Yamamoto Wetsuit Top

We met Leo in France.

Leo makes fine wetsuits by hand, from start to finish. Calling them fine actually feels like an undersell.

On the long, knee-cramped drive back to Lisbon, we found ourselves talking about making one we’d actually like to wear.

By chance, we bumped into Leo again at Gliding Barnacles in Portugal, and this time we couldn’t say goodbye before asking if he’d like to make something together. Something useful. Something simple. Something out of neoprene.

So we made a wetsuit top.

We couldn’t live where we do without our fullsuits, and for those we are very grateful. But it’s not all stiff offshores and ice-cream headaches. Summer’s inconsistent, sure, but it brings warmth, ease, and the occasional fun rip bowl just a grape’s toss from the beach umbrella.

On days like those, the last thing you want is to wrestle your limbs into a soggy, sand-encrusted steamer for a quick surf. Pair a vest with boardshorts and you might just run out of excuses not to go for one.

Not that we needed more excuses to go to France, but we ended up back there anyway — meeting and working with Leo under the roof he shares with shapers and surfers Tom Morat (Dice Propaganda) and Pierre Kulundzic (PK Designs) at Finish Line, their communal workspace and scene fixture just outside Biarritz.

He taught us all we didn’t know about wetsuits — which turned out to be a lot more than we thought — and after trying, erring, and testing, we’re proud to release the Yamamoto Wetsuit Top developed with Leo Wetsuits.

Handmade from plush Japanese-sourced Yamamoto limestone neoprene, the top has a buttery-smooth glideskin finish that not only feels great on your torso but warms you up fast when kissed by sunlight.

Yamamoto neoprene is lighter, stretchier, and more insulating than standard neoprene, molding to your body for a snug, flexible fit. A sturdy YKK zipper keeps it in place, and every stitch is sewn by Leo’s steady hands.

We’ve been wearing ours all over our favourite metropolitan beachbreaks, and it’s become a favourite piece of kit for any session that doesn’t call for full-body coverage. It’s the final push for those why-not and no-looking-before-paddling sessions. In its simplicity, the vest is an ode to summer laziness and convenience.

It’s surfing without the admin.

Text by Pedro Ramos