From www.prlog.org: Wetsuits made for surfing are undergoing a new shift in manufacturing. Many wetsuits are being made out of Yamamoto rubber instead of traditional neoprene. This material was unheard of a few years ago but in recent years has broken ground in the surfing wetsuit market.
So what is Yamamoto rubber? Interestingly enough it is a material made out of Limestone. The Yamamoto Corporation creates this special polymer out of the rock it mines from an ancient Mesozoic mountain. Traditional old-fashion neoprene is a petroleum-based product. Wetsuits made out of Yamamoto rubber are more flexible, lighter, warmer, and last longer than traditional neoprene wetsuits.
Most of the large surfing wetsuit brands have been slow to adapt to Yamamoto rubber. Several smaller brands have popped up the past few years to fill this void. Some of these new brands include Matuse, Boz, Isurus, and Seventhwave.
For more information about Yamamoto rubber and traditional wetsuits visit http://www.surfingcal.com/
