Our story
Inspired by the sea, made for the elements.
Who makes it
Melanie Morton, in a Margaret River workshop.
Melanie makes Ocean Collective's gear by hand, cutting and stitching upcycled neoprene from retired wetsuits into covers, pouches and one-off pieces. She also repairs surf and dive wetsuits for the local area, seams, tears and zips, so the suit someone already owns can keep going a while longer.
Where the neoprene comes from
Someone else's wetsuit, first.
Every piece starts as a retired wetsuit from a local surfer, diver or swim club, dropped off around town rather than sent to landfill. Each one is collected and cleaned, then cut around the tears and worn spots to get to the neoprene that's still good. What's left is stitched by hand with marine-grade thread into something new.
Neoprene doesn't break down in landfill. Fixing the suit you've got is the most sustainable wetsuit there is.