Dane Reynolds’ New Wetsuit Collection Is Available For Purchase

After a few years as an all black wetsuit clad free agent, rumors swirled that Dane Reynolds had decided upon a new neoprene supplier last year.

He was spotted in everything from Xcel to Feral, but neither locked him in. Instead, Dane partnered with one of California’s most celebrated wetsuit labels, Buell, to create something new: Subdivision.

Today you can see the simple fruits of that labor in DR1—Dane and Buell’s first drop of full suits, in three standard thicknesses.

“We went back and forth, with three or four rounds of samples,” Dane says while looking through old hard drives for something he can’t quite locate. “I like Buell wetsuits, but I wanted to create something a little bit separate. I really wanted to make a solid wetsuit with minimal lines and minimal branding. I wanted it to be subtle as far as the branding goes, but also, you know, not too serious.”

“I feel like the logo set that we developed was pretty cool. The placement, the size, and everything else is mellow. I worked with my buddy Jason on it. He does graphic stuff for Former, and I think it came together pretty well.”

The new range drops at an exciting time in the surf goods industry, with a wetsuit shortage keeping the shelves of many surf shops empty. According to brands and buyers, replenishment shipments are being arranged before the first containers even arrive. Dane and Subdivision’s launch couldn’t come at a better time in terms of demand.

The range also does away with multiple thicknesses of neoprene in one suit (i.e., 3/2 or 4/3 with the thicker neoprene on the chest and thinner on the limbs), instead offering straight 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm options.

“That was Bud Freitas’ idea when I first started talking to them. He loved wetsuits that were all the same thickness. He convinced me to try it in a sample, and I loved it. With the lining through the chest and stuff, you get the warmth of a step up with the flexibility of a step down. I pretty much wore the one sample all winter until the production ones came in. They’re really nice and super comfortable. I’m psyched on how they turned out.”

Buell has become a popular brand for groms, with graphic prints, bright colorways, and emphasis on youth sizing. However, Dane and Buell successfully departed from that without it coming off as self-serious. Subdivision is a utilitarian, understated range of quality neoprene. But what comes next?

“I mean, this is DR1. We want to continue to evolve. I’ve been meaning to get up to Santa Cruz and work on a new version or do something completely different, like a range of back-zips, and hopefully build out the collection over time.”

You can shop the full Subdivision range here.