Wetsuits F/W 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
If anyone doubted environmental concerns could drive up innovation, here is your answer: the eco-friendly wetsuit truly is a game changer and makes the segment more exciting than ever. Fall-Winter 2025 Wetsuits Retail Buyer’s Guide by David Bianic.
Neoprene will soon celebrate its first century, invented in 1931 by DuPont as an alternative to natural rubber, when price and shortage became an issue, especially during WWII. Funny, isn’t it, as we have almost gone full circle with the advent of ‘natural rubber’ during the last decade in the wetsuit industry. The combination of innovation and growing participants numbers gave birth to an unprecedented boost of the market. We became ‘greedy’ in some way and expected the skyrocketing trend to last long. Overproduction coupled with an inflation burst stalled the market in 2022. But you already know that.
The only enigma is ‘will the market eventually streamline?’. A good indicator would be to look at the past summer figures and, from what we have been told, the skies look brighter, with mixed results though. “Summer sales performed steadily, with excellent sell-through of springsuits and successful clearance of steamer inventory”, reports Bastien Grandy, Rip Curl Europe Wetsuit Product Manager Associate. Not only performances differ from one segment of product to the other, but also depending on pricepoints, says Tom Copsey, O’Neill Wetsuits’ Product Manager: “Our customers have been selling through our products fairly consistently and we’re seeing a solid amount of replenishment orders, but they have been showing caution when it comes to entry level wetsuits where many brands and stores still seem to be fairly heavy with inventory.” On the same note, Bastien at Rip Curl adds that “moderate preorder activity is getting offset by encouraging reorder trends, providing positive momentum.”
FW25 STRATEGIES
Moving forward to Fall-Winter 2025, how do the wetsuit brands position themselves on that basis? Again, it mostly relies on the cycle of life of their ranges, which used to be 2 to 3 years. But the ‘new normal’ made the brands reconsider their schedules. For example, Billabong switched 60% of their wetsuits to natural rubber in FW24, so obviously FW25 will a continuation of this offer, “injecting new colours here and there”, comment the Billabong Europe staff (Katarina Kern, Billabong Wetsuit Product Manager and Valentin Bourgeon, Marketing Director). Oxbow will also carry over a large part of their range “to support market recovery and sell through stock across multiple seasons”, explains Aurélien Silvestre, Product Manager, which allows them to offer stable prices to ensure consistency to the customers.
On the other hand, Gul is very excited to unveil a revamped commercial proposition. They changed the structure of the wetsuit families “to make it easier to navigate and shop”, begins Jack Knowles, Sales Manager, but they also partnered with Yulex 2.0 as well as Yamamoto, and finally, they will offer natural rubber wetsuits at entry level price points, “because sustainable choices shouldn’t only for the elite but should be accessible to all”. In the same vein, Rip Curl enters a new chapter in Fall 2025, introducing 70% of new steamer designs, varying from upgraded products in the Ultimate segment, a fully revamped Core segment, and the introduction of innovative neoprene-free foam. But most of these new models will come at a price, warns Tom at O’Neill: “Prices will go up as we’ve held them artificially low to help retailers clear stock but with redesigns and increased freight costs, the rise is coming.” And then you have the middle ground, like Neilpryde’s strategy for FW25, a balanced approach between innovation and continuity: “In 2025, we will launch some exciting new models that bring fresh ideas and align with current trends. At the same time, we aim to keep some of the successful models introduced in MY24 available, ensuring we meet the needs of our customers and sustain the demand for proven designs.”
CONSUMER HABITS
As mentioned above, sales performances are quite volatile depending on the product positioning. Fall-winter wetsuits by their nature target core surfers, with a priority on performance over price. But due to the increased participation of newbies, did the brands notice new purchasing habits, maybe more price oriented? Billabong confirms “It is true that in Fall-Winter, the business is driven by our top tier suits like the Furnace which delivers on the promise of best in class warmth.” Neilpryde also aims to catch the core surfer’s eye, with an approach to fall-winter wetsuits focused on “Delivering high-performance gear tailored to surfers who prioritise functionality and innovation”. But the good news for price-constrained surfers is that “Over time this turns into trickle down tech that ends up benefiting everyone”, explains Tom at O’Neill. Today’s premium wetsuits will be entry levels within a couple years or so. We can safely claim there is no bad entry-level wetsuit on the market within the endemic brands. You can get ‘good’ or ‘ultimate’ performance, but definitely not a poor experience even on the lower priced models.
FW25: FOAM PARTY
“Foam [i.e. more volume] is your friend.” This motto derived from surfboard design extends to the wetsuit category, just with a different meaning. The eco-driven innovation led to more foam options than ever and helped the brands differentiate themselves from their fellow competitors. Let’s honour the mother of all friendly foams, Yulex. The Hevea based rubber has gone a long way, now available in its second iteration, Yulex 2.0. And Gul will go the extra mile in FW25 as 94% of the range will be made with natural rubber, “Even the entry level G-force family” ensures Jack Knowles.
The most striking trend is how brands use a panel of foam compounds, compared to a single one in the past. O’Neill are working with Yulex natural rubber, limestone neoprene, that incorporates oyster shells and Ocena natural rubber. “They all have their own unique benefits and drawbacks, but all contribute to making a whole complete product range”, explains Tom Copsey. Neilpryde also mixes its offer, in between Yamamoto friendlyprene, Yulex and Jako (Japanese Yamamoto’s Korean rival). Fall-Winter 2025 will also see the launch of Alder’s new suit, the Luxe MX 5.4: the MX stands for Max Stretch and uses a blend of oyster shell and limestone foam plus Aqua-alpha water-based glue. A top-of the-range winter wetsuit for core surfers ensures John ‘Rubber Man’ Westlake.
But let’s rewind slightly, shall we. If you are not familiar with Ocena, this is the latest invention from world’s #1 wetsuit manufacturer Sheico. This new natural rubber is 82% bio-based, a fine combination of FSC certified latex, eco-carbon black, oyster shell powder and plant-based oil (soybean). Big names like Rip Curl – and as mentioned O’Neill – have jumped on this new find. The more the merrier!
Other options are on hand, such as the Naturprene2 at Prolimit: “82% to 90% biobased (Yulex is 62%) and 100% neoprene free materials. This is unique in the industry”, says CEO Alex Cretier. Pioneer of the oyster shell powder, Soöruz only sells wetsuits made of Örganic Oysterprene since FW24, as “The culmination of 10 years of R&D with our engineers in France, laboratories and our supplier”, states Yann Dalibot, CEO and wetsuit developer. Soöruz won Eurosima’s Call for Innovation Projects for the second time this past Fall for its ongoing commitment on eco-responsibility. Meanwhile, Dakine remains committed to its groundbreaking biodegradable foam, FriendlyPrene, in addition to Oysterprene and regular limestone.
FW25: LINING LINE-UP
The Alt-neoprenes get all the attention nowadays, outshining their most important companions: the linings, meant to be a barrier from the elements on the outside and a warmth trap on the inside. Any cold-water enthusiast knows how much of a difference they make between a miserable session, freezing your ass off, and a memorable experience. While FW25 doesn’t sound like a heck load of innovations, the technologies carried over have not failed to deliver and remain relevant. Rip Curl have registered great success with their Ultimate E7 & E6 Flashlining, particularly when it comes to quick drying, as they expel water rapidly when hung. The lower tier E5 Flashlining and E4 Thermolining cannot beat the stretch of the E7, but they do deliver on comfort and warmth. O’Neill and Billabong rely on the Nobel Prize winning performance of graphene for their liners, as “It retains heat like no other material AND is infused with recycled fibers”, notes the Billabong duo. Same spirit with Prolimit’s Thermal Rebound, a layer construction which implements the same material as survival blankets.
FW25 KEY MODELS
May we be forgiven for not being able to put up an exhaustive list, but here are some of the upcoming Fall-Winter wetsuits that stand out. In no particular order, let’s start with an ode to the heritage styles. In addition to its top of the range Furnace Natural, Billabong will propose a surf capsule, Salty Days Natural – Since ’73, a mix of cutting-edge tech and heritage collection. On a similar note, their Oscillator “is a nod to Occy’s legacy and fuses Y2K progression with modern performance”. The retro revival look with the latest material innovation and eco construction is a catch.
Billabong
Neilpryde picks up military lingo for its FW25 squadron, with the Combat, Storm and Mission models. The Combat is “designed to battle the iciest, coldest and toughest conditions on the planet, it’s crafted from top-tier materials, featuring G3 Armor Skin, Yamamoto Limestone Neoprene, and Tech Zag thermal insulation”. The Armor Skin claims to be resistant to tears and damage from pinches, nails, stones, or even rough surfaces! Add the Hotcell Hood and you’ve got yourself a great winter proposition. Those bulletproof wetsuits used to be available for men only, but Soöruz wants it to change. Their Organic Oysterprene Women Guru Hood Chest-zip ticks all the boxes of the men’s model, but “now in Purple!” Next to this, the women’s Divine range remains their most versatile wetsuit for the ladies out there.
Another classy touch are the female specific hip pads for added comfort and support on Oxbow’s Wulexwomen43. Similarly, WIP wetsuits feature integrated knee and shin protection and the award-winning WIPEE standing pee system for women. Speaking to the subject of gender, the women’s winter wetsuits reflect the men’s ranges, beyond the female fit obviously. The printed fabrics and colorways of the summer models disappear, in favor of tech-infused black models. While Rip Curl’s Flashbomb and Ebomb wetsuits have been upgraded for FW25 (Fusion Dry Seam Technology for the Flashbomb, 100% internal seam taping for the Ebomb), we chose to focus on a staple of their range for ages, the Dawn Patrol. Even if the Dawn Patrol is the lower pricepoint, it is their “volume-driving keyshape” and a great value for money, “completely redesigned, with a streamlined look and enhanced specs”. See for yourself: upgraded interior Flashlining, FSC-certified natural rubber, oyster shell powder, and other bio-based content.
AFTER SALES: A MANDATORY SERVICE
The way brands respond to the after-life of your wetsuit is key to trigger (or not) the purchase, whether in-store or online. And this is definitely not something which can be half-assed. It all starts with durability, obviously. To show proof, Billabong offer a 2-year limited warranty on seams, all materials, labor and liquid-welded seams from the date of purchase. But ultimately, they all need some fixing due to the abuse we inflict on them: salt, sand, sun, poor cleaning, pee-pee, rip, tears, etc. Repair programs came up in almost every brand. Some chose to repair in-house (Alder), some partner with experts in the needle & sew game (Gul with Bodyline, O’Neill provide a global list of approved repair locations). Even more interesting, the repair initiative can be integrated into future product designs. Patagonia introduced its Worn Wear Tour ten years ago and has made repair programs a strong argument. The collected data provided some useful statistics. Not only their repair rate is around 90% but after seeing 5,000 wetsuits come through their doors, they learned what they had to redesign to improve their suits: ankle seams, liquid tape, stress zones, etc.
RETAILER SUPPORT
The proliferation of technologies, especially on rubber foams, demand a fine-tuned speech from retailers’ staff and education remains the #1 priority. Gul for example worked hard on imagery and assets to try and improve the conversion rate when a consumer lands on a Gul product: “Product training is a solid fixture and we have been quite generous on terms!” says Jack Knowles.
While brands offer solid digital assets, like high-quality visuals, product videos, and detailed descriptions on Neilpryde’s Mediaroom, the good ol’ counter chat cannot be beaten: “We try and visit shops a lot, especially in S.W. England. This face to face interaction helps both Alder and the retailer”, says John Westlake. Old school is the new school, mate.
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