“We have no more stock of wetsuits’“. AT each surf shop, the same catchphrase. It is the shortage. Impossible to get hold of neoprene, essential by surfing, body-boarding, board or kite-surfing to withstand the biting cold of the winter rollers. “We can try to order, but it will take time”. Enough to receive her at Christmas? “Rather for the second half of 2022, and again”.
Of Taiwan in Tokyo, all the factories are idling and face a shortage of raw materials. At the same time, demand has exploded. France: info sport has taken up the neoprene trail with historic surf brands, producers, young start-ups and surf shops. All watch for the arrival of their father NOTChristmas: a cargo door with combis’ by the thousands.
“It’s hell. Many problems are cumulative: the shortage of raw materials, the lack of manpower and the transport time which has doubled ”, enumerates Yann Dalibot, director of Soöruz, a French surf brand with a full order book but which, like the entire board industry, struggles to obtain its products. On the websites of surf brands, same observation: the latest models fight in duels – size XS or L.
In fact, boardsports companies have seen 50% to 100% growth in their wetsuit sales this year and, on Santa’s list, lOutdoor sports figure prominently. “We are releasing so many products but demand is changing so quickly that it leads to some disruptions” explains David Martinelly, product engineer at Decathlon.
With the anguish of the Covid-19 pandemic and the successive confinements, outdoor sports such as surfing are causing real enthusiasm among the French. “There are both more and more beginners in the summer, with Franco-French tourism, and more regular surfers who are in the water 365 days a year, in autumn and in winter when there are best waves ”, corroborates the French Surfing Federation.
Exponential growth in demand, which the industry is struggling to keep up with. “The Christmas influx on our website, between November 20 and December 18, is equivalent to 30% of our digital sales for the year. But this year, it’s complicated to provide everyone “, notes Stan Bresson, co-founder of Saint Jacques Wetsuits, a French wetsuit start-up. Finding a neoprene suit for Christmas, whether you are new or experienced, looked like an impossible mission.
In reality, there will be twice as many combinations under the tree, but that will not be enough to meet the demand.
Jonathan Cetran – Product Manager at Rip Curl Europe
The production time of a neoprene suit in the factory, en Thailand or Taiwan, usually amounts to three to four months. This winter it has tripled. IIt now takes 12 to 18 months to obtain the precious sesame. “The factories are overwhelmed. Obviously it’s a bit of a battle between the brands for deliveries ”, recognize Yann Dalibot.
“A large group that supplies us with three brands of neoprene was to deliver our winter wetsuits in September 2021. At the beginning of August, we were warned that only 15% of deliveries would arrive on time, and the rest between November 2021 and March 2022, never seen!”
David Ledan, Managing Director of Glisse-Proshop, a company specializing in board sports which supplies numerous surf shops.
Another needle in the boot of the boardsports industry: transport time has doubled and the price of freight has exploded. “Christmas is an increase in transport time of 50%, knowing that it is already difficult in normal times to find space on the containers. The maritime transport is catastrophic. We, we had to turn to the air to have our merchandise at Christmas, but inevitably we lose all our margin “, Stan Bresson weighs in Saint Jacques Wetsuits.
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Neoprene, derived from petroleum, limestone or natural rubber, is not produced in France. Everything comes from Asia, mainly Japan and Taiwan, in state-of-the-art factories, which produce this waterproof and flexible fabric.. The material is then transformed into a combination in factories across Asia.
Difficult to know the names of the suppliers of surf brands. The volumes received of neoprene, their variations, their cost, remain the ingredients of a recipe kept secret in a very competitive market.
But one company concentrates nearly 90% of the manufacture of neoprene products in France. His name: Sheico. The Taiwan-based manufacturer supplies 65% of the world market with water sports equipment and has factories in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Each year, 35% of its production goes to Europe and particularly to France.
“During the pandemic and lockdowns, the popularity of water sports increased sharply, explains to france: info sport Jeff Shiue, sales director of the Sheico group. We currently have to adjust our production between the enormous demand for wetsuits and the shortages in the raw materials essential for the production of products. The biggest shortage is in polychloroprene. (…) We also encourage brands to use more durable and abundant substitute materials, such as natural rubber. ”
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For his part, Rip Curl has bet on his own factory since 1989. Very established in the surf industry, the company work with “Five to six producers of raw materialsera, including one with exclusivity ” and then manufactures its finished product: “It’s a very precise manual job since it is necessary to make watertight seams, inside the neoprene, so that water does not enter the suit. Recruiting and training therefore takes time. We hired 200 people and increased our production capacity by 30%, but even that is not enough in the face of exponential demand.”, Enumerates Jonathan Cetran, product manager at Rip Curl Europe.
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“With the increase in the price of transport, oil and the shortage of products, prices have climbed from 10% to 15% over the spring ”, explains David Ledan from Glisse-Proshop. “When the price of raw materials and shipping costs have increased sharply over the past year, unfortunately we have had no choice but to reflect some of this increase in costs for our customers. (…) Sheico will modify the price accordingly as soon as the price of raw materials returns to normal “, communicates for its part the giant of the aquatic sports industry.
“We now pay $ 15,000 for a container instead of $ 3,000. It was fine before, when the euro was strong, but now prices will go up. ”
Yann Dalibot, co-founder of Soöruz
The product’s inflation trend should be confirmed in 2022. “Prices will rise as the rise in production costs continues”, adds Jonathan Cetran.
Without visibility, it is difficult to decide on a return to normal. “I was hoping that this would be the case in 2023, but we already know that there will be delays on deliveries. We have completely changed jobs. Before, we had an order and then we started production. Now we start production, then we sell. We have simplified ranges, with classics in stock. On our website, the shortage is felt more with certain products which are not renewed ”, adds Yann Dalibot.
In this uncertain context, everyone adapts as best they can. The coronavirus crisis is shaking up the entire boardsports industry. This time, all wait for the wave to pass.