PATAGONIA MAKE FULL WETSUIT LINE ‘FAIR TRADE’

This Fall, Patagonia has taken an important step to change the surf industry, making its full line of wetsuits Fair Trade Certified™. By investing in Fair Trade Certification for the world’s largest wetsuit factory, SHEICO, Patagonia has made it easy for other companies to join in and support the people behind the product.

This development follows the Fall 2016 Patagonia launch of the world’s first neoprene-free wetsuits made with Yulex® natural rubber, from sources that are Forest Stewardship Council® certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

This season, Patagonia wetsuits have been reformulated so that they are not only most environmentally sound suits on the planet; they are also the most socially responsible. Working with wetsuit factory SHEICO and natural rubber partner Yulex, Patagonia neoprene-free, Yulex full suits are now lighter, stretchier, more comfortable and better fitting. Solution-dyed face fabrics and water-based glue have also been incorporated to further reduce their environmental footprint.

By making the world’s first Fair Trade Certified™ wetsuits, the people behind the products are treated with the respect they deserve. For each suit made, the workers receive a premium that can be used as a collective social investment or to otherwise elevate their standard of living. The certification also ensures that the factory complies with Fair Trade USA’s standards for safe and healthy working conditions. As of Spring 2017, Patagonia’s full line of board shorts and bikinis has been Fair Trade Certified™. Currently, Patagonia has more Fair Trade Certified styles than any other brand.

Patagonia’s factory, SHEICO, makes most of the wetsuits on the market so helping SHEICO earn Fair Trade certification raises the profile of Fair Trade throughout the surf industry and allows other brands to easily join in, if they so choose.

Dave Rastovich, global surf activist at Patagonia says: “The factories we rely on aren’t just full of machines; they’re also full of people with families, histories and futures that have been overlooked by the industry for far too long. Fair Trade extends a sense of value, acknowledgment and respect to members of the human family who are often pushed to the margins.”
Belinda Baggs, global surf activist at Patagonia adds: “Surfers are connected to nature and, when they are educated on topics that have never been spoken about in the surfing world, I believe more and more people will demand change in their products. For example, we know the consequences of the heavy, harmful pollution created by the production of neoprene. Now that there are high performing alternatives such as Yulex available, I see a movement growing wings towards better production methods and materials in surf.”

As well as making high quality wetsuits that are built to last, this season, Patagonia’s Worn Wear crew is travelling to surf locations such as Newquay and Hossegor, repairing wetsuits and gear, regardless of brand.

Patagonia Worn Wear Tour

Ripped rubber? Patagonia Worn Wear Tour is hitting the road to fix wetsuits along the South West Coast of the UK and France. All brands are welcome, as long as the suits are DRY. Patagonia will repair clothing too. First come, first served, limit of one item per person. And as always, all repairs are free!

Aug. 30th
Ho House, Cornwall- Beers, Bands and Ripped Rubber
Newquay
Aug. 31st
Plage du Pierrier, Montreux – Worn wear débarque dans votre ville!
Sept. 1st
Canoe Centre, Dublin –  Film Screening: Blue Heart
Sept. 3rd
Patagonia Manchester – An evening with Keith & Lauren Malloy
Sept. 6th 
Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Cornwall – A Blue Heart evening
Patagonia Dublin – An evening with Keith & Lauren Malloy
Sept. 7th

Ho House, Cornwall – Nevertown Film Screening
Sept. 8th
Patagonia Manchester – Worn Wear

Sept. 11th

Rosie’s Kitchen, Bude, Cornwall – If it’s dry worn wear tour!
Sept. 12th

Museum of British Surfing, Braunton, Devon – If it’s dry worn wear tour & Nevertown film screening
Sept. 14th

Ho House, Cornwall – Wetsuit Deepdive Evening
Sept. 27th
Le surfing, Aquataine, France – If it’s dry worn wear tour
Oct. 9th
Bordeaux France, If it’s dry worn wear tour
Oct. 10th
Lacanau Ocean, France – If it’s dry worn wear tour
Oct. 11th
Le Surfing, France – Nevertown Film Screening

BRIEF HISTORY OF WORN WEAR
Back in 2011 Patagonia ran an ad in The New York Times on Black Friday telling people, “Don’t Buy This Jacket” – asking consumers to buy less and to reflect before you spend a penny on a jacket or anything else. As a result Patagonia launched the Common Threads initiative asking people to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle and Reimagine.
The response was amazing and the numbers of repairs handled free of charge by Patagonia escalated, as did the story telling behind the products being sent in. Two years later in 2013, Patagonia ambassador Keith Malloy and his wife Lauren decided to start a Tumblr blog where people could share stories about their favourite piece of Patagonia clothing – inspired by the years of use Keith was getting from his surf gear.
This was, and is still know as this day as the Worn Wear initative.

Patagonia Yulex Wetsuits Tour UK | 20th – 28th August

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Patagonia invite you to test the new neoprene free wetsuits 20th- 28th August in the UK. They’ll be hanging out at various locations across the British coastline where visitors wil be able to get in the water with their new Yulex suits.

The entire line of Patagonia’s all-new, high-performance wetsuits is made with natural rubber developed in partnership with Yulex and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

The neoprene-free Yulex wetsuits perform as well or better than conventional neoprene wetsuits. But because the main polymer is produced in trees instead of factories, using natural rubber reduces the CO2 in wetsuit manufacturing by up to ~80 percent. The FSC certified rubber is blended with a small amount of chlorine-free synthetic rubber for increased ozone and UV resistance, and to meet Patagonia’s rigorous demands for durability and strength. The Yulex process also removes over 99% of impurities, resulting in a nonsensitizing material.

During the evening of the 20th, 23rd and 27th, hang out from 6pm- 9pm for an evening of beers and film screenings and learn about how Patagonia are saying #GoodbyeNeoprene.

All dates for the Yulex Natural Rubber Wetsuits Launch Tour can be found here, or see below for details on the UK dates, locations and times.

August 20th – Hayle, Cornwall with Down the Line

Day event: 9:30am – 5pm at The Rockpool at 1 Godrevy Towans, Gwithian, Hayle TR27 5ED – http://www.therockpoolbar.co.uk/

Evening event on Sat 20th from 6pm – 9pm at Down the Line, Market Square Arcade, Copperhouse, Hayle TR27 4EA with brand ambassador Lea Brassy and Patch Wilson

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/626547164188840/

August 21st – Hayle, Cornwall with Down the Line
Hayle, Cornwall with Down the Line.
Day event: 9:30am – 5pm at The Rockpool at 1 Godrevy Towans, Gwithian, Hayle TR27 5ED – http://www.therockpoolbar.co.uk/

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/626547164188840/

August 23rd – Newquay, Cornwall with Northshore
Day event: 9:30am – 5pm outside Gilmore’s at 11 Tower Rd, Newquay TR7 1LS – http://www.gilmoresnewquay.co.uk/
Evening event on Tuesday 23rd from 6pm – 9pm at Gilmore’s 11 Tower Rd, Newquay TR7 1LS with brand ambassador Lea Brassy and Patch Wilson

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1155308461224376/

August 24th – Newquay, Cornwall with Northshore
Day event: 9:30am – 5pm outside Gilmore’s at 11 Tower Rd, Newquay TR7 1LS – http://www.gilmoresnewquay.co.uk/

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1155308461224376/

August 25th – Bude, Cornwall with Surf Cabin
Day event only: 9:30am – 5pm outside Rosie’s Kitchen at Crooklets Beach, Bude EX23 8NE – http://www.rosieskitchen.co.uk/

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1733785256880998/

August 27th – Shore, East Wittering with Shore
Day event: 9:30am – at Shore, 20-22 Shore Rd, East Wittering, Chichester PO20 8DZ – http://www.shore.co.uk/wittering-surf-shop
Evening event on Sat 27th from 6pm – 9pm at Shore, 20-22 Shore Rd, East Wittering, Chichester PO20 8DZ with brand ambassador Patch Wilson

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1237283619629792/

August 28th – Shore, East Wittering with Shore
Day event: 9:30am – at Shore, 20-22 Shore Rd, East Wittering, Chichester PO20 8DZ – http://www.shore.co.uk/wittering-surf-shop
Evening event on Sat 27th from 6pm – 9pm at Shore, 20-22 Shore Rd, East Wittering, Chichester PO20 8DZ with brand ambassador Patch Wilson

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1237283619629792/

Patagonia neoprene-free Yulex wetsuits launch

New for Fall 2016, Patagonia introduces the world’s first and only neoprene-free wetsuits made with natural rubber from sources that are Forest Stewardship Council® certified by the Rainforest Alliance. It’s a groundbreaking innovation that doubles down on the company’s initial entry into natural rubber in 2014 with another industry first, and expands Patagonia’s Yulex™ wetsuit offering from two to 21 full-length suits for men, women and kids.

The entire line of Patagonia’s all-new, high-performance wetsuits is made with natural rubber developed in partnership with Yulex and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified by the Rainforest Alliance. The certification assures customers that the source plantation isn’t contributing to deforestation, and that it’s managed in a way that maintains the ecological functions and integrity of the forest. The Rainforest Alliance—an international nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods, with a focus on tropical landscapes—performs audits to confirm that the plantation adheres to the FSC’s standards on the ground.

“Surfers and wetsuit manufacturers—including Patagonia—have relied on neoprene for years, despite the fact that it’s a nonrenewable, petroleum-based material with an energy-intensive manufacturing process,” says Hub Hubbard, Patagonia’s wetsuit development manager. “Neoprene is nasty stuff, but for a long time we had no alternative. Through our partnership with Yulex we’ve invested in a plant-based game-changer and built it into our entire fullsuit line.”

Patagonia_Wetsuit3

The neoprene-free Yulex wetsuits perform as well or better than conventional neoprene wetsuits. But because the main polymer is produced in trees instead of factories, using natural rubber reduces the CO2 emitted in wetsuit manufacturing by up to ~80 percent. The FSC certified rubber is blended with a small amount of chlorine-free synthetic rubber for increased ozone and UV resistance, and to meet Patagonia’s rigorous demands for durability and strength. The Yulex process also removes over 99% of impurities, resulting in a nonsensitizing material.

The new plant-based polymer pioneered by Yulex is sourced from Guatemala, where hevea trees are grown on reclaimed farmland. Hevea has long been the source for the most demanding rubber applications, including car and airplane tires. Some of the world’s supply, however, is grown in newly clearcut rainforest zones, making the rubber industry a major driver of deforestation in tropical countries. Patagonia avoided using hevea until a more sustainable source could be found.

As with their previous work, Patagonia and Yulex are again sharing this groundbreaking innovation with other companies, hoping to create a shift toward cleaner and less harmful materials throughout the surf industry. The release of the new line is the result of a decade of Patagonia’s work in developing alternatives to neoprene. Patagonia published a blog post about the environmental impacts of neoprene in 2008, the year the company started manufacturing wetsuits. The post is available here.

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“Yulex could not have found a better partner than Patagonia to champion this breakthrough for the surf industry. The collaboration between our companies has been an example of how sustainable products can be brought to customers without sacrificing performance and cost competitiveness,” commented Jeff Martin, founder and CEO of Yulex Corporation. “Patagonia has an exemplary business model which Yulex and others continue to embrace.”

Patagonia’s Fall 2016 wetsuit line has new, fast-drying thermal linings and new floating front-zip entries as well as back-zip options. The new and exclusive inverted microgrid linings, made with the highest possible recycled polyester content, dry faster and create lighter suits while maintaining excellent warmth.The floating front-zip increases the wetsuit’s lifespan and features an asymmetrical flap for better stretch, seal and mobility. Featuring wetsuits rated for six different temperature levels, Patagonia’s collection has offerings that will keep surfers warm in water temperatures ranging from 23°C down to 0°C.

The new wetsuit line was released globally in Australia in March of 2016 with six fullsuit styles. All 21 fullsuit styles will be available starting August 1, 2016 in North America, and Japan. 20 fullsuit styles will be available in Europe. Prices for the Yulex natural rubber suits are comparable to conventional, high-performance wetsuits; the new season also marks the first time Patagonia has offered a wetsuit built specifically for kids.

Patagonia wetsuits are available for purchase at Patagonia San Sebastian Surf store, select surf shops and at Patagonia.com.

Patagonia

About Patagonia

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor company based in Ventura, California. A certified B-Corporation, Patagonia’s mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism, contributing over $70 million in grants and in-kind donations to date.

Carve Boardshorts Guide 2016

Boardshort Guide
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Summer’s nearly here, that time when we can swap jeans and hopefully, if we’re really lucky, neoprene for a lightweight alternative. Boardshorts tick everyone’s box, they’re great for hanging out in and you never know if may even be warm enough to wear them in the sea this summer. This season brings a huge range of retro inspired designs combined with cutting edge technology. So  jump in and discover what’s on offer!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RANGE

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