The US magazine Surfers reports that Patagonia has released a redesigned line of its Yulex neoprene-free wetsuits. After searching for a way to get rid of neoprene – a synthetic rubber – since 2008, the outdoor brand released its first neoprene-free line of wetsuits in 2014, made from natural Yulex rubber. After nearly five years of development, the new 2023 wetsuits are reportedly 20 percent stretchier while being 5 percent lighter than the previous styles. Special attention has been paid to updating the shoulder area and the inner lining of the wetsuits for added comfort. The suits are also easier to repair than before, and when they finally wear out, they can now be recycled into other products.
Yulex is a company that manufactures plant-based rubber from the guayule tree. Grown in Guatemala, this natural rubber is considered a renewable non-food crop that can be grown without pesticides and requires little water, ultimately making it a more environmentally friendly product than the traditional neoprene used in most wetsuits. Hoping to get other brands on board, Patagonia and Yulex have made the eco-technology available to the rest of the surf industry, with a handful of companies, including Billabong and Finisterre, adopting it for some of their products.
