Wetsuits SS16 Trend Report

O’neill

European winters are long and we’re always happy to be able to get back into our 3/2 or 2/2 wetsuit, depending on where you surf. As always, wetsuit manufacturers have plenty of product innovation stories to tell for next summer, and Francois Applagnat has delved deep to help you work out what’s going to work on your order forms for SS16.

WHAT’S NEW FOR SS16
Thanks to a rich history of wetsuit design, customers have become accustomed to expecting the world from their wetsuit. The market craves innovation and each wetsuit brand closely monitors upcoming trends in surfing and then conducts the required research and development in close collaboration with their suppliers. More and more brands are considering neoprene products as an extension of their ranges, especially in bikinis, such as the Alana Blanchard range from Rip Curl. Now that digital technology allows for printing on all types of materials, there are more opportunities for making crossovers between clothing design and neoprene design.

“The wetsuit market in the Spring/Summer season is so much bigger than in the Fall/Winter season so you have to have products that appeal to a greater range of requirements and tastes,” Joe Turnbull from O’Neill Wetsuits confirms.

Zipless wetsuits are a dominant feature for Ion Wetsuits and the brand will also introduce products that are more fashion orientated such as their Muse range that goes from “sporty to sexy”, as Carlo Rauen, the brand’s product developer tells us. Wetsuits without zips are trending hard but we’ll still be seeing back-zips for entry-level products. 3/2 and 2/2mm are the most common thicknesses for SS16 but Donovan Marais, Chief Executive at Derevko Wetsuits, is breaking the mould with their versatile new 2.5mm steamer, although he admits: “Our biggest market is still with Fall/Winter wetsuits, and accounts for 80% of our business.”

Quiksilver

Brunotti’s Marketing Director Franck Uyt den Bogaard: “This year Brunotti launched a new and complete range of hardware and soft-goods under the Brunotti RDP collection.” Franck explains that the RDP (Rider Developed Product) range is expanding, and while last year there were only two products available, now you can choose from 10 different products. At Tiki International trends are less important than function and there is more demand for customers to have the same products as the pro riders. Onda Wetsuits are also working closely with their riders to improve their next range of products.

Benoit Brecq from Madness is working specifically with surf schools and offers Evolution wetsuits with a very good fit for an entry-level product.

MATERIALS AND INNOVATION
Innovation is a concept interpreted differently by each brand. While some are working more on fashion trends, product designers are predominantly developing new materials with the help of (mostly Asian) suppliers. So there are different solutions to the challenges of innovation.

Joe from O’Neill Wetsuits explains the properties of Technobutter2, their super light neoprene that absorbs minimal water. While their first version of Technobutter was a commercial hit, the second version has allowed for further improvements to technical properties.

Rip Curl is currently manufacturing E4, “the most stretchy, lightweight material on the market,” as Rip Curl Wetsuits Product Manager Borja Torres tells us. At Brunotti, weight reduction is their primary objective. Alder are also playing with the neoprene they used in their top models: “Water repellent fabric (WRF) is making a huge difference to weight and warmth. A detail which nobody sees is the neoprene foam itself, we now use lighter foam with more stretch for our Evo Fire and Luxe models,” as John Westlake Production Director tells us.

Madness

Carlo from Ion Wetsuits is introducing a new seam next year called Maki to improve stretch. Whereas for Patricia Siepel, Product Designer at Jobe, “We follow many fashion trends. Fashion gets more important for us.”

As we’ve seen with Patagonia’s Yulex, the issue of ecology has become a very important point. Phil Bridges from Tiki International is “proud to introduce PAH free, limestone neoprene with aqua based glue lamination. It’s a big step towards an ecologically responsible, realistically affordable neoprene”. He adds that he is already selling a zip free, quick drying model that is used and approved by big wave pro Andrew Cotton.

The major innovation for Madness in SS16 is in their Unlimited range; the ‘Donut Cuff’ system that prevents water entering at the wrist. Billabong Brand Manager François Liets comments on the Furnace lining already used in the Fall/Winter range, which dries quickly to allow surfers to have several sessions per day.

For James at Circle One, the new materials developed by the brand are the premium SCR and the Xtend, a quick drying top-of-the-range lining. At Quiksilver, we find thermal DryFlight lining between FN Lite neoprene, Red Seal technology and flush lock seals that allow you to drain the suit through the wrists. An interesting development worth a mention at Gul is the Flexor with its H10 sole for optimal grip and flex. And finally Onda’s super light material is the RS with a 3/2 weighing in at just 1kg.

Rip Curl

MULTIPLE SESSIONS
When the ocean’s temperature heats up during spring and especially summer, it’s great to be able to spend more time in the water and have several sessions. The days are longer so there’s every opportunity to get back in the water several times in one day. As mentioned previously, wetsuit manufacturers have to factor this into their recipes when cooking up a new product. The designer also has to strike the right balance between a flexible and durable material. The seams are less important than they are for Fall/Winter when the water is colder but products must be stretchy yet sturdy.

Mark Brown, C-Skins Technical Director explains the brand’s Dryknit tech which provides great thermal and drying properties: “C-Skins’ exclusive Dryknit lining has been developed for four seasons now and has been a huge success for its thermal and fast dry properties. Drying time is approximately 20 minutes, so it makes it easier to get in the water for multiple surfs during the same day.” And Alder use their FDL (Fast Drying Lining), which they claim dries in 15 minutes.

Carlo from Ion Wetsuits recommends their Plush lining for multiple sessions and fast drying. For Patricia at Jobe and Phil from Tiki International, it’s important to dry very quickly and they have improved these properties further for next year. In Rip Curl’s range, you can choose between the Freeflex and the E4 according to their flexibility/durability ratio. Brunotti simply opt to absorb less water. Along the same lines, the Technobutter2 jersey from O’Neill absorbs 30% less water than classic jerseys, allowing them to dry quicker, which is the key for a day of many sessions.

The less tired we get the more we can surf – the perfect fit is becoming very important for brands like O’Neill, Rip Curl and Madness. It’s also important to avoid creating irritation and the inside lining is the key material. “Particular attention is paid to the ‘ease of movement’ in the strategic paddle-zones”, says James at Circle One. “Intelligent seam placement enables the neoprene to do its job of stretching where needed most (underarm and shoulder).”

STRETCH VS DURABILITY
When you are using lighter neoprene there is a balance to be struck when looking to achieve more stretch because it means the material wears quicker. Customers are always on the hunt for a bargain and with more competition between brands than ever before, they are forced to offer better prices. For Ion Wetsuits, they use special Ninja_knees and the Ninja_spine for an extra stretch sequence around the knees and on the back. For Patricia at Jobe: “On the inside of the seams we use critical point savers on each point where there’s a lot of tension.”

Phil from Tiki International explains how durability is one of their quality control criteria, particularly for certain joints or stress points. Joe at O’Neill Wetsuits has a suitable solution with the S seam that reinforces the join and enhances stretch. The stretch is the starting point of comfort for Benoit at Madness and he believes it should be pushed to the max to achieve the most comfort possible.

Gul

“With regards to durability, we have implemented rubber stress point reinforcement to offer our customers even more longevity out of their wetsuit”, explains Abby Millar at Osprey.

For Derevko, Donovan explains that simplicity is key: “We use a very minimal seam placement, with only four major panels – less seams = more stretch! For durability, we use our G5 neoprene which has proven to provide the ultimate mix of stretch and durability.”

COLOURS
While in Fall/Winter colours remain dark, next Summer’s collections will bring brighter colours and even fluoro to the fold. “We’ve seen big changes in recent years with bigger, bolder, brighter and even fluorescent colours popping up in the market,” explains Abby from Osprey. Derevko’s flashy green is now acknowledged as far afield as Australia and South Africa as the brand’s signature.

Ion Wetsuits and Circle One subtly modify their hues from winter to summer, with Ion using a mixture of dark grey, red and orange while Circle One modifies their Pacific blue and fire red between seasons. Patricia at Jobe is using some bright colours and digital prints from photos to give a unique look. Wetsuits for women are a growing market and you will find them coordinated with bikinis at Rip Curl and O’Neill. Benoit at Madness knows that customers are looking for black wetsuits with touches of bright, flashy colours like yellow, which he is already pushing this season. Paolo from Onda Wetsuits is sticking with black, while Brunotti go with dark red and dark blue.

C-Skins ensure they offer different sexes and age groups colour pallets that suit their needs: “A very eclectic mix: Brights for juniors, women’s see some cool sublimation graphics combined with neons. Men get solid block tonal colours and all are finished with sophisticated minimalist logo detailing,” as Mark tells us.

François Liets at Billabong employs brights such as orange and yellow for their Furnace suit, while he also uses on-trend colours and patterns including: “Some Marrakesh prints. They are definitely brighter for the kids range with orange, mango and fluoro lime. For girls we have some very nice flower prints for the surf capsule”.

ION

HIGHLIGHT PRODUCTS
While all brands supply a range full of wetsuits for all watermen (and ladies), each brand has a flagship suit or collection to boast about. Ion Wetsuits are shouting about their zipless wetsuit with the Ninja seam thanks to their improvements in its weight and stretch.

“A Honolulu 2mm Patina, the most feminine wetsuit out there, a short, sexy design with long sleeves” will be on top of the pile at Jobe. For Tiki International, the Zepha ZF combines the maximum amount of stretch and warmth with a dry lined, zip-free interior like for the Zepha 2, constituted mostly of flex plus.

Between the PsychoOne, the PsychoFreak and PsychoTech, O’Neill Wetsuits have plenty on show with Technobutter2 offering supreme stretch and featherlike weight.

For Madness Wetsuits, the Unlimited shorty for women with a slender cut and flashy colours will be their highlight of the season. They have also developed Lycra shorties for kids with bright colours so that parents can easily keep an eye on them on the beach. François Liets from Billabong selects the Furnace Pro 302 and the Spring Salty Days in the surf capsule collection as their key stories for SS16.

Eleven8 frontal zip and the Icon pieces are leading the charge for Circle One, with the latest SCR super stretch material (4-way stretch), the Ultraseal and the LGS seal with a water drainage system to retain as little water as possible. The Oracle for men and the Omnitron for women with pink camouflage shows camo is still alive and kicking for SS16. These wetsuits combine long-lasting adhesives and blind seams with quickdry technology.

At Quiksilver, the AG47 is top dog in the men’s collection as is the XY capsule in the women’s. Gul’s top-of-the-range piece is constructed with Gul’s X Flex neoprene providing 150% more stretch according to the brand’s commercial director Mike Pickering.

OVERVIEW
The Spring/Summer wetsuit market is booming and ranges are constantly adding and updating functions and features. Zipless wetties have become a very strong trend for most brands and everyone is working on new materials in-house or with their suppliers.

To accommodate multiple sessions in one day, brands are offering stretchy, long-lasting products, and more quick-drying linings than ever before. Fit and seam placement improves every year to bring more comfort and durability. Competitive pricing has become an important factor and each brand has to strike the best compromise between price and durability.

Fluoro and bright colours will be strong trends. Women’s wetsuits will be accessorised to link in with fashion and will have a large choice of prints while remaining functional and ‘sexy’.

HIGHLIGHTS

Zipless
Fluoro and brights
Multiple surf session
Smart seam placement