The life story of twin brothers Bob and Bill Meistrell is an all-American rags-to-riches tale of building the Body Glove empire and creating the California lifestyle dedicated to the ocean. When they moved to Manhattan Beach as teenagers in the 1940's, Bob and Bill instantly took to the ocean, joining with the other pioneers of California surfing including the legendary Dale Velzy and Greg Noll to form the Manhattan Beach Surf Club. Cementing their commitment to the water and establishing their credentials as true watermen, Bob and Bill became L.A. County Lifeguards, then scuba divers, then vital participants in the first Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors Course (1UICC), joining the first group in the world to become certified scuba instructors. Bob and Bill borrowed $1,800 and became partners with Bev Morgan in 1953 to develop Dive N' Surf into southern California's premiere retail store dedicated to surfing and diving, while continuing to surf every day, lifeguard, and operate a commercial diving business. Bob and Bill went on to expand the business to offer full lines of surfing and diving equipment, classes and apparel at multiple locations and thereby create a southern California retail institution introducing untold numbers of people young and old to the ocean.
Bob and Bill found a new insulating material called Neoprene and invented the first practical wetsuit, opening the cold California waters to year-round enjoyment for surfers and divers. The suit "fit like a glove" and Body Glove was born.
During the 1980's, Body Glove was involved with professional surfing, including their sponsorship of the Body Glove Grand Prix, a mini-tour based in Southern California. The Meistrells had a futuristic vision of pro surfing in America and formed an important alliance with Anheuser Busch and Don Corsini. Together, they built the Budweiser Surf Tour which hosted pro surfing events all across the mainland U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
