Our Story
We live for the outdoors
We live for the outdoors
I have been into the outdoors since as early as I can remember. My passion was kayaking and surfing, I just loved being in and on the water. I started off in the scouts paddling on flat water lakes and on one trip to North Wales I had my first taste of moving water… I was hooked!
I spent most of my youth in Bude, North Cornwall, surfing mainly but anything that involved being outside, wild camping, sea kayaking. Anything we could do for free or minimal cost!
Back in the 90's
Get changed before you go?
We tried this but wearing full paddling kit for a winter paddle is very restricting and also very warm in a packed car. So, you need to get changed when you arrive. We all had either small vans or estate cars. To save on fuel we would go in one vehicle and usually thumb a lift back from the top of the river to where we abandoned the car. Have you ever tried getting changed into a part dry suit lying down? Harder than it seems – especially when there are four of you all waiting to get changed, or four of you all getting changed! This resulted in using towels, old sheets, blankets or whatever we could grab.
Trying new things
Would the bull dog work?
One of the first things we tried was a bulldog clip, attaching it to the ends just below the neckline. It worked well as a Super Hero cape but not much else – great to cover your back but not the front, so not ideal. We then got our hands on some old WW2 ponchos. They were water resistant, but not very warm. We put up with these for many years until we looked at making a wool type lining for them, primarily an old car blanket with a hole cut in the centre, then lightly stitching them together around the edges. John Wayne eat your heart out!
Our dream
A more elegant car park
Our dream was to make the car park changing room more elegant, easier, quicker, and most importantly, warmer. Our Change Robes are now not only being seen on riverbanks and surf breaks but also at Triathlons, Sunday rugby and many other outdoor sports. You don’t even have to be taking part yourself, you could just be watching someone else race, stood on the touchline at a football match, or just walking the dog. You never knew you needed a Change Robe until you have used one!
We are ever evolving and improving our designs. Our current models are packed with features to make life that bit easier. They will keep you dry, warm and ultimately keep you doing the things you love for longer.
