Patagonia introduced the PSI Vest 2.0 on Sept. 9, an updated version of its Personal Surf Inflation Vest designed to give big-wave surfers added flotation after severe wipeouts and prolonged hold-downs. The vest is worn under an Impact Wetsuit and can be inflated multiple times during a session.
The launch comes as the Northern Hemisphere’s big-wave season gets underway. Patagonia will introduce the vest in person through Out the Back, a multi-stop surf event series that runs through the fall and closes on Oʻahu’s North Shore in early December, as the winter big-wave season begins in Hawaii.
According to Patagonia, the vest was developed through the company’s R&D program and tested by its big-wave ambassadors in some of the world’s most demanding surf. The company said the PSI Vest 2.0 reflects more than a decade of engineering, athlete feedback and real-world use.
To buy a PSI Vest 2.0, surfers must first complete big-wave safety training through the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, known as BWRAG. Patagonia said the requirement reflects a philosophy it has held since the original vest, that safety equipment works best when paired with the knowledge and skills to respond when something goes wrong. The training covers big-wave risk management and helps surfers understand both the conditions they are entering and the equipment they are carrying.
Patagonia said the vest is sold in person only, at its Hale’iwa store on Oʻahu’s North Shore and at FCD Surfboards in Ventura, California, and that buyers must be BWRAG-certified and complete an application.
The vest traces back to the death of big-wave surfer Sion Milosky in 2011, after which Patagonia’s R&D team began developing a tool to give surfers a better chance of reaching the surface following a serious wipeout. The company earned a U.S. patent for the inflation technology in 2014 and brought the first PSI Vest to market in 2017. Access to the vest was tied to BWRAG training from the start.
Feedback from Patagonia’s surf ambassadors informed the changes in the 2.0.
The updated vest carries an expanded size range and a gender-inclusive design intended to fit women and men equally. Patagonia said it reconfigured the bladder to keep the same air volume while removing extra layers in the chest, and moved the CO2 canisters off the chest to the back. According to the company, that placement improves board connection, adds comfort for women and makes paddling easier. Patagonia said the new bladder uses a polyurethane material built to withstand extreme pressure. The company also said it reduced the vest’s overall thickness to limit overheating, used thinner material across the chest for better feel on the board, and updated the two-handle pull tabs for easier access.
Patagonia has also licensed the patented inflation technology to other surf-industry manufacturers, with fees directed toward environmental causes. The company said the program generated a $150,000 donation to Fundación Punta de Lobos in 2017 to support permanent protection of the Chilean surf break Punta de Lobos. Patagonia said it continues to support Parque Punta de Lobos, including its environmental education plan and work with the local community to protect and regenerate the coastal ecosystem.
“We’ve been working on this idea for more than a decade, and we’ve learned a lot along the way,” said Hub Hubbard, Patagonia’s line manager of Oceans. “The PSI 2.0 comes from our team working with our ambassadors and friends, listening to what they need, and continuing to make the vest better. It’s another tool for surfers when the conditions get serious and the consequences are high.”
Select Out the Back stops will give surfers and media a chance to see the PSI Vest 2.0 firsthand and hear from the athletes and team behind it, alongside film premieres, athlete conversations, wetsuit repairs and workshops. The tour opens Sept. 10-13 at the Patagonia store in Cardiff, California, followed by stops at the company’s Ventura headquarters Sept. 17-19, Farias Surf & Sport in New Jersey Sept. 25-26, the Santa Monica store on Oct. 9, the Vancouver, British Columbia, store on Oct. 22 and Patagonia’s North Shore store on Oʻahu Dec. 3-6.
