Surfs up: Environmentally friendly range of wetsuits made from limestone

The wetsuit comes in summer and winter thicknesses, and has been produced in collaboration with BeWet, using limestone polychloroprene instead of the traditional petroleum-based neoprene.

The limestone is sourced from Japan’s Mount Kurohime and processed at BeWet’s factory, itself a beacon of environmental friendliness that uses solar and hydroelectric power.

Limestone, although an unconventional material for creating wetsuits, is not less suited to the challenging conditions faced by surfers. The limestone polychloroprene enables surfers to maintain higher core body temperatures while providing greater flexibility than neoprene. There is also a pleasing symmetry to the idea that the limestone, plankton that has compacted and solidified over millions of years, is returning to the ocean.

Surfing has been gaining in popularity as an urbanite’s form of escape. In the age of Body Temples surfing provides an appealing escape from the city while offering a challenging physical experience to match any inner city bootcamp or gym. With a new-found aesthetic, clothing brands such as Vissla are recreating the parameters of waterwear.

For more on the intellectual approach to surfwear, read our City Surf microtrend