Jean-Michel Cousteau/Body Glove Dive Photoshoot

Just got back from a day and a half photoshoot in Catalina with 2 legends in the Dive Industry.  At age 86 and still diving Co-Founder of Body Glove, Bob Meistrell and Jean Michel Cousteau who is the son of legendary Jacques Cousteau.  I came over on the Body Glove boat and we met up with Jean Michel who was hosting a family dive camp on Catalina Island.  We were there for a product shoot with new co-op wetsuits and other products between Body Glove and JMC.  Never had to sleep on a boat before and that took sometime to get used to while trying to sleep. Thank god the boat ride back home was a lot smoother than the way to Catalina. Only one person was over the side throwing up his breakfast!

Co Founder of Body Glove and still diving at age 86, Bob Meistrell.

Son of the other co founder of Body Glove, Billy Meistrell.

Jean Michel's Field Producer and Coordinator, Holly Lohuis

Jean Michel Cousteau

Jean-Michel Cousteau

I drove down to Santa Barbara with my co workers and employer a couple of days ago to go see Jean-Michel Cousteau.  Jean-Michel is the son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau.  We went down there because they are going to do a cross branding of Body Glove and the Cousteau name.  So I had to go get some publicity photos of the two legends themselves.  Bob Meistrell, owner and co founder of Body Glove.  Bob is a legend in the Dive industry for developing the first modern wetsuit with his twin brother, Bill.  Jean-Michel Cousteau carries on his fathers work and helps educate and preserve our reefs and oceans. We thought we were just going up there for the signing but turns out that Jean-Michel was doing a screening of a film he made about his father.  Never shown in the United States so we were the first ones to see it. They are in the process of shopping it around to see who picks it up for distribution.  Anyways it was a really good piece that he had done on his father. There is some controversy going with him and his fathers estate so they did not participate nor did they want him to do it a piece on Jacques Cousteau. 

Bob Meistrell and Jean-Michel Cousteau

Ocean Futures is his HQ. You want to read more about it you can click here.

Some of the vintage equipment and trophies.

This is a water housing for a camera.  I asked him how old it was and he said, "Ah, it's not that old.  It was made in the 50's."  His father was the first to do underwater filming and photography as far back as the late 30's and early 40's.  His father was also the first to developed dive tanks and regulators to dive underwater.  He developed them because he wanted a way to stay under water longer.

One of Jean-Michel's film editing machines he used in the early years.

Jean explaining a little bit about his father's legacy and the film he put together.

This is Jim Knowlton. He is the Associate Producer and Editor of the film.  We talked a little bit afterwards and he explained the long hours he put in editing the piece.  

It was a pretty neat little road trip and I was pleasantly entertained by the experience.