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…