What Exactly Is This Yulex Stuff Patagonia Is Using to Make Neoprene Free Wetsuits?

What was Yulex? And how exactly did it mean making wetsuits in a more sustainable way.

Dylan Heyden, Associate Editor, The Intertia

I remember standing in front of a group of stakeholders from the plantation, and Ramón [Navarro] and Otto [Flores] held up a wetsuit,” said Hub Hubbard, Patagonia’s wetsuit development manager. “‘You can make this out of natural rubber,’ they said. And the people were amazed.”

Seeing where the material was being produced with his own eyes was an incredibly affirming experience, says Hub. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

With the surf world trending green, Hub predicts that other companies will jump on board the natural rubber train boasting a more sustainable option. But the FSC certification is important, and not all will have that. “Natural rubber is certainly better than neoprene,” he says, “but the FSC certification our wetsuits have means its the most sustainable wetsuit we can make.”

Read entire article at The Intertia