You Can Now Subscribe To Japanese Neoprene
ONE Surfing Co is a wetsuit subscription service backed by a 3x CT event winner.
Last year saw nearly six million business applications filed in the US.
That’s the highest figure ever recorded, and it’s unlikely to slow down. A recent survey found that one in three adults plans to start a new business or side hustle in the next year.
You may have noticed how this phenomenon has worked its way into surfing. There are more surf clothing brands than ever. And traction companies. And, more recently, an AI-driven barrage of new slopcasting apps — we’ve got a full story on that coming soon.
It’s easy to find a factory willing to build you stuff. It’s not easy to give people a reason to buy it.
And, we must admit, ONE Surfing Co has a pretty compelling pitch.
Founded by two brothers from Hossegor, Matt and Hugo Moulia, they have launched a wetsuit subscription service.
The gist? You pay a monthly rate. They send you a new wetsuit — or wetsuits, depending on which package you choose. You surf in your wetsuit until it’s worn out and send it back to them. They send you a new wetsuit, and off we go again.
The logic checks out, and a 3x CT winner agrees.
“I immediately thought the idea was brilliant,” says Michel Bourez, who signed on as an ambassador and part owner in the brand. “The subscription model has never been done before, and that’s what really caught my attention. But what convinced me the most were the people behind the project. Matt and Hugo are young, ambitious entrepreneurs who are incredibly motivated, and above all, they’re great surfers.”
In case praise from a man whose command of rail is so powerful that people couldn’t resist the temptation to compare him to an Ancient Greek warrior, I can confirm that the boys fucking rip. Matt and I worked at Quiksilver together for a bit. While there, he tried to build a subscription model for them, but it never went live. So he left, took out a bank loan, and spread his wings.
“My brother and I are not professional surfers or famous names in the industry,” says Matt. “I think that helped us look at surfing and question things we’ve all accepted for years. We wanted to create something new for people who surf every day and go through suits quickly. With our program, they don’t need to worry about high up-front costs or their suits wearing out. And we had kids in mind from the beginning. They grow so fast and shuffle through sizes so quickly, and we really didn’t see a reason for them to have to be uncomfortable in suits they’ve outgrown just because their parents want to wait longer to buy a new one. Finally, we like being able to take full responsibility for the product and recycle it once it’s no longer useful, rather than knowing we’re eventually adding to landfills.”
All ONE suits are made with limestone neoprene, and the new edition features a U-Zip entry. The boys were kind enough to send one my way, and it quickly became a go-to. It’s a no-frills, straight-up, quality wetsuit. Warm. Comfortable. Stretchy. The three cliché pillars of wetsuiting.
And, they’re not just forcing another subscription on you. You can flat-out buy a suit from them, too. The new 3/2 would set you back €400, while subscribing to always have a fresh 3/2 is only 20€ a month. And if you’re looking for a deal and/or the suit you throw on while your other one is wet, they sell secondhand wetsuits that still have some life left in them.
They also offer a variety of packages that ensure you have a full range of suits for all seasons.
ONE is now available in Europe and is expanding globally, starting with the US and Australia soon. First drops will be limited, so the boys suggest you should sign up for early access if you want in.
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