder of the Moonima and switched on. The group waits for manta rays, which appear here regularly to gorge themselves on plankton in the light of the lamps. When several of the rays start doing their capers at the stern, the divers can no longer be held back. As previously discussed in the briefing, the diving group spreads out in a semicircle on the shallow sandy bottom with lamps to attract plankton with further light sources. The mantas can be observed in this way. A unique diving experience, with which the mood on board reaches its peak.
Before heading back towards North Male Atoll, there is more news to celebrate. The first men's collection is tested by the divers on board. The tropical suits in copper, blue and grey bear the name Oceanos, named after Greek mythology. In addition, in future it will be possible to measure made-to-measure suits with the help of a mobile phone app.
A final highlight is a late afternoon dive at Fishtank in North Male Atoll. The spot is a regular favourite and is known as Fish Factory or Stingray City. Below a fish processing plant, countless different species of rays and moray eels cavort, regularly waiting for the factory's waste. As soon as the remains of the fish carcasses land in the water, black-spotted marble and sand rays swoop in from the twilight and greedily pounce on the delicacies on offer. The animals are in a feeding frenzy and divers just have to be careful not to get swum over. You won't find any corals here, but almost all the niches and caves in the rubble are densely populated by various moray eels. Reticulated moray eels, leopard moray eels and small white moray eels share the living quarters and live in seemingly peaceful coexistence. What a spectacle and a fitting end to a truly eventful trip!
Mermaid Protector / Oceanos fact sheet:
- Neoprene-free
- Made from 100% recycled polyester, with water-repellent top layer, breathable membrane, soft inner fleece, skin-friendly
- Recyclable again
- Made to measure (partially)
- Multifunctional, practical and can be combined with each other
Available in the shop
- Bodyskins (thermal performance class D, equivalent to 1 mm neoprene), from € 155.00
- Fishskins, (equivalent to 3 mm neoprene) from € 79.90, or € 483.00 made to measure
- Heatskins (therm. performance class C, corresponds to 5 mm neoprene), from € 557,90
- Oceanos (new men's line with logo water god)
- Rushguards, from € 25,90
- Various accessories
2 years warranty
Plastic-free shipping
More Information:
https://mermaid-protector.com
Travel info: Maldives
Arrival
Flights from Zurich, Frankfurt or Munich e.g. with Swiss, Edelweiss, Lufthansa, Qatar or Iberia to Male. From there guests are picked up for the short transfer to the ship.
Diving
Dive either on the inner reefs, the fringing reefs or the mostly current-rich channels between the islands.
The Maldives is a year-round destination, with a distinction made between the monsoon seasons. From November to April is the drier period of the north-east monsoon. May to October is the south-west monsoon, which brings more rain.
Time
In summer +3 / in winter +4 hrs.
The boat
The cosy EcoPro Moonima was built in 2002 in traditional Maldivian style and from high quality tropical woods. She is 30 metres long, 10 metres wide and has a total of 10 cabins with en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning.
Daily 3 dives are offered, which take place from the separate, spacious dive dhoni. All equipment stays there and tanks are also filled here. Nitrox is available at an extra charge.
Meals are taken on the covered outdoor area at the stern of the ship whenever possible and are lovingly and deliciously prepared. Coffee from an Italian espresso machine is available at the bar for an additional charge, as are beer and cocktails and mocktails as “deco sips”.
More information:
www.ecoprodivers.com
EcoPro Moonima on Taucher.Net