In the world of surfing, innovation often takes a backseat to tradition. But there's a story of a quiet revolution, a battle against the cold that has been raging for decades, and it's one that's worth telling. Meet Chris Lyons, a surfing pioneer who's been on a mission to keep surfers warm for over two decades. His journey began with a simple question: why hasn't anyone made a heated wetsuit that actually works?
Lyons, a former Geelong under-19s football player, found himself in the Canadian ski fields, battling temperatures that hit minus thirty in February. It was there that he discovered the power of hand and toe warmers, a revelation that sparked an idea. When he returned to Australia, he wondered why no one had applied this technology to wetsuits.
The wetsuit market, as he saw it, was stuck in a rut. Neoprene with some nylon or polypropylene lining was the norm, and marketing departments tried to evoke warmth with names like Heat Seeker or Furnace. But Lyons knew that the real innovation lay in the heating mechanism.
He started experimenting with chemical gel packs, a breakthrough that allowed him to activate the heating while already in the water. In 2004, he patented the idea and launched Hotsuits, a wetsuit with pockets housing chemicals that, when combined, warmed up to 50 degrees. This invention caught the attention of ABC's New Inventors, and sales started to roll in.
However, Lyons' journey was not without challenges. He approached Rip Curl and Quiksilver, but they took a different approach, and the project eventually fell through due to the expense of scaling up. Lyons, undeterred, continued to refine his idea, eventually moving away from wetsuits and developing a standalone product.
The breakthrough came in tropical Sri Lanka, where Lyons discovered wireless charging technology. This inspired him to eliminate wires and connectors, a move that solved the corrosion problem that had plagued earlier attempts. The result was Wettie Warmaz, a kidney belt containing two wireless heaters sealed in epoxy resin, controlled by a wireless wristband.
The design is not arbitrary. The kidneys have good blood flow, and the belt sits in a natural hollow of the lower back, allowing for unrestricted movement. By warming the core, rather than the extremities, Lyons ensures that surfers can maintain their core temperature in the water.
Lyons launched Wettie Warmaz last July, and the product has been a slow burn in the surf market. However, it has found a niche in the diving community, where it has sold out entirely. Divers in Europe, cave divers, and ice divers have embraced the product, and it's now being used by some of the top diving influencers globally.
Despite the challenges and setbacks, Lyons remains dedicated to his mission. He's sold out of the dive version and is heading back to China to order a thousand more units for the coming Northern Hemisphere winter. His story is a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
In the end, Lyons' journey is a reminder that sometimes, the most significant innovations come from those who dare to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what's possible. And in the world of surfing, that's a story worth telling.
