Paul Boyton - Born Ireland 1848 developed the first immersion suit as we know it. Gain a glimpse into Paul's life and the challenges he faced to bring his ideas to fruition

In 1875 Boyton crossed the English Channel in the first survival suit Read Here http://t.co/p4KzwWjnIK #OE15 #InnovateAtSea #RespectTheWater — Deviate Aspire (@DeviateAspire) September 1, 2015

Paul Boyton was born in Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland in 1848. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a child, Paul enjoyed water sports. His home was within one block of the Allegheny River. From early May until late in October, when he wasn’t at school, Paul would spent most of his time in the water. This was not to his mother’s approval as she feared that the young Paul would drowned.

After a childhood of love for water sports, Paul went on to pursue a career in the water. In 1873, Paul Boyton became captain of the lifesaving service in Atlantic City, an Organization he founded. It was during this time that he began experimenting with lifesaving equipment, in particular the rubber suit. The rubber suit would later become known as the “Boyton Suit” and it was designed by C.S. Meriman. The suit consisted of a pair of pantaloons with five tubes which could be inflated at will. The suit was easy to put on and was able to sustain the wearer in the water indefinitely while keeping the wearer perfectly dry. Wearing the suit, Boyton could float on his back and propel himself with a paddle or a small sail attached to his foot.

Impressed by the suit, Boyton gave demonstrations on the suit in New York Harbour, hoping to make his fortune. Boyton quickly realised that he needed a dramatic event to prove the effectiveness of the suit. So, on a trip from New York to England he attempted to jump off the boat 200 miles from harbour to demonstrate the effectiveness of the suit. The ship captain, fearing the bad publicity of a suicide, had him locked in a cabin for the duration of the journey. After convincing the captain he was not suicidal, the captain allowed him to demonstrate the suit 7 miles from Cork Harbour. His arrival at Cork was met with wild excitement. Although he didn’t manage to sell the suits, he did manage to make money lecturing about the suit.

English Channel Swim

His first attempt at crossing the Channel was unsuccessful. He stopped short of France. This made the public more eager and attracted attention from England and America. The second attempt in 1875 was successful. Although hypothermia and drowning are an immediate fear when in rough cold waters, it is probably this experience Boyton will remember most:

“About an hour before I got on land, I heard a tremendous blowing behind me. It startled me for the moment, for I guessed it was a shark. I instantly drew out my knife, but while I was in the act of doing this, a second snort came closer to my head. I out with my knife and instantly threw myself into a standing position, ready to strike if I had been attacked; but simultaneously with this movement of mine a tremendous black thing leaped completely over me and darted away like lightning. It was a porpoise.”

After completion, He was greeted with a 21 gun salute. Boyton also received congratulatory telegraphs from Queen Victoria and President Grant.

Conclusion

The Boyton Suit was effective in its task. It has been described as the first immersion suit. It is believed that he swam over 25,000 miles in it. Boyton’s love for water, desire for adventure and love for technology was crucial for this product. He brought international attention to his product and in doing so, he brought international attention to the immersion suit. The immersion suit has changed a lot since Boyton but it sticks to the core principles of the Boyton Suit: It keeps the user dry and mitigates against hypothermia.

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