Winter in the midst of a pandemic in the northern hemisphere is proving to be a record sales for wetsuit brands like Rip Curl, reported the brand's president for North America, Dylan Slater in an interview with the specialized site business and surfing Shop eat surf.

“We continue to see unprecedented levels of demand across all segments,” Slater said. “This has been one of the best winters in terms of waves and conditions in recent years which has served as a real tailwind for the category.”

“There has never been a better time to be a surfer, and I believe that regardless of the level of the surfer, surfing has served as a sanctuary for many during these challenging times,” he added.

The executive also said that the fact that they have their own factory has served to maintain demand satisfied and a competitive advantage over the rest.

Slater's words have been fulfilled globally. Industry sources in Argentina told DUKE that wetsuit sales have skyrocketed this year after the ban on going into the water ended.

At the same time, something similar happened in Australia, Stab magazine reported in a note.