The Big Sea: Your wetsuit is poisonous

Imagine this: you’re standing on the beach early in the morning, North Sea waves crashing in front of you, you put on your trusty neoprene wetsuit – your second skin against that fresh morning chill. Pure freedom. But wait a minute: that same wetsuit carries a pretty dark secret. People thousands of miles away are paying a high price for our love of neoprene. Bizarre? Definitely. Time to wake up, surfers, because we’re diving deep into ‘The Big Sea’, a confronting documentary that puts your wetsuit in a completely different light.

We met The Big Sea filmmakers Chris Nelson and Lewis Arnold at the HAVEN Surf Film Festival in Antwerp, where this important film was first shown to the Belgian public. As Belgian Surf Media, we feel it is our duty to spread this message. And we are not the only ones: Filip, owner of HAVEN Surf Shop, decided resolutely to no longer offer neoprene wetsuits in his shop.

The Big Sea:

Neoprene – our faithful friend, turns out to be a silent killer

Yep, neoprene is toxic. It’s that simple. The stark reality presented by filmmakers Chris Nelson and Lewis Arnold is clear: neoprene (officially called chloroprene rubber) is carcinogenic and is made using an extremely harmful chemical process. It’s no coincidence that the only factory in America that produces neoprene is located in “Cancer Alley,” an industrial area in Louisiana notorious for its shockingly high cancer rates. People who live there have a fifty-fold higher risk of developing cancer than average. Fifty times! Let that sink in the next time you zip up your suit.

From sugar plantations to chemical disasters

St. John's Parish, where the plant is located, has a long history of social inequality. Once sugar plantations, now chemical plants that burden the African American community with toxic emissions. This is not only an environmental crisis, but also a clear example of environmental racism and social inequality.

Greenwashing in the surfing world

Surfing has a clean, green image – after all, we surfers are the guardians of the ocean, right? But the reality is different in The Big Sea. Limestone neoprene, sold as an eco-friendly alternative, unfortunately turns out to be exactly the same crap, just with a better marketing campaign. As Dr. Sarah Gerhardt, chemist and big-wave surfer, clearly states: whether it comes from oil or limestone, neoprene is still neoprene, and therefore still toxic.

Chris and Lewis, creators of The Big Sea, told us on our Surfers Ear Podcast about the immense resistance from the surf industry to facing the truth. Still, they persevere, because, as Chris said, "We all have a part of the responsibility. It's about the choices we make."

Wake-up call for the surfing world

The filmmakers juxtapose harrowing images: relaxed surfers in their wetsuits with residents of Cancer Alley struggling with cancer, asthma and other health issues. Well, surfers, our stoke turns out to have a bitter aftertaste. As Chris Nelson so aptly put it during our conversation: “When you hear these stories, you almost want to burn down the entire surfing industry. How dare they?”

Fortunately, there is an alternative: natural rubber

But surfers, there is hope. Natural rubber (like Yulex) is a great alternative. Patagonia, Finisterre, Oxbow, and others are now making wetsuits from this renewable material. Just as stretchy, just as warm, just as comfortable, but without the toxic side effects. Plus, the production of natural rubber emits 80% less CO₂. Sounds a lot better, doesn’t it?

What can you do according to The Big Sea? #SayNoToNeoprene

Time to take action, dear surf buddies. Check your gear: worn-out wetsuit? Go for natural rubber. Demand transparency from your favorite brands and talk about it in the line-up. Share the story, because awareness is the first step to change.

As T-man and Jokke said: "Surfing is about loving nature. Let's show that love to the people who pay for our gear." The power is with us, surfers. Together we can turn this tide.

So watch that documentary when you can. Sign that petition and say no to neoprene. Surf clean.

More info about the film: www.thebigsea.org