Shoutout to the museum in Seattle that had a 1905 diving suit on display

I was there on a rainy day off and read the little info card. It said the suit weighed over 200 pounds out of the water, and the diver inside had to be winched down because he couldn't walk in it. I always thought those old suits were heavy, but that's like wearing a fridge. Has anyone else seen a piece of gear that made you really appreciate modern kit?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ray1mo ago

Yeah that's wild. Saw an old fireman's helmet once, just solid brass. Must have been like wearing a pot on your head.

lily_sullivan821mo ago

Honestly that diving suit weight is nuts. Tbh I saw an old military backpack once, the kind from like World War I. The thing was just solid leather and metal frames, no padding anywhere. It really makes you grateful for modern hiking packs with all their straps and lightweight foam. You could get a bad back just looking at the old kit.

nathanh447d agoMost Upvoted

Remember those old school football helmets with just a leather cap and maybe some felt inside? Makes you wonder how many concussions they just walked off back then. We take all this modern gear for granted but people used to work brutal jobs in that heavy junk all day. Sometimes I look at old factory equipment and it's a miracle anyone survived past forty. Really puts our lightweight problems into perspective.