Californian wetsuit and tri apparel specialist De Soto Clothing Inc has pioneered an alternative to petroleum-based wetsuits. Until recently all triathlon wetsuits have been made of petroleum-based neoprene. Billed as a first in the industry to introduce limestone rubber into triathlon wetsuits, all T1 Wetsuits now incorporate GreenGoma limestone rubber technology.
According to De Soto, GreenGoma rubber offers better stretch, buoyancy, durability and insulation with a more closed-cell injected construction thus making it 98.9% water impermeable. So it is reportedly lighter; it dries quicker, and lasts longer. The only part of the rubber that gets wet is the new stretch liner that is now made of recycled post consumer products.
“We have seamlessly replaced one rubber with another that is better,” said company founder, Emilio De Soto. “It is more buoyant, it helps you swim faster, and it lasts longer. If nothing else were to change, we are selling a better-performing product with less detriment to the environment, which is always our goal.”
De Soto added, “This news has been months in the making and it is exciting to finally be able to announce it. It is very timely given the new year and our ongoing changes at our company to become more socially responsible. But let’s be realistic; both petroleum and limestone are nonrenewable resources and expend pollution and waste to refine into a finished product.
“So for anyone to claim that a limestone wetsuit is ‘green’ is just not true; at least not yet. The idea of trying to create a greener wetsuit has inspired us to change to recycled interior fabrics with no VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) dyes and adhesives. We are currently working with YKK to develop a wetsuit zipper made of recycled plastic bottles.
“For now, the most obvious form of sustainability is simply that we have created a wetsuit that will perform better and last longer. We feel this is a great beginning. Before any of us can swim 2.4 miles, we first need to get across the length of a pool. When it comes to making a greener triathlon wetsuit, we are the first to dive in.”
