Back in November, 2016 The Good Brine ran a post about eco innovations in wetsuit design. At the bottom of the article we mentioned a few imagined ways to give your old wetsuit a new life – including donating it to a local surf camp, or sending it to kids in Peru or South Africa. This past weekend at a board swap associated with Patagonia in Santa Cruz CA, we learned about an organization taking this concept into the real world.

Amigos Marinos is a nonprofit organization that collects, repairs, and repurposes used wetsuits by placing them in the hands of small-scale fishermen. Their mission is to provide fishermen in locations like Baja “with the tools to sustain their livelihood and protect coastal resources through education, donation, and goodwill.”

The organization runs wetsuit repair workshops to educate the communities that need them most on how to breath new life into old suits. This means that when you donate a wetsuit, it doesn’t have to be in perfect condition. It also means there is a solution for keeping your old wettie out of the landfill.

For a nominal fee Amigos Marinos also offers repairs for those who simply want more life out of their own wetsuit. Click here to view a list of costs and get information on how to submit your wetsuit for repair. Also, for a limited time, people who submit wetsuits to Amigos Marinos will be eligible to win a brand new Patagonia suit made from Yulex.

Check out the video below to see the type of work Amigos Marinos is supporting.

 

Go to this link to directly support Amigos Marinos.

sources and links:

http://www.amigosmarinos.org/wetsuit-repair/

https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/wetsuit-repair-upcycle-workshop-part-ii