i was asked to recommend a environmentally friendly wetsuit.
i struggle a bit with the answer some companies say they use environmentally friendly materials but i guess mostly they are using mainly the same yamamoto neoprene than the other companies giving there rubber a fancy name.
so which companies would you reckon are at the upper end in this area , i wonder
i saw one company that says its eco tex certified but quite frankly their overall marketing spiel , making the most environmentally , fastest , most buoyant , least resistance wet suit is seriously over the top …
thanks
i guess overall de soto would certainly a good place to start , now i still wonder if their wetsuit is basically a yamamoto 40 or 39
the other issue the wetsuit is for europe so an on side repair which i think they do would not really work there.
i was asked to recommend a environmentally friendly wetsuit.
i struggle a bit with the answer some companies say they use environmentally friendly materials but i guess mostly they are using mainly the same yamamoto neoprene than the other companies giving there rubber a fancy name.
so which companies would you reckon are at the upper end in this area , i wonder
i saw one company that says its eco tex certified but quite frankly their overall marketing spiel , making the most environmentally , fastest , most buoyant , least resistance wet suit is seriously over the top …
Limestone neoprene is an environmental friendly material. It also has a high micro-cell structure, catching over 30% more air inside the rubber. It also has a lower density. Advantages include a lighter, more impermeable, durable and stretchy wetsuit. AQUA GLUE
KIWAMI SWIFT uses a 100% free of hard chemicals glue. It is aqua based and completely solvent free.
It appears to be made from lime stone (more sustainable than natural rubber) and it used to be turned into foam using lots of petroleum but they switched to canola oil for eco reasons
It appears to be made from lime stone (more sustainable than natural rubber) and it used to be turned into foam using lots of petroleum but they switched to canola oil for eco reasons
this is exactly what i am trying to clarify if the makers that claim to be environmental friendly are really more environmentally friendly than usual wetsuits…
If we all make environmental choices the sum of the small parts will make a difference. If we bury or heads in the sand then the situation gets worse.
Aero nerds love to spend big bucks for negligible gains, so doing the same for a wetsuit or other products that will have a small environmental impact is a good personal choice.
To the OP I am not specifically aware of any racing wetsuits but I know there are some indie surf brands that do surf wetsuits from recycled old suits. Wonder if you track some of them down you could ask if they do race suits?
Maybe the first step is to define “environmentally friendly.” Then, find out if there are any triathlon wetsuits that are not using limestone neoprene. I think that they all are, because limestone neoprene is better suited for triathlon swim application than oil neoprene. Finally, look for any that are using natural rubber. There are some surf wetsuits using natural rubber, but I do not recall any tri wetsuits. If everyone is using limestone neoprene, then what are the next level of differentiators you would look for to satisify environmentally friendly?
If you look at the major manufacturer websuits, they all use various marketing spin about environment consciousness, but at the same time, it does not look like they are truly doing anything different from any other.
Maybe the first step is to define “environmentally friendly.” Then, find out if there are any triathlon wetsuits that are not using limestone neoprene. I think that they all are, because limestone neoprene is better suited for triathlon swim application than oil neoprene. Finally, look for any that are using natural rubber. There are some surf wetsuits using natural rubber, but I do not recall any tri wetsuits. If everyone is using limestone neoprene, then what are the next level of differentiators you would look for to satisify environmentally friendly?
If you look at the major manufacturer websuits, they all use various marketing spin about environment consciousness, but at the same time, it does not look like they are truly doing anything different from any other.
Well I guess the next level would be to use recycled materials. There seem to be surf wetsuit maker to do this but I wonder can it be done with tri wetsuits
Of course as also good customer service and have a good repairment centre as close a possible to you.
Ie DeSoto in the USA
Aquaman in France.
Quintana roo in the old days.
Well I guess the next level would be to use recycled materials. There seem to be surf wetsuit maker to do this but I wonder can it be done with tri wetsuitsThis would be a great time for Slowman to jump in and break down the current state of the tri wetsuit industry in this context. I think that neoprene is recycled, but it cannot be recycled into future wetsuits. So, it may be unlikely that wetsuit rubber is made from previous wetsuits. IIRC, the wetsuit brands do not create the neoprene, they just buy it from one of a handful neoprene makers as a textile. So understanding which neoprene creators and products may be better than others would be key. The key is to get beyond the marketing spin to true end-product differences that make a difference.
My hunch: I bet there are only 3 or 4 neoprene makers that all the wetsuit brands use. And, I bet that within those 3 or 4 neoprene makers, there are only 2 or 3 specific neoprene products that all the brands are using, so probably 12 at most different possible neoprene products used by the wetsuit brands. (I would love to have my hunch validated by someone who knows the industry.)
What is the point? Will opting for an “environmentally friendly” wetsuit actually make any measurable difference to the environment?
Maybe ST has finally reached peak woke.
How about not burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel flying back & forth to Hawai’i?
Now this one I have clear ,have the world champs one year in eastern USA ( not Clearwater…) And the other year in western Europe that would certainly be a less environmental damaging solution.
And yes in this case Kona is as good as it gets to be the worst spot in the world but I let you open another thread for this .
Here iam trying to get answers to a question I was asked , who makes the tri suit with the least environmental impact in this case for Europe.
Well I guess the next level would be to use recycled materials. There seem to be surf wetsuit maker to do this but I wonder can it be done with tri wetsuitsThis would be a great time for Slowman to jump in and break down the current state of the tri wetsuit industry in this context. I think that neoprene is recycled, but it cannot be recycled into future wetsuits. So, it may be unlikely that wetsuit rubber is made from previous wetsuits. IIRC, the wetsuit brands do not create the neoprene, they just buy it from one of a handful neoprene makers as a textile. So understanding which neoprene creators and products may be better than others would be key. The key is to get beyond the marketing spin to true end-product differences that make a difference.
My hunch: I bet there are only 3 or 4 neoprene makers that all the wetsuit brands use. And, I bet that within those 3 or 4 neoprene makers, there are only 2 or 3 specific neoprene products that all the brands are using, so probably 12 at most different possible neoprene products used by the wetsuit brands. (I would love to have my hunch validated by someone who knows the industry.)
Ok so Yamamoto and skeiko would have somewhere in the region of 90 percent in the tri market,
At the same time it’s not just the neoprene it’s the glue used .
-It’s the distances traveled
-how do manufactures repair wetsuits
-Do they take them back or support you to recycle them
Which I guess would all have an impact
So I guess it’s fair to say it’s not just the neprene .
What does “measurable difference to the environment” mean?
What does “environmentally friendly wetsuit” mean? How could anything be deemed to be environmentally friendly if you can’t show a measurable difference in outcomes for whatever environment after adoption?
LIMESTONE-BASED NEOPRENE
AQUA GLUE