Patagonia wetsuit history

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, describes himself as a “reluctant businessman”, that’s part of the sub title of his book Let my people go surfing. Despite this he’s been at the helm of a successful company with only relatively minor setbacks (big layoffs in 1991 being the worst) when many of the bigger companies like Billabong and Quiksilver have suffered.

It’s pretty cool that a company like Patagonia exist in the surfing industry. They represent the values that many surf brands claim to subscribe to but actually don’t.

Patagonia wetsuits came along fairly recently in the brands life cycle and anyone who has one buys into the image of the brand a lot more than any other surf brand.

Patagonia wetsuit innovations

Their climbing heritage meant Patagonia wetsuits were well placed to tackel the cold water area. They use Merino wool to line their winter wetsuits, offering a more eco friendly alternative to the man made fluffy fibres used by most other brands.

They use an arguably out of date neck closure system which is open on both sides, rather than being closed on one shoulder. But I’m assured by people who use the wetsuits that they work just fine.

Personally I haven’t used a Patagonia wetsuit, but I do have a waterproof jacket, which is great, and I know a couple of people who use them and are very happy with them.

Patagonia wetsuit sponsorship

Patagonia wetsuit warranty

Patagonia have the simplest warranty out of any wetsuit manufacturer, it says simply:

Warranty cover anything that appears to have failed under normal use, such as a torn seam or a broken zipper. We do not charge for warranty repairs.

To make a warranty claim you fill in the form on their website.