The makers of the historical Skooba Totes suit, on which the Hydroglove is based, offered as an optional extra a hard rail and stretchy ring instead of a soft rubber waist band when sealing the pants and shirt. There is a precedent, however, for a waist seal band in the form of the Siebe-Heinke Dip Suit, Britain's response in the early 1960s to the American Skooba Totes suit, which came with a high-visibility yellow waist-seal "cummerbund" as standard. I have to say that I much prefer the Hydroglove idea of a soft rubber waist seal band to the Skooba Totes notion of a hard seal and ring!

The Hydroglove waist seal band is a very worthy addition to the Hydroglove two-piece suit. It is thoughtfully produced in a choice of three sizes to accommodate most waistlines. I wear it as a "cummerbund" to cover and protect the rolled seal between the pants and the shirt, but I could also roll it into the excess material at the top of the pants and the bottom of the shirt to make the waist seal more secure.

As with the suit itself, care should be taken when donning and doffing the waist seal band. It should be stretched with the back of the hand, not the fingertips, when pulling it over the feet, up the legs and into position at the waist. The operation should never be hurried and the material should always be kept away from sharp fingernails. The band can be dried after use by exposing the outside then the inside to fresh air for a short period of time.