Sports utility garment with angled holder/holster

Abstract

Sports utility garment for carrying articles while swimming, paddling in water or running and walking on land. Garment 10 includes interchangeable holsters 40, attached to a body portion 11 at an angle so that mouth 71 of holster 40 is accessible over wearer's shoulder such as a water bottle or a long article such as a fishing pole extends over wearer's shoulder. Holster 40 includes guide means 70 to hold mouth 71 open and help guide the article into mouth 71. Articles are secured to garment 10 both during carrying and during use.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/401202, filed on Aug. 9, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to sports apparel for carrying one or more items, and more particularly to a utility garment for wear in an ocean, lake and other activities such as walking, jogging, or hiking.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People who do activities in the water often need to carry equipment or other articles. This can be a problem for those who enter the water by swimming or by paddling a board with their arms, especially if they transit surf. For those on land it can be uncomfortable when using a camel pack for water, a backpack, or other devices that have to be firmly cinched on the waist, such as a fanny pack

Simply gripping the articles in the hands is neither practical nor comfortable because the hand tires after a short period from holding on to the articles. Slings and packs can impede running, swimming or paddling.

Another problem is that articles should be secured to the person by a device that won't impair their ability to swim or paddle, won't cause accidental injury if buffeted by a wave, and is preferably comfortable and easy to use.

There are many articles a person is likely to want to carry into the water. For example, a paddle boarder may want to carry a fishing pole while paddling through surf, in order to fish while sitting or standing on the board outside the surf line. One way to carry a fishing pole is to grip it in the teeth while paddling, but the problems with that should be obvious. Free diving fishermen often carry a spear gun, or a hand spear, on a sling or in the hand, but loss of the spear is too frequent and the person carrying it may suffer bruises or scrapes if buffeted by rough waves.

Free divers who spear fish or take crustaceans by hand typically place the collected creatures in a mesh bag that is either held in the hand or attached to the diver's waist.

Dangling next to the diver's legs as he or she swims, the bag is dragged upon and perhaps twisted and tugged by currents and waves. Entire game bags are not infrequently lost, and the diver may feel discomfort near the attachment point of the bag. Bringing collected game to shore can also be difficult for pole fishers on a paddle board.

Open water swimmers are especially prone to dehydration in the water because of their constant exertion and unavoidable intake of small amounts of salt water. Hydration packs have not been generally accepted by distance swimmers because they are not comfortable during swimming. Some swimmers attach water bottles to a waist belt, but this is not comfortable, either. The same sort of circumstances are experienced by runners, walkers and hikers.

Some people swim or paddle with a conventional waist pack to carry small items such as a water bottle, fishing lures, or sunscreen. In turbulent water or even fast swimming, the water drags on the pack and the belt puts uncomfortable force on the person's waist. The same can be said for those on land who walk, jog or hike for long distances.

Another problem with using conventional packs for carrying small articles in the water is that the wearer may have difficulty accessing the pockets. In chilly salt water, unprotected fingers soon become stiff and clumsy. Many divers wear gloves, but this decreases dexterity also. Opening or closing a zipper can be difficult in the water and the carried article itself may be dropped as it is removed from the pocket.

There is great need and desire for a device to help people carry the items they need during ocean sports. Such a device is preferably able to accommodate a diversity of items including fishing poles, spear guns, fishing tackle, drinking water, underwater cameras, caught fish or crustaceans—whatever might carried during a particular outing into the ocean—and keep them secure.

Such a device should also not impede swimming, paddling, or other typical motions, while being comfortable and non-distracting. A watersport carrying device should further be constructed from durable materials that resist degradation by salt water, sand, and sunlight. Closure means for pockets need to be secure but easy to manipulate, even when wearing gloves or when fingers are stiff and numb. A carrying device for water activities should preferably be versatile enough to safely carry a variety of items, because a person who enjoys the water often does several different sports or activities in an ocean, lake, or both.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a garment with an angled holster attach area that can accommodate various holsters for carrying items such as a fishing pole, spear gun, water bottle that are difficult to carry while swimming, paddling, running, or walking.

In a most preferred embodiment, the garment is a vest that opens down the front and can be closed with a zipper. The garment could also be a short sleeve or long sleeve. The vest is constructed from a suitable thickness of neoprene “wet suit material” or other sports type breathable fabrics suitable for running. An equipment holster is attached to the upper back of the vest, preferably by removable means such as snap fasteners or hook and loop fastener. The holster is typically adapted to receive and secure a specific sort of gear, such as a fishing pole, spear gun, or water bottle.

The open mouth of the holster pocket is angled toward the wearer's shoulder when the vest is worn. The angle makes it easy for the wearer to withdraw an item from the pocket or put it back, with one hand and without contortion of the body. The item is preferably still secured to the vest while out of the holster. For example, a fishing pole or spear gun is attached to a flexible leash that is in turn attached to the vest. A water bottle is attached to a small leash that can be secured to the vest, such as by hook-and-loop fastener.

The item is secured in the holster by a flap covering the mouth of the pocket. The flap is elongated enough that the free end can attached to the vest, such as by hook-and-loop fastener on the front of the wearer's shoulder, in order to close off the mouth of the pocket. The flap is typically designed to interact with features of the item to be carried so as to “lock” the item in place in the holster.

Because the end of the flap is attached to the front of the wearer's shoulder, it is easy to unhook the flap and throw it over the shoulder to open the holster and remove the item from the holster pocket. So that the flap can easily be brought back over the shoulder to close, the flap is stiff enough that it does not flop vertically down from the mouth of the pocket. This keeps the flap in reach even when open and also pulls the mouth of the pocket open to receive the item back after use. The flap may include other features to help guide the item into the pocket.

One user may have a few different holsters and interchange them on the vest, depending on the day's planned activities.

Another feature of the vest is a horizontally disposed pocket for holding an empty game bag until it is needed. When game is caught, the bag is pulled from its storage pocket and the game placed into the bag. The bag is then attached against the lower part of the wearer's back with two attachment points. The bag rides flat against the body and is shielded from drag.

A utility cummerbund is an optional accessory to the vest, providing more pockets. The cummerbund is wrapped around the wearer's waist, over the lower part of the vest.

The sports utility garment with angled holder/holster has been tested and proven to be very useful for carrying both small and large items safely through the surf, thanks to its many cooperating features. It fulfills a need that has previously been served only partially and unsatisfactorily.

Other features and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a back view of the body portion of the vest of the present invention with a detachable water holster shown in phantom view.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the body portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the detachable water holster of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the detachable water holster of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a person using the vest of FIG. 1 to carry a water bottle.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a detachable fishing pole holster, partially cut away.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the fishing pole holster of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a person using the vest of FIG. 1 to carry a fishing pole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 are back and front views, respectively, of the utility garment 10 of the present invention, and particularly the vest body portion 11. Garment 10 is shown as a sleeveless garment to cover at least a person's torso. Garment 10 includes vest body portion 11, which includes back section 40 for covering the person's back, and front section 20 for covering the chest and stomach. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, front section 20 is divided down the center and closed or opened by a zipper 28.

Back section 40 includes a holster attachment area 45 for attaching a holster 60, shown in phantom in FIG. 1. Holster 60 is for carrying an item such as a fishing pole, spear gun, water bottle, camera, or other item too large to be contained in a flat pocket.

Utility garment 10 is preferably constructed in conventional manner using materials suitable for prolonged use in salt or fresh water, with attendant exposure to sun, sand, and sunscreen lotion. For example, so-called “wetsuit material” may be used. “Wetsuit material” as used herein means a layer of neoprene or other durable, synthetic rubber with knit fabric embedded on one or both faces of the rubber layer, such as is widely used to make wetsuits for keeping wearers warmer in the water. Other advantages of wetsuit material are: it is resistant to salt, sun, etc.; it is flexible and stretchy so that it is comfortable to wear while paddling or swimming; it is commonly available in many thicknesses; and it is resistant to snagging and abrasion.

The illustrated embodiment of utility garment 10 is typically made using wetsuit material about 3/32 inch thick for body portion 11, with thinner material used in holster 60, as will be discussed later. It should be obvious to one of skill in the art that utility vest 10 may be constructed of thicker material, with added sleeves, or even as part of a full-length wetsuit, if greater protection for the body from cold water or abrasion is desired. For the purpose of simply carrying items, a 3/32 inch thick, sleeveless body portion 11 as illustrated is sufficient. To provide warmth to the torso while in the water, body portion 11 is preferably snug-fitting and made of wetsuit material, to maintain a layer of warm water near the body.

Utility garment 10 is also useful for land-based sports or activities such as hiking or running. If garment 10 is to be used largely on land, it may be desirable to construct garment 10 from a material that retains heat and moisture less than wetsuit material does, such as woven canvas or nylon mesh fabric. If a non-stretchy material, such as canvas, is used to construct body portion 11, garment 10 will still provide the utility of carrying and securing items, but body portion 11 is preferably slightly looser in some areas, such as across the wearer's back.

Vest body portion 11 generally includes split front section 20 with a central zipper 28 for connecting or disconnecting the lateral halves of front section 20 when donning or removing vest 10. It is not required that front section 20 be split, in which case body portion 11 could be pulled over the head. However, body portion 11 keeps its shape better for a long time if it can be opened with zipper 28 or similar fastening means to don or remove.

Front section 20 includes a first edge 21, disposed vertically below wearer's left arm, and a second edge 22, disposed vertically below wearer's right arm. A first and a second front shoulder edges 23,24 are disposed horizontally on either side of wearer's neck, lying along the tops of the shoulders.

Back section 40 includes a left edge 41, attached to first edge 21 of front section 20; and a right edge 42, attached to second edge 22. A left shoulder edge 43 is disposed to the left side of wearer's neck and is attached to the corresponding first shoulder edge 23. A right shoulder edge 44 is similarly disposed to the right of wearer's neck and attached to second front shoulder edge 24.

Vest 10 typically includes some square or rectangular utility pockets 26, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 disposed on front section 20 and back section 40 in locations where they do not interfere with use of other features of vest 10, nor cause discomfort to the wearer when lying down to paddle. Pockets 26 are typically made by sewing a square or rectangle of suitable material, such as 1/32 inch thick wetsuit material, to front or back section 20,40 to form the pocket body, along with a flap of similar material to close the opening of pocket 26. Pockets 26 typically include a closure means, such as a zipper 98 or hook-and-loop fastener 91. Pockets 26 made from wetsuit material also include drain means, such as a window covered by mesh or eyelets 97. Pockets 26 are typically dimensioned so as to snugly hold common sizes of partitioned plastic boxes, such as are often used to hold many small items of fishing gear.

Vest 10 preferably includes a horizontal pocket 48 attached to back section 40, disposed generally over the wearer's waist. Pocket 48 includes closure means such as zipper 98, accessible to the wearer while vest 10 is worn. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, pocket 48 is rotated 90 degrees from most conventional pockets such as utility pockets 26. That is, the mouth of pocket 48 is on the side rather than at the top of pocket 48. This makes it easier for the wearer to access horizontal pocket 48 while wearing vest 10. Pocket 48 is used to store a conventional game bag (not shown) with a longest dimension approximately equal to the width of the wearer's back. The game bag is typically of mesh material that is strong but also lightweight, flexible, and quick to drain. It has a large mouth for receiving fish, shellfish, and the like, with a drawstring or zipper for closing the mouth of the bag. The game bag includes connect means, such as plastic snap hooks, for connecting the upper corners of the bag to connect points on vest 10, such as D-rings 96 attached to back section 40. The filled game bag thus is carried close against the wearer's lower back so that it adds little drag and helps constrain caught fish against vigorous flapping. Because of these advantages and the two connect points, the game bag is relatively comfortable to carry and is unlikely to be lost.

The primary benefit of utility garment 10 is that it includes means, such as a holster 60, for securely carrying a larger item, even one that is otherwise awkward to carry. FIG. 5 is a side view of a person 100 wearing the sports utility garment 10 of the present invention. Garment 10 of FIG. 5 includes a holster 60 attached to back section 40.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a holster 60 such as holster 60A adapted for carrying a bottle 110. FIG. 4 is a top view of holster 60A of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a holster 60B, adapted for carrying a fishing pole and reel. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the holster 60B of FIG. 6.

Returning to FIG. 1, back section 40 includes a holster attach area 45. Holster attach area 45 may simply be a location where a holster 60 is permanently attached, such as by glue or sewing, or may include removable attach means such as hook-and-loop fastener 91 or snap fasteners 99, or both. Both hook-and-loop fastener 91 and snap fasteners 99 are cooperative fasteners, having two mating parts, referred to herein as A and B. It is arbitrary which mating part is included in holster attach area 45, so long as the opposite mating part is included in holster 60.

FIG. 1 shows both hook-and-loop fastener 91A and snap fasteners 99A included in holster attach area 45. Holster 60A of FIG. 4 is shown superimposed in dotted lines.

Either holster 60A or holster 60B can be attached securely to holster attach area 45. Other holsters 60 adapted for carrying different items are of similar dimensions and include removable attach means that will mate with the cooperative fastener(s) of holster attach area 45.

Note that, on FIG. 2, front section 20 of vest 10 includes a flap attach area 25 near second front shoulder edge 24, also including a removable attach means such as hook-and-loop fastener 91A. The purpose of flap attach area 25 will explained below.

Holsters 60 generally include a base 61, preferably with removable attach means 62 such as hook-and-loop fastener 91B, snap fasteners 99B, or both; a pocket 64 connected to base 61 and having an open end such as mouth 71 and an integral flap 66; and preferably a “comfort plate 63” as seen in FIG. 6, to be described further below. Comfort plate 63 typically comprises a sheet of relatively stiff material, such as 1/32 inch thick polyethylene, embedded between pocket 64 and base 61. The purpose of comfort plate 63 is to spread out localized pressure from holster 60 and the carried item so that person 100 feels a mild uniform pressure on his back from holster attach area 45, instead of lumps and pressure points.

Holster 60 is attached to holster attach area 45 at an angle, such that the lengthwise centerline of pocket 64 is disposed at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees from centerline C of back section 40. The placement of holster attach area 45 on back section 40 and the angle at which holster 60 is attached cooperate to orient mouth 71 of pocket 64 toward either right shoulder edge 44 or left shoulder edge 43.

Pocket 64 and flap 66 are adapted for carrying an item of specific shape. For example, holster 60A has a pocket 64 with a cylindrical internal volume the size of a common water bottle. The integral flap 66 is wide near mouth 71 so as to completely cover mouth 71 and retain bottle 110 when flap 66 is closed.

Holster 60A further includes guide means 70 for guiding bottle 110 into mouth 71. Flap 66, if constructed solely of 1/32 inch thick wetsuit material, would tend to fold backward on itself when open, such that the free end of flap 66 would be hanging against person 100's back or waist. This has been found to allow mouth 71 to collapse such that two hands may be needed to put a bottle 110 into mouth 71—one to pull mouth 71 open and one to place bottle 110 inside pocket 64. A further disadvantage of this situation is that person 100 may have difficulty reaching flap 66 in its open position in order to bring it to the closed position.

In the case of holster 60A, guide means 70 comprises a stiffener 67 attached to flap 66, such as an additional piece of wetsuit material sewn or glued to the underside of flap 66.

Stiffener 67 prevents flap 66 from flopping completely down, instead keeping flap 66 in a gentle curve when open, as seen in FIG. 5. Stiffener 67 thus makes inserting bottle 110 into pocket 64 easier in two ways: first, flap 66 exerts outward force on mouth 70, holding it fully open; and second, the convexly curved flap 66 acts as a “backstop” that helps guide bottle 110 into mouth 70 without person 100 having to look at bottle 110 or use one hand to hold bottle 110 and the other hand to find mouth 70. An additional benefit of stiffener 67 is that flap 66 is easier for person 100 to retrieve from the open position.

Guide means 70 thus makes holster 60 convenient to use with one hand and without having to look over the shoulder. Additionally, guide means 70 makes it possible to place an item into holster 60 easily even with gloves or cold hands.

Flap 66 further includes closure means 68 on its free end, such as hook-and-loop fastener 91B. The closed position of flap 66 is shown in phantom in FIG. 5. Flap 66 is brought over person 100's shoulder so that fastener 91B of flap 66 is removably attached to fastener 91A of flap attach area 25. The reason flap attach area 25 is located on front section 20 instead of on back section 40 or on a portion of holster 60 is to keep flap 66 handy for person 100 to reach and open. In addition, flap 66 being wrapped over the shoulder holds items snug up against the body. This way the item does not move around.

Holster 60A, adapted to carry a drinking bottle, also includes retention means such as a leash 90 for the carried bottle 110, seen in FIG. 5. Leash 90 may be attached to bottle 110 by various means, such as the rubber O-ring around the narrow neck of the bottle 110 shown in FIG. 5 or other means as will be obvious. Leash 90 includes attach means such as hook-and-loop fastener 91B at its free end. When bottle 110 is inserted into pocket 64, leash 90 is attached to flap attach area 25, then flap 66 is attached over leash 90. To drink, person 100 pulls flap 66 loose from flap attach area 25 then removes bottle 110 from holster 60A without removing leash 90 from flap attach area 25. Thus, if person 100 loses grip on bottle 110, it will be retained by leash 90.

Pocket 64 of holster 60 also includes drainage means, such as eyelet 97.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a second embodiment 60B of holster 60, adapted for carrying a fishing pole 120, is shown.

Holster 60 B is similar to holster 60A in including a base 61 with attach means for attaching holster 60B to holster attach area 45 and a pocket 64. In FIG. 6, a portion of base 61 is cut away to reveal comfort plate 63, as described in detail above. Pocket 64 of holster 60B defines a narrow cylindrical internal volume the size of the handle of a typical fishing pole 120.

Flap 66 of holster 60B is adapted by including lock means 69 such as a split down most of the lengthwise centerline of flap 66 and an enlarged cutout portion 74 for allowing the fishing pole to protrude through flap 66 when closed. The split ends 66A,B of flap 66 are wrapped around the pole and reel, if any, before being attached to flap attach area 25 such as by hook-and-loop fastener 91. Lock means 69 prevents the fishing pole from falling out of pocket 64 when flap 66 is in the closed position and prevents the heavy reel from possibly bumping against person 100 in turbulent water.

A further adaptation of holster 60B is that pocket 64 is lined with insert 65. Insert 65 is a generally cylindrical pipe that is rigid. Insert 65 performs the main two functions as stiffener 67 of holster 60A: keeping mouth 71 open when the fishing pole is not inside pocket 64 and providing guide means 70 for inserting the fishing pole. The upper part of insert 65 is split into two flanges 72,73 on opposite sides of the cylinder. The base flange 73 is disposed against base 61 and protrudes only slightly beyond mouth 71 of pocket 64. The flap flange 72 is disposed against flap 66 and may be permanently attached to flap 66 such as with glue. Flap flange 72 stiffens flap 66 such that the free end of flap 66 does not flop beyond person 100's reach when in the open position. Flap flange 72 and base flange 73 cooperate to hold mouth 71 and guide the handle of the fishing pole into mouth 71.

FIG. 8 is a side view of person 100 wearing vest 10 with holster 60B attached and carrying a fishing pole 120. When fishing pole 120 is carried in holster 60B, most of pole 120 extends above person 100's shoulder. Because holster 60B is angled toward person 100's shoulder when attached to holster attach area 25, the pole does not bump person 100's head, even when person 100 is prone with head tilted back, as when paddling a surfboard. Except when passing through a wave, fishing pole 120 is held clear of the water so that person 100 feels no drag or torque force from fishing pole 120.

Utility vest 10 further includes retention means such as equipment leash 95, shown attached to a D-ring 96 by a conventional snap hook. In the embodiment shown, equipment leash 95 is a coiled cord that can be stretched to at least twice its relaxed length. A fishing pole or other large item can be attached to leash 65, such as with a conventional snap hook at the free end of leash 95, before being inserted into a holster 60. When the item is removed from holster 60 in person 100 is in the water, the item remains attached to leash 95 so that the item will not be lost if person 100 loses grip.

Many other holsters 60 are envisioned by not illustrated, which are adapted for carrying diverse items such as a spear gun, hull repair or defouling equipment, or underwater video camera. All holsters are preferably built upon a common base 61 to be attached to holster attach area 25.

All the fasteners included in vest 10 are adapted to be easy to open with cold fingers or while wearing gloves. For example, front zipper 28 and zipper 98 of horizontal pocket 48 have large easy to grasp tongues. Utility pockets 26 that are closed with hook-and-loop fastener 91 include a pull tab 27, as does flap 66 of bottle holster 60A.

An optional additional feature of garment 10 is a waist wrap such as cummerbund 80. Cummerbund 80 is preferably made of a strip wetsuit material long enough to wrap around a person 100's waist, over garment 10, with some overlap. Cummerbund 80 is preferably secured about the waist with closure means such as hook-and-loop fastener 91. Cummerbund 80 includes one or more utility pockets 26. Pockets 26 are arrayed such that pockets 26 overlie either person 100's lower back or belly, depending upon how cummerbund 80 is wrapped, and do not extend over person 100's sides. Pockets 26 of cummerbund 80 are typically dimensioned so as to hold common partitioned boxes such as are used to hold small items of fishing tackle. Generally, person 100 will wrap cummerbund so that pockets 26 overlie his back while swimming or paddling. Then when in position to fish, person 100 twists cummerbund 80 around without removing it, so that pockets 26 are in front and easily accessible.

Claims

1. An upper body garment for carrying an article, including:

a front section for covering the wearer's chest; including: a first edge disposed under a wearer's left arm; a second edge disposed under a wearer's right arm; and two front shoulder edges, disposed on each side of the wearer's neck and substantially horizontally between wearer's neck and one shoulder;

a back section for covering the wearer's back including: a left edge connected to said first edge of said front section; a right edge connected to said second edge of said front section; a left shoulder edge connected to a first said front shoulder edge; a right shoulder edge connected to a second said front shoulder edge; and a vertical centerline equidistant from said left and right edges; and

a holster attached to said back section for carrying an article; including: a pocket adapted for holding an article; including:

a mouth for access to said pocket; and a flap with an open and a closed position, for covering said mouth to secure the article inside said pocket; said holster attached to said back section such that the longitudinal centerline of said pocket is at an angle relative to the vertical centerline of said back section such that said pocket mouth is angled toward one said front shoulder edge such that an article may be placed inside or retrieved from said holster by the wearer, while wearing said garment.

2. The upper body garment of claim 1, said holster further including:

guide means for holding open said mouth of said pocket when said flap is in the open position and for guiding the article to be carried into said pocket.

3. The upper body garment of claim 1, said holster being removably attached to said garment and interchangeable with other said holsters adapted for carrying different articles; such that said garment may be used to carry a variety of articles.

4. The upper body garment of claim 1, said holster attached to said back section such that the vertical centerline of said holster is at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees relative to the centerline of said back section such that said open mouth of said pocket is easily accessible while said garment is worn by a person.

5. A waterman's utility vest for carrying at least one item for use in or on the water, including:

a body portion constructed of suitable materials and designed to be comfortable and durable for vigorous water activities; including a front section; a back section; and at least one pocket adapted for carrying the item; attached to said back section and accessible during wear including: an open end for receiving and allowing access to the item; closure means for retaining the item within said pocket when the item is stored in said pocket, and guide means for guiding the item into said open end of said pocket.

6. The vest of claim 5, said pocket attached to said back section such that the vertical centerline of said pocket is at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees relative to the centerline of said back section such that said open mouth of said pocket is easily accessible while said vest is worn by a person.

7. The vest of claim 5, said pocket comprising a removable holster for carrying a water bottle; said closure means comprising: said guide means comprising:

an elongated flap attached to said open end and movable between an open and a closed position; and

a stiffener portion attached to said flap near said open end, for holding said open end of said pocket agape when said flap is in the open position and for guiding the bottle into said pocket.

8. The vest of claim 5, said pocket comprising a holster for carrying a fishing pole; said closure means comprising: said guide means comprising:

an elongated flap attached to said open end and movable between an open and a closed position; said flap adapted to engage with features of the handle of the fishing pole so as to allow the upper part of the fishing pole to protrude from said holster while said flap locks the handle inside said pocket; and

a stiffener insert inserted inside said pocket and adapted for receiving the handle;

said stiffener insert for maintaining said open end agape and for guiding the handle of the fishing pole into said pocket.

9. The vest of claim 8, said flap including:

an elongated free end split lengthwise into two tongues, and

a cutout portion for allowing the fishing pole to protrude through said flap; said split free ends for wrapping about the fishing pole to secure and steady the fishing pole.

10. A wetsuit with a secure holder for holding an article while a wearer swims or paddles; including:

a body portion for substantially covering the wearer's torso; including a back section for covering the wearer's back;

an angled pocket attached to said back section for holding an article including: an open end for receiving and allowing access to the article; guide means for guiding the article into said pocket while said wetsuit is worn and said pocket is disposed on wearer's back; and closure means for securing the article within said pocket when the article is held in said pocket.

11. The wetsuit of claim 10, further including:

retention means for preventing loss of the article while the article is being used and is not secured in said pocket.

12. The wetsuit of claim 10, wherein said angled pocket is attached to said back section such that said open end is oriented toward one of the wearer's shoulders.

13. The wetsuit of claim 12, said angled pocket attached to said back section such that the vertical centerline of said pocket is at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees relative to the centerline of said back section such that said open mouth of said pocket is easily accessible by reaching over a shoulder while said vest is worn by a person.

14. The wetsuit of claim 10, said closure means comprising:

a flap with an open position for accessing said pocket and a closed position for retaining a carried article; said flap including lock means for cooperating with features of the carried article to retain the article within said angled pocket.

15. The wetsuit of claim 14, said flap including said lock means adapted for retaining an elongate article, including:

two split ends for wrapping about the elongate article; and

a cutout portion for allowing the elongate article to protrude through said flap when said flap is in the closed position.

16. The wetsuit of claim 15, wherein the elongate article is a fishing pole with reel, spear gun, or sling spear.

17. The wetsuit of claim 10, further including

a cummerbund including: removable attachment means for attaching said cummerbund around wearer's waist; and

at least one pocket for carrying items; including closure means for retaining carried item within said pocket.