Press Release:
Designed for Warmer Water, the New R1 Wetsuit is made with 2mm Limestone-Based Neoprene and is Lined with Recycled Polyester and Spandex – The Highest Recycled Content of any Wetsuit on the Market.
VENTURA, Calif. (April, 2012) — Patagonia Inc., the outdoor apparel company, will debut the new R1 wetsuit for the Spring 2012 season. Patagonia’s surf designers and product developers have worked closely with the company’s surf ambassadors to build a new collection of lighter weight R1 suits to keep the user comfortable in warmer waters.
The new R1 wetsuit has the highest recycled content of any wetsuit on the market. The company carefully makes each suit by hand with limestone-based neoprene and recycled Regulator grid fleece that is non-bio based.
“Feedback from surfers all over the world was that our current suits were just too warm,” notes Jason McCaffrey, Patagonia director of surf, “We figured that if we took everything we knew about building suits for cold water and applied it to warm water while maintaining the attention to detail that makes our suits best in class, we could offer a suit that doesn’t currently exist in the market.”
The R1 wetsuit pushes the limit from a design, material and patterning perspective, and uses the most environmentally-friendly fabrics available. Recycled polyester is a clean, low-energy intensive fiber to use and make, and this particular wetsuit fabric does not exist anywhere else on the market and was developed specifically for this suit.
The outside of the suit is made from almost entirely recycled polyester, and the lining of the suit is 50% recycled polyester blended with spandex. The core of the suit is insulated, while the arms and legs are un-insulated for better paddling flexibility – a direct request from the company’s surf ambassadors.
“With the R1 you have a much thinner wetsuit, but it is still really warm,” notes Chris Malloy, Patagonia surf ambassador, “The suit is super flexible, and it is perfect for spots in California, Hawaii and Australia where you are not dealing with frigid conditions.”
The R1 suit will be available for men in back-zip short-sleeved and long-sleeved full and spring options, and for women in back-zip long-sleeved full and spring options. For more details on the creation of the R1 suit and behind-the-scenes footage of Patagonia’s design and development team as they work on the suit, click here: Watch “R1® Wetsuits” Video at Patagonia Video Gallery.
About Patagonia
Patagonia, Inc., based in Ventura, California, is a leading designer of core outdoor, surf and sport-related apparel, equipment, footwear and accessories. With sales last year of $414M, the company is noted internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism, contributing over $43M in cash and in-kind donations to date. Incorporating environmental respo
nsibility into product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line.
Committed to making its products landfill-free, the company’s entire product line is recyclable thorough its Common Threads Initiative. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine’s April 2007 cover. www.patagonia.com
