You can't buy history and this old man has loads of it, just don't forget the ketchup!

Started in the 50's, fell in love with surfing in the 60's, making wetsuits in the 70's and the shops been open since the 80's.

He took up surfing seriously in 1968, and upon leaving school, moved from his home in Liverpool to live in a VW van in Croyde, N.Devon. Andy started making surfing wetsuits in the early seventies and established Second Skin in 1975, designing the first mixed thickness suit with a thicker body and legs for warmth, and a thinner material on the shoulders and sleeves for freedom. Andy pioneered the minimum panel concept to reduce the number of seams, making the suit from only five panels. In 1981 Andy developed the C-Seal, a waterproof panel inside the zip to reduce flushing.

All these concepts are now industry standards.

Thirty thousand hand made suits later, Andy has now retired from manufacturing to run the surf shop in North Devon. His extensive experience in the wetsuit market has made Second Skin a serious choice if you are looking for a new suit. 

C Skins wetsuits is a family owned and run business founded in 1999 by Carey Brown. Carey first stated making suits with his uncle Dennis Cross in 1971 and is regarded as being one of the most knowledgeable men in the industry. He is slowly relinquishing control of the business to his son Mark who is responsible for the current direction the product is taking. Based in Cornwall, the company is constantly improving and re-designing the wetsuits to use the warmest, most flexible and durable materials available. The range is tested and refined in the cold waters of northern Europe and the focus is on maximising your time in the water.

We have proudly stocked C Skins wetsuits in the shop since they started and have watched them grow into the leading brand in Europe.

Founded in 1982 by Ed D'Ascoli who grew up surfing the East coast of USA. Now based in Hawaii , Xcel has the enviable reputation for producing the best wetsuits in the world having won the prestigious Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) award for the 'wetsuit of the year' five times. (2007, 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019) This award is voted for by their peers in the industry!

Xcel has always been at the forefront for innovations with a long list of industry firsts to their name such as the clinically proven Celliant smart fibre technology lining. This converts body heat into infrared which expands your capillaries to improve circulation for warmth and energy.
Today Xcel wetsuits  are generally regarded to be as good as it gets. Their reputation for quality, development and innovation is second to none.