Gul: Leading Sustainable Performance in Wetsuits for Over 55 Years

For over 55 years, Gul has been at the forefront of wetsuit development and remains a leading UK based performance apparel company. Since the beginning in 1967, the philosophy has been simple, to make the best product possible and support retailers at every level. It was time for Source to catch up with the brand.

Please give us a brief history of Gul

It was in the early sixties that Dennis Cross, a man with a passion for surfing, decided that enough was enough. Although he loved surfing, the waters of the Atlantic were too cold, especially in winter! He set about designing the first purpose-built wetsuit for surfers. Dennis began designing and making the first wetsuit, this first model consisted of two pieces, a jacket with beaver tail and separate trousers. This first wetsuit is rumoured to have been made in the back of his split screen camper at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. From this humble beginning, the Gul brand was born. By the early 70’s, Gul had created the ground breaking one-piece wetsuit, which was named ‘The Steamer’ due to the steam that came from your wetsuit when removing it on cold days! The term ‘Steamer’ is still used to this day to describe a full-length wetsuit. Now, over five decades later Gul continues to innovate and has become synonymous with performance, comfort and durability.

For 2026 the brand is launching a new wetsuit line, please tell us all about it

We’re very excited to introduce our first new range of wetsuits and surf accessories for over 3 years. Considering all the innovation in raw materials and the changes in the market during that time we believe our range offers retailers the most comprehensive, compelling and commercial proposition for many years.

Over 90% of the range will be made from natural rubber including the entry level G-force family so sustainable choices are not limited to those able to spend lots of money on their wetsuit. We have partnered with the new, improved Yulex 2.0 which has already proven to deliver fantastic elasticity, insulation and durability in our Dot Series centre suit (as used by Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh, Scotland).

We have made some adaptations to the families within our range which has enabled us to reduce our SKU count but increase the range of models on offer. Reducing the SKU count and keeping colours super commercial will enable us to back each line with more stock so retailers can be confident of topping up on their pre-orders

Why did you make Natural Rubber such a focus of the new line?

Simply because there is no excuse for not embracing natural rubber. The improvements in performance coupled with its affordability mean all wetsuit brands should be using it as the default raw material from now on. Yulex are the true pioneers for natural rubber as an alternative to neoprene and we are very pleased to partner with them because we know they will continue to innovate and develop their overall proposition.

What will be the USP of Gul’s new range?

We have loads to shout about but ultimately, it’s the value we offer. Loads of tech, loads of choice, great aesthetics and sustainable choices, all for very accessible price points. We will be one of the only brands offering natural rubber from entry level all the way through to competition level suits and accessories including boots, gloves and hoods.

How are you making your wetsuit offer attractive to retailers?

We want to deal directly with specialist retailers across Europe. We believe our future strategy will protect our brand equity and enable retailers to be confident they will sell a high quantity of stock for a decent profit margin. I believe it’s the confidence in sales and profit that makes Gul attractive.

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