wearing a 60s wetsuit

made by Lillywhites of Picadilly from the mid 60s. The collar predates echo beach by a few years !

the cheesy catalogue pose

the flapper

Gul suit, late 60s

Isle of Wight surfers Colin Burgess, John Ainsworth and Roger Backhouse got their suits mail order from Lillywhites

I recently picked up this 60s Lillywhites of Picadilly beavertail wetsuit and decided I had to try it on before it goes to the Surfing Museum. Above and beyond the call of duty mabye but it was acually more comfortable than I thought it would be. There were a few wierd things like you squeak when you walk and its not exactly elasto. Didn't want to pick anything off the floor or I thought the arse might go !But it was bloody hot , must have been a revolution to the surfers who beforehand had been wearing wooly jumpers in the water to keep warm ! The Lillywhites suits were actually for scuba diving but they did the job for surfers and could be bought mail order. The first Gul suits were based on suits like this.