Impact

When work began on The Big Sea in 2021 just 4 brands were Neoprene-free in their wetsuit ranges. Today, thanks to the campaign around The Big Sea, the number of wetsuit brands within the realms of surfing, swimming and triathlon that have Yulex and natural rubber suits in their ranges and / or are working towards going Neoprene-free has risen to over 25. In May 2025 the Denka Performance Elastomer petrochemical facility at the heart of this story closed its gates and indefinitely suspended production of chloroprene rubber. They cited a downturn in demand for their product as a major reason for the closure.

This is a giant win for the community activists in Cancer Alley and the many surfers, activists and water lovers around the globe who mobilised behind The Big Sea to spread the story and lead the switch to a more sustainable and green future in wetsuits.

So is the fight against Neoprene over? In the words of Tish Taylor, one of the community activists who has lived her life in the toxic shadow of the plant, “It’s never over, because Neoprene, by any other name, is still Neoprene,” she explained. “And any community exposed to the production of Neoprene deserves to breathe clean air. If it’s not happening here, it’s happening somewhere else, in someone else’s community.”

There is no excuse for continuing to use any Neoprene in wetsuits. Yulex and natural rubber is now equal, if not superior to Neoprene in terms of performance and price, so let’s keep the pressure on brands to make the switch, and support those brands that have already done so.

Guardian Cancer Alley – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/cancer-town

Human Rights Network – https://www.humanrightsnetwork.org/waiting-to-die

Concerned Citizens of St John – https://www.ccosj.com

Rise St James – https://risestjames.org

The Descendants Project – https://www.instagram.com/thedescendantsproject

EPA 2014 Air Toxics interactive map: https://gispub.epa.gov/NATA/