Now that we are stateside, it was good to catch up with Seth Williams Buddy Pendergast, Hub Hubbard Mackenzie Warner & Gilberto at Patagonia's Wetsuit Forge (tribute to Yvon Chouinard’s blacksmith days and Patagonia origins). I was keen on learning first-hand how years of learnings from wetsuit repair (and not just theirs) influenced the new Patagonia Regulator wetsuit design that is getting awesome reviews. And no, the Yulex foam is unchanged from other Patagonia wetsuits, so it's not the natural rubber foam. I am a big fan of repairing garments to extend their life. So watching Gilberto and Dulce, expert’s at their craft, easily cut out damaged panels on a wetsuit and replace it with an upgraded panel with ease was cool. I'm also a big fan of modular designs like removable panels that increase accessibility, making repairs easier, thereby reducing downtime for the consumer/surfer, and extending life of the garment. Still, no one wants to replace the lower back seat panel which is large (relatively - no body shaming there) and makes for a more expensive repair. Hence, the Wetsuit Forge made prototypes and tested (surf) different panels for comfort and durability. To improve stretch, they switched out recycled polyester for recycled nylon (again same Yulex foam). To improve thermal regulation in these cold waters (just me?), they changed the structural integrity from flatlock to GBS seams in the chest panel and an improved zipper. And based on the reviews, all these iterative changes have been applauded. So, stay curious folks… always things to learn and improve on. 10 second video with the Patagonia Wetsuit Forge crew (Gilberto, Hub, Jeff, Seth, Buddy, Mackenzie, and Liz) in front of the Forge, and Gilberto expert wetsuit repair skills. #wetsuit #naturalrubber #patagonia #regulator #repair
Always great to see you guys!
Keynote Speaker, B-Corp Advocate, 1% For the Planet member since 2002- Podcast Host - Stories From the Trailer on Spotify
6moNice line up ! My hats off to Gilberto and Dulce for leading the wetsuit world with innovation, hard work and grace!