Finisterre have completely redesigned their wetsuit range, introducing their new Shearwater wetsuits for AW26. Shaped by decades of cold-water experience, material innovation and extensive testing by its community of surfers.
A complete reworking of one of the brand’s key surf products, the new Shearwater has been refined through years of cold-water surfing and product development, alongside extensive field testing by Finisterre’s community of surfers, divers and ocean goers.
Designed around movement, warmth and ease of use, the new Shearwater brings together a new YKK U-Zip entry system, revised seam construction, considered panel-by-panel foam thickness and an updated fit, all developed to perform in the conditions where cold-water wetsuits are put to the test.
The AW26 Shearwater also marks a new chapter in Finisterre’s natural rubber wetsuit development, moving away from Yulex® to OCENA® by SHEICO, a high-bio-based, petroleum-free natural rubber foam developed as an alternative to traditional neoprene. Made using natural rubber sourced from Hevea trees, OCENA® brings a new material technology to the Shearwater, alongside a complete rethink of its construction for cold-water surfing.
The new Shearwater has been designed with the movement of the body at its centre. Curved, S-shaped seams through the arms and legs allow greater stretch when putting the suit on and taking it off, while also supporting freedom of movement once in the water. Unnecessary seams have been reduced, particularly around the shoulders, to minimise restriction during paddling and surfing.
The suit also uses narrower 10mm tape around the arms, shoulders and legs, with wider 15mm tape through the chest, back, crotch and knees, balancing flexibility across areas of greater movement with the construction required elsewhere. Foam thickness has been considered panel by panel, with lighter foam through the shoulders, arms and lower legs helping to reduce overall weight and support easier movement when changing and surfing.
For the first time, Finisterre has introduced a YKK U-Zip entry system across the Shearwater range. The wider opening makes getting in and out of the wetsuit easier, while the surrounding construction has been developed to maintain performance once zipped up. A 360-degree internal barrier and strategically positioned drainage holes are designed to help reduce water entering through the zip opening.
The Shearwater builds on Finisterre’s 25-year history of cold-water surfing, with wetsuits constructed for the coldest lineups. A larger lumbar pad provides additional coverage around the lower back, while updated drainage-hole placement helps water move through and out of the suit. For the hooded styles, the hood construction has also been redeveloped, with a double-lined hood and cinch-cord adjuster for a considered fit around the head and face.
Available in 4mm and 5mm options, the Shearwater is designed for the realities of winter surfing, when warmth, flexibility and fit become essential to every session.
The Shearwater was put through its paces by Finisterre’s community throughout the year, with ambassadors and friends of the brand testing the redesigned suits in real winter conditions. From the cold waters of the North Atlantic to sessions further afield, the suits were tested session after session, with feedback focused on the things that matter most in the water: getting in and out, flexibility, fit and performance. The response helped refine the final construction, with testers consistently highlighting the improvements across the redesigned suit.
“We approached this wetsuit as a complete rethink rather than simply an update. We spent a lot of time looking at how the suit moves with the body – where seams were restricting movement, how much stretch was needed when getting in and out, and where we could reduce weight without compromising the construction.
The U-Zip was a big part of that. It gives you a much wider opening, but the surrounding construction had to work with it, so we looked at the internal barrier, drainage and the way the seams move across the shoulders, arms and legs as one system.
Introducing OCENA® also represents an important step in how we approach wetsuit materials. We wanted to continue exploring natural rubber alternatives to conventional neoprene while ensuring the material worked alongside the performance demands of a cold-water suit.”, Mary Taylor, Head of Product Development at Finisterre.
Finisterre has been surfing the waters around its Cornish home for decades. Winter conditions are cold, wild and demanding, and it is through those conditions that the brand has developed its approach to wetsuit design.
The Shearwater is shaped by that experience, alongside the knowledge and feedback of the surfers who put Finisterre products to work throughout the year. The new AW26 Shearwater represents a complete rethink of the suit, bringing together changes across its entry system, seams, fit, foam construction, material technology and hood to create a wetsuit designed around the realities of cold-water surfing.
Because cold water doesn’t compromise. Neither do our Shearwater wetsuits.
THE FINISTERRE FOUNDATION WETSUIT PROJECT: Since 1 April 2024, Finisterre UK Ltd has donated 3% of revenue from every sale of a surf-specific wetsuit to The Finisterre Foundation CIC’s Wetsuit Project. The Shearwater is included within this commitment, with the donation restricted to the Wetsuit Project, which provides adaptive wetsuits to people facing barriers to accessing the ocean.
Every Shearwater sold contributes 3% of its revenue to the project, helping support greater access to the water.
The redesigned Shearwater launches October 20th, 2026 in select Finisterre stores and online, available exclusively in black.
Shearwater 4mm Hoodless – $449.95
Shearwater 4mm Hooded – $469.95
Shearwater 5mm Hooded – $499.95
ABOUT FINISTERRE
Born from the needs of hardy British surfers, Finisterre makes enduring outdoor wear for an inspired life in and around the sea.
It started in 2003 with an innovative fleece that was designed to keep out chill winds and warm up cold bodies. Since these early days, driven by those who have jumped onboard, the brand and product has widened beyond these original beginnings.
Yet from their cliff top workshop in Cornwall, they stay true to their original design ethos of functionality and sustainability brought to life in an understated style and identity.
Website: finisterre.com
