Wool that suits the wet

By ROBIN BAILEY


Take a fibre that man has been using for centuries and combine it with a material that has been helping divers to combat the effects of cold water since the 1950s. The result is a New Zealand company's breakthrough product set to revolutionise the underwater world.

A new way of using merino wool has been devised by father-and-son team John and Corey Gordon, owners of the Wellington company that makes the Pinnacle range of wetsuits.

The wetsuits incorporate a lining in merino fibre that is said to keep the wearer warmer than anything else on the international market.

John Gordon has been an award-winning designer of wetsuits for more than 30 years. He is also a renowned inventor, having worked on the design of space gloves for Nasa, heated dive suits and survival suits for workers on North Sea oil rigs, and mouldings for aircraft fuselages.

Son Corey worked on developing and producing marine survival equipment in Britain after leaving school, then returned to New Zealand and majored in accountancy at Victoria University.

He had a stint with Deloitte Touche Tomatsu working as an analyst in the business solutions department, developing growth strategies for small to medium-sized companies.

He took those skills into the family wetsuit business, and it was Corey who had the idea to combine the high-quality wool with the newest of composite materials.

His father's experience and technical know-how made the idea a reality.

Their merino-lined Pinnacle range of wetsuits created something of a sensation at the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (Dema) trade show at Miami Beach in October.

Dema is the world's biggest showcase for products associated with the underwater world. New Zealand was there for the first time this year, with Corey promoting Pinnacle and Dive New Zealand magazine editor Dave Moran and Brent Narbey of First Light Travel selling New Zealand as a destination for divers.

Pinnacle wetsuits are now being heavily promoted and marketed in the United States from a base in San Francisco. The company has established a network of 40 dealers and has seven sales representatives on the road.

Once the United States market is established the plan is to expand operations to Canada and Europe.

The company has obtained a broad patent for its merino technology that will provide international protection for 20 years.

"We have extensively field-tested our suits and the results have been outstanding," says Corey Gordon. "Independent laboratory testing by the British Textile Technology Group showed that the merino lining was 35 per cent more efficient than the synthetic material known in the industry as Plush, that was considered the best lining available.

"We feel results like this, and the reaction of people already using Pinnacle merino suits, means the worldwide potential is huge."

Which is why Corey has been talking to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to try to generate some support from the arm of Government charged with helping companies doing big things in the "value added" and "technically innovative" areas of manufacturing.

Both Corey Gordon and Dive editor Moran say New Zealand must expand its presence at events like Dema, where there the largest concentrations of diving decision-makers gather.

"Our participation there will have an ongoing spin-off for all the businesses involved," says Moran. "We are already making plans for a big New Zealand promotional push at the next show, in Houston from October 13 to 16 next year."

The two will be seeking support from Trade and Enterprise early next year.