History
During the 1920s the increasing demand for natural rubber led to higher and higher prices, sparking a search for an equivalent synthetic rubber. It was during 1930 that a chemist in DuPont's fundamental research group created neoprene. DuPont discontinued the Duprene trade name in 1937 in favour of the generic term "neoprene".
It wasn’t until the 50’s people started experimenting with the concept of using a layer of ‘rubber’ to insulate them from the water . But at that time neoprene was weak, tore easily and was hard to put on. The lamination of fabric to neoprene in the 1960s resolved this problem and led to the modern wetsuits we use today.
It was Hugh Bradner a physicist from the University of California. Berkeley figured out that a layer of water between your skin and the neoprene of the wetsuit could actually keep you warm. The air pockets in the Neoprene material holds the water, which is quickly warmed by body temperature then continues to stay warm due to the proximity to the proximity to your skin, making the conductive properties of water built into the fabric of neoprene. That’s why it is called a “wetsuit”. This means that it the wetsuit is too big then the water will flow in and out of it without giving it a chance to warm up from your body heat. Same goes if it I too tight because then water wont be able to get in, and yes you will be warmish from the fabric but it is the water that really keep you warm.
The 1960s also saw a new type of neoprene pioneered by Japan's Yamamoto Corporation. Instead of traditional oil-based neoprene, Yamamoto developed special technology to convert the calcium carbonate from limestone into chloroprene rubber chips, producing limestone neoprene (that Seventhwave use today).
http://www.seventhwave.co.nz/wetsuits101/neoprene+info.html
Lifespan of wetsuits
Short answer is there isn’t one. The conditions wetsuits are subject to are so extreme and varied that there isn’t a way to quantify it. i.e some people while at work leave their wetsuit outside on a bush to fry. Some people their wetsuit lasts 1 season and potentially 2 of you’re a hard core surfer (more then 3 sessions a week).
http://www.surfline.com/wetsuit/forumquestions/12_lifespan.cfm
Others say that a good wetsuit from a quality manufacturer should last anywhere from 4- 10 years depending on how heavily you use it. Cheaper brands don’t have the same construction and may only last a season (1 year) before zippers etc become an issue.
How can wetsuits be cleaned?
Swimming in salt water can comprimise the neoprene and weaken the material and create pithing (peeling of the exterior layer) affecting the life span. So the way to treat it is to rinse with fresh water after using and occasionally put it in a tub of cold water. You can rinse with a standard garden hose since the point to this exercise is to replace the neoprene cells with fresh water before the suit dries.
Storage and transportation:
‘Most of the damaged wetsuits we see are not from overuse or swimming wear, but rather from the wetsuits being damaged while not in use.
Make sure when storing that it is in a dark place, cool, dry place. Away from sharp objects that could potentially puncture the wetsuit. If you do hang your wetsuit be mindful as a poor job can make a seam loose.
http://completetri.com/how-long-should-a-wetsuit-last/
How is neoprene bad for the environment?Neoprene is a highly polluting artificial rubber that takes ‘over 100 years (and the rest) to break down’ due to its insulating properties. Ultimately when a wetsuit is no longer useful it either heads to the landfill or the incinerator, both being a process that releases toxic fumes, gases and toxins into the environment.
http://raglansurf.com/Blog/What-to-do-with-your-old-wetsuits-recycle-them-
Alternatives?
Eco friendly wetsuits made from natural rubber and plant-based synthetics.
http://www.picture-organic-clothing.com/the-most-eco-friendly-wetsuit-ever
http://www.patagonia.com/yulex-natural-rubber-wetsuits.html
Material qualities and characteristics
All companies have a 1 year warranty on materials and some include lifetime on workmanship as 999 times out of 1000 it’s the materials that deteriorate first.
It is a synthetic rubber (oil based version) with its characateristic being ‘durable, flexible, insulative, wrinkle, water and uv resistant. Neoprene is made through a process called polymerization using chloroprene. Neoprene gets its properties of being cool, spongy, and insulating from the nitrogen gas that gets ‘baked’ into it which creates the tiny air pockets making the foam.
There are different versions of Neoprene foams, for example, in a Truli Wetsuit they often use a "S-Foam", which is softer, stretchier and easier to put-on and take-off. But for Neoprene items that require heavy durability like kayak skirts or boots and orthopedic items, the "K-Foam" would be more appropriate.
Some designers consider this a easy fabric to work with because it doesn’t fray or slip and it doesn’t need lining.
With good quality wetsuits and by taking care of them, the higher quality the more technologically advance the materials become making the construction more likely to give way before the material does.
If a wetsuit is punctured a simple and quick solution is repairing it with a wetsuit repair cream.
Some Neoprene, such as the ones used in a Truli Wetsuit, are not synthetically made, but rather manufactured from natural resources. These types of Neoprene are said to be more environmentally friendly. Truli Wetsuits uses natural rubber that comes from a rubber tree. Using natural rubber is an alternative to the synthetic rubber most wetsuits use that are derived from petrochemicals. Other companies are creating Neoprene using properties from the world's limestone resources. As the demands for eco-friendly and green manufacturing processes grow, so does the incentive for manufacturers to explore improved ways to create Neoprene or a wetsuit fabric that is high performance and responsibly manufactured.
https://www.truliwetsuits.com/blogs/wetsuit-blog/everything-youve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-neoprene-scuba-diving-wetsuits-but-didn-t-know-to-ask
Different wetsuit colours, looks, feels and fuction are due to a range of reasons i.e.
Laminated Nylon and Polyester:
This is fused to the exterior of wetsuits onto the neoprene creating a shiny appearance. This on tri wetsuits are called ‘glide’.
If a wetsuit is punctured a simple and quick solution is repairing it with a wetsuit repair cream.
Some Neoprene, such as the ones used in a Truli Wetsuit, are not synthetically made, but rather manufactured from natural resources. These types of Neoprene are said to be more environmentally friendly. Truli Wetsuits uses natural rubber that comes from a rubber tree. Using natural rubber is an alternative to the synthetic rubber most wetsuits use that are derived from petrochemicals. Other companies are creating Neoprene using properties from the world's limestone resources. As the demands for eco-friendly and green manufacturing processes grow, so does the incentive for manufacturers to explore improved ways to create Neoprene or a wetsuit fabric that is high performance and responsibly manufactured.
https://www.truliwetsuits.com/blogs/wetsuit-blog/everything-youve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-neoprene-scuba-diving-wetsuits-but-didn-t-know-to-ask
Different wetsuit colours, looks, feels and fuction are due to a range of reasons i.e.
Laminated Nylon and Polyester:
This is fused to the exterior of wetsuits onto the neoprene creating a shiny appearance. This on tri wetsuits are called ‘glide’.
Sublimation
This is a similar process to silk screen printing but is usually for logos or small symbols.
Stitching
Blind Stitching stops the chafing that usually occurs from Flatlock Stitching. Blind Stitching is a lot more secure than Flatlock and requires more effort to put together, which is why you will find that wetsuits using Blind Stitching are usually a bit higher in price. Blind Stitching takes 2 pieces of Neoprene and first glues the edges directly together. In addition to that secure fastening, the pieces are additionally sewn together, but in a different way than Flatlocked Stitching. During a Blind Stitch, the needle does a stitch that enters the neoprene halfway through. This means that the needle does not puncture holes completely through the Neoprene. This results in a waterproof seal that is super strong as well as flexible. For an extra strong connection, Blind Stitching can happen from both the top and the bottom. This is the type of stitching that is now used on all of the finished Truli Wetsuit products.
Secure seams
A durable and strong wetsuit like Truli Wetsuits, will have some extra security where multiple pieces of the wetsuit are joined together. As well, on any end points on the outside of the wetsuit where threading could come loose, a tiny dollop of extra glue is added to preserve the integrity of those points.
Common causes of wetsuit problems:
Used in a rough manner zippers or Velcro may be damaged beyond repair.
Used in salty or chlorinated water without being thoroughly rinsed after.
Or a tear which grows beyond repair.
Putting a wetsuit in the sun makes it prone to cracking and tearing and breaks down the wetsuit.
Waste:
In 2006, Rip Curl launched a research program into the recycling of neoprene. They wanted to find some kind of use for old wetsuits, and for the production off-cuts, which constitute about 150 tons of waste per year.
Current uses:
Neoprene has been used commonly as knee braces and believed to be as effective as a hard sided functional brace for people who have damaged ligaments (ACL) or reconstruction.
Researcher have succeeded in using neoprene caps to keep cancer patients’ scalps cool, which then reduces hair loss during chemotherapy.
How organizations recycled wetsuits:
Neocombine- After collection the wetsuits are washed with a biodegradable anti bacterial agent and carefully dried in the sun (reducing electricity). They are then cut into small templates of different colours and printed on to using an ‘ancient’ screen printing technique with water based non toxic ink. Once printed and cut again into small straps (that will later become a bracelet) and they are sewn by hand using cross-stitch. They also create luggage tags.
Rip Curl launched “Project Resurrection” in July '07 by collecting wetsuits that had come to the end of their life and created espadrilles and jandals. The Resurrection Espadrille was made with an organic cotton upper, printed with Öko-test certified ink, a sole made of “resurrection rubber”, and a limited distribution zone. The collections took place on-site at the Rip Curl Pro event in Hossegor-Seignosse and in Rip Curl Pro Stores. More than 400 kilos of neoprene were collected. Wetsuits which were still usable were given to young surfers in Morocco via Rip Curl Maroc.
A portion of the remaining neoprene was chopped up and used as filling for beanbags, whose outer-shells were made out of old Rip Curl event banners. These one-off, designer beanbags were auctioned off on the Internet during the Rip Curl Pro WQS 6* with all the proceeds donated to the Surfrider Foundation.
Potential products we could make:
-Surfing change mat- allows you to change in and out of your wet ger on the mat and then use a draw string to convert it into a wet bag
-Neoprene jandals - https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/recycled-rubber-flip-flops , http://www.ecosandals.com
-Surfboard travel bag
-Daypack
-Cooling bag
-Wallet
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