Clothing for the semi aquatic

Dangerious P. Cats · 11-16-2010, 09:33 PM

What kind clothing would an amphbious humanoid creature be able to wear without impeding on both land and water? For the purposes of breaking this up better we should probably devide the answer into tech levels since many matirials aren't availble till certain tech levels. Also there should be some concideration for different semi-aquatic creatures since I suspect that will be a factor, let's assume that there are crocadile people (reptiles), Otter people (mamals) and frog people (amphibians). So, at what would different types of amphibus humanoids wear to get around on land and in water and different tech levels?

Double points if you can come up with clothing ideas for squid people.

lexington · 11-16-2010, 09:44 PM

A wet suit or tightly fitted waterproofed skins should be fine for a lot of people.

If they need skin contact with the water it probably wouldn't be that hard for TL8+ to develop a suit that provides modesty/protection while drawing in a constant supply of water. Oh, or you could try artsy chainmail for these people, but unless you use titanium it would probably be too heavy for most people to swim in and work as armor.

roguebfl · 11-16-2010, 10:00 PM

A fedora

sorry too much Phineas and Ferb... He's a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action.

But seriously Otter people would not need clothes except as fashion statements, or extrema weather.

you frog people would want a material that traps moisture for more comfort on the land.

vicky_molokh · 11-17-2010, 02:33 AM

In my Celestial Ocean, the Oceanspawn wear belts with pouches/pockets/scabbards. What?

Trachmyr · 11-17-2010, 03:43 AM

My Selks (TL1, No Metalurgy, +1 chemistry/medicine) wear clothing for two purposes, protection or fashion.

When used for protection, what they need protecting from becomes important. Shark hunters wers tight fitting leather suits, warriors wear heavier versions. Chest, head and forarms receieve the most protection. Helmets are made from a frame of woven rattan, layered with leather.

Lesser protective garb is meant to handle thorns, briars, and the teeth of small predatory fish... here a close netted garment of coir is worn. Pants aren't made from this fabric, so skirts are rather short and/or tight. Longer skirts are held in place by loops of knitted fabric.

Otherwise, clothing is worn akin to jewelry... but jewlery is favored far over clothes (and clothing doesn't nessicarily cover what we'd expect). Modesty is an unknown in their culture, so generally they wear as little as needed.

Utility sytle belts and bandoleers are common when required by their tasks, and pretty much everyone carries at least a small knife strapped to a leg or arm.

Anthony · 11-17-2010, 10:52 AM

It's questionable whether a semi aquatic species would wear clothing at all -- for warm-blooded creatures, if they can maintain body temperature in water, they have enough natural insulation to maintain body temperature in air as well, and clothing wouldn't help much for body temperature of cold-blooded creatures. Much of the reason for wetsuits is that humans don't have adequate natural insulation for an aquatic lifestyle.

An exception would be a semi-aquatic species native to warm water, who have attempted to spread into cold water regions. In that case, you'd want the closest equivalent you can get to a wet suit, plus if you're dealing with areas where the outdoors is much colder than the water (e.g. arctic areas) you might want additional layers that you'd put on while out of water.

11-16-2010, 09:33 PM	#1
Dangerious P. Cats Join Date: Sep 2007	Clothing for the semi aquatic What kind clothing would an amphbious humanoid creature be able to wear without impeding on both land and water? For the purposes of breaking this up better we should probably devide the answer into tech levels since many matirials aren't availble till certain tech levels. Also there should be some concideration for different semi-aquatic creatures since I suspect that will be a factor, let's assume that there are crocadile people (reptiles), Otter people (mamals) and frog people (amphibians). So, at what would different types of amphibus humanoids wear to get around on land and in water and different tech levels? Double points if you can come up with clothing ideas for squid people. __________________ There is no "i" in team, but there is in Dangerious!

11-16-2010, 09:44 PM	#2
lexington Join Date: Jan 2010	Re: Clothing for the semi aquatic A wet suit or tightly fitted waterproofed skins should be fine for a lot of people. If they need skin contact with the water it probably wouldn't be that hard for TL8+ to develop a suit that provides modesty/protection while drawing in a constant supply of water. Oh, or you could try artsy chainmail for these people, but unless you use titanium it would probably be too heavy for most people to swim in and work as armor.

11-16-2010, 10:00 PM	#3
roguebfl Dog of Lysdexics Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ	Re: Clothing for the semi aquatic A fedora sorry too much Phineas and Ferb... He's a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action. But seriously Otter people would not need clothes except as fashion statements, or extrema weather. you frog people would want a material that traps moisture for more comfort on the land. __________________ Rogue the Bronze Firelizard Gerald Grenier, Jr. Hail Eris! Rogue's Weyr

11-17-2010, 02:33 AM	#4
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	Re: Clothing for the semi aquatic In my Celestial Ocean, the Oceanspawn wear belts with pouches/pockets/scabbards. What? __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper

11-17-2010, 03:43 AM	#5
Trachmyr Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Florida	Re: Clothing for the semi aquatic My Selks (TL1, No Metalurgy, +1 chemistry/medicine) wear clothing for two purposes, protection or fashion. When used for protection, what they need protecting from becomes important. Shark hunters wers tight fitting leather suits, warriors wear heavier versions. Chest, head and forarms receieve the most protection. Helmets are made from a frame of woven rattan, layered with leather. Lesser protective garb is meant to handle thorns, briars, and the teeth of small predatory fish... here a close netted garment of coir is worn. Pants aren't made from this fabric, so skirts are rather short and/or tight. Longer skirts are held in place by loops of knitted fabric. Otherwise, clothing is worn akin to jewelry... but jewlery is favored far over clothes (and clothing doesn't nessicarily cover what we'd expect). Modesty is an unknown in their culture, so generally they wear as little as needed. Utility sytle belts and bandoleers are common when required by their tasks, and pretty much everyone carries at least a small knife strapped to a leg or arm.

11-17-2010, 10:52 AM	#6
Anthony Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Berkeley, CA	Re: Clothing for the semi aquatic It's questionable whether a semi aquatic species would wear clothing at all -- for warm-blooded creatures, if they can maintain body temperature in water, they have enough natural insulation to maintain body temperature in air as well, and clothing wouldn't help much for body temperature of cold-blooded creatures. Much of the reason for wetsuits is that humans don't have adequate natural insulation for an aquatic lifestyle. An exception would be a semi-aquatic species native to warm water, who have attempted to spread into cold water regions. In that case, you'd want the closest equivalent you can get to a wet suit, plus if you're dealing with areas where the outdoors is much colder than the water (e.g. arctic areas) you might want additional layers that you'd put on while out of water.