Finisterre have long been pioneers of British surf clothing, but this is the first time they have branched out into wetsuits. The move represents a long-held ambition for founder Tom Kay, who wanted to construct a wetsuit that was suitable for coldwater surfing. “Not just in Cali-style 25°C air temps and constant sunshine,” he says.

In the UK, surfers experience much higher winds, lower temperatures and lots of rain. The Finisterre wetsuit needed to be able to withstand the variable UK weather, allowing surfers to spend more time in the water.

“Finisterre asked 300 surfers to test their prototype wetsuit – from UK athletes to your average Joe – in order to create the best product possible.”

Finisterre asked 300 surfers to test their prototype wetsuit – from UK athletes to your average Joe – in order to create the best product possible. Tom and master wetsuit builder Mat D’Ascoli spent a week compiling all of the feedback and making the necessary tweaks. Finally the Nieuwland wetsuit was born, named after the botanist and chemist whose work lead to the invention of neoprene in the 19th century.

When you first look at the Finisterre Nieuwland wetsuit, you might think it looks pretty similar to other wetsuits. However, on close inspection, you will see that the suit has double needle blind stitching, which will better withstand wear-and-tear, so you won’t need to glue those pesky seams back together. They have included an extra long back panel to improve heat retention and provide extra warmth around the kidney and lower back area. Taped seams also enhance the warmth of the suit, plus higher grade neoprene is used throughout the upper body to give increased flexibility for paddling.