When the Austin Police Department’s bomb squad needed to replace its dive team’s drysuits after a decade, the priority had to balance diver comfort and diver safety. After all, these divers are routinely carrying out crucial missions, including recoveries, evidence searches, and disaster response.
Following a competitive bidding process, Scuba.com was awarded the contract to supply the team with custom-fitted Fourth Element drysuits. According to a conversation with Lieutenant Elijah Myrick, this decision has already improved diver safety, comfort, and operational effectiveness.
A Unique Public Safety Dive Team
Unlike many agencies, Austin PD’s dive operations are handled by the department’s bomb squad. According to Myrick, the 12-member bomb squad also serves as the department’s full-time dive team, providing public safety diving services throughout Travis County and neighboring jurisdictions where the team responds to the following:
- Drowning recovery operations
- Evidence recovery missions
- Vehicle recoveries
- Environmental cleanup projects
- Flood response operations
- Mutual aid requests from surrounding agencies
“We’re on call 365 days a year,” Myrick explains. “Our bomb squad responds to 10 counties, and we also support that area for dive missions.”
Austin’s waterways, adds Myrick, present unique challenges. His team regularly works in Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, retention ponds, cattle ponds, and other environments where visibility is often extremely limited.
“This isn’t the beautiful Bahamas diving people think of,” Myrick points out. “It’s usually black water or close to blackwater diving.”
Time for New Drysuits
The team’s previous drysuits had been in service for roughly ten years, well beyond what Myrick considers ideal for heavily used public safety equipment.
Stored in black vehicles under the Texas sun and subjected to frequent operational use, many of the older suits had begun leaking and showing signs of wear.
Myrick recalls his drysuit leaking during certification, emphasizing this was more than discomfort; it was a safety risk due to buoyancy challenges.
Recognizing the importance of replacing the equipment with the best available option, the team researched professional-grade drysuits. Two manufacturers emerged at the top of the list for public safety and technical diving applications: Fourth Element and Diving Unlimited International (DUI).
Ultimately, Austin PD selected Fourth Element’s custom Argonaut drysuits supplied through Scuba.com Solutions.
Skeptical at First, Impressed in the End
One of the most unusual aspects of the project was the fitting process.
Rather than sending representatives to Austin for in-person measurements, Scuba.com Solutions used Fourth Element’s biometric mapping technology. This technology creates custom suit measurements from digital photographs and specific body reference points.
“I was skeptical at first,” Myrick admits, questioning the effectiveness of virtual fittings.
The process, though, was quite thorough and involved photographing officers standing against a plumb line (a weight-hung string used to check vertical alignment), while standing on a specialized footplate that positions the feet consistently for accurate measurements. Those images were then analyzed using Fourth Element’s biometric fitting software, which converts the photographs into precise suit measurements.
Despite the team’s wide range of body types, from smaller officers to members over 6-foot-5, the results exceeded expectations.
“Everyone’s suit fits perfectly,” Myrick says. “We had no returns or issues.”
The Value of a Custom Fit
For public safety divers, a poorly fitting drysuit is a significant safety concern, not just a source of discomfort.
Myrick explains that extra air trapped inside an oversized suit creates buoyancy management challenges, making it harder for divers to control their position underwater and distracting them from mission-critical tasks.
“A poorly fitted drysuit is actually really dangerous,” he explains. “The custom fit allows divers to concentrate on underwater navigation, search patterns, evidence recovery, and diver safety rather than constantly adjusting equipment. “It’s one of those things where now that we have them, I don’t think we’ll ever go back. It’s a safety issue.”
Customer Service That Stands Out
Beyond purchasing the drysuits, Myrick credits Scuba.com Solutions’ responsiveness and communication as key factors in the project’s success. He praised the team, saying our customer service exceeded expectations. “Communication was exceptional. Questions and emails received immediate responses, which really stood out compared to many other vendors.”
Though skeptical at first because the company was out of state, his confidence grew quickly due to the team’s professionalism, responsiveness, and problem-solving. “You and your team made the process smooth and successful,” he told me. “You found solutions to unique challenges, including fitting officers of very different sizes. Every suit fits perfectly. The virtual fitting process was surprisingly easy and effective. The experience was so positive that I now recommend Scuba.com Solutions and would gladly work with you again.”
In public sector procurement, Myrick says communication delays are common. This experience was the exception.
“From bid award to fittings and final delivery, everything was completed in three to four months, including custom manufacturing time from Fourth Element in the UK.”
Looking Ahead: Technology and Diver Safety
As public safety diving continues to evolve, Myrick is especially interested in new technologies that improve situational awareness, or a diver’s ability to understand their underwater environment, and diver safety.
Among the innovations catching his attention are advanced dive computers. These are electronic devices that track a diver’s depth, the time they have spent underwater, and their location, then transmit that information to surface supervisors.
In Austin’s notoriously low-visibility waterways, those capabilities could be transformative.
“Sometimes we’re inches apart and can’t see each other,” Myrick said. “Tracking divers underwater would boost safety.”
What Matters Most: Safety and Security
For agencies like the Austin PD, equipment decisions have long-term consequences. Procurement cycles can stretch for years, making it critical to invest in gear that will perform reliably for the long haul.
For Myrick and his team, the new custom drysuits have already proven their value.
“The process was easier than expected,” he says. “No complaints so far.”
As Austin’s dive team continues responding to recoveries, searches, flood operations, and public safety missions throughout Central Texas, they’ll be doing so with equipment designed specifically for the demands of the job and built to help them focus on what matters most: bringing people home and serving their community safely.
