Where it all started - the story behind dryrobe®

Gideon Bright grew up surfing the breaks around St Ives and St Agnes, all year long and in all weathers. Whilst the waves were fun, getting changed in and out of a damp wetsuit in the freezing cold was definitley not. The only option available back then for beach changing was a standard towel robe, which was fine on a sunny day but it couldn’t cope when the weather turned. It was clear that cold-weather changing needed to change.

In developing something that would make the post-surf experience better, Gideon created dryrobe® and launched a whole new category of clothing that revolutionised getting changed outside forever…

The first ‘dryrobe’ was inspired by an idea Gideon’s mum, Anne, had when he was a teenager. She was handy with a sewing machine and decided to make him something that would keep him dry and warm when he was getting changed before and after a surf.

"She gave me this homemade ‘thing’ one Christmas. It was like a huge cape. It was light blue waterproof material on the outside, with a stripe across it, a dark blue towel lining with an elasticated hole for your head to stick through and a hood with poppers. I remember taking it with the best ‘Wow, thanks Mum’ I could muster and slinging it in the car."

"It was a freezing day at Godrevy, the wind was so cold it was freezing our faces off just looking at the surf. We got in the suits OK, but coming out I remember thinking, I don’t care what anyone says, I’m using that thing, so I busted it out, slung it over my head. Genius idea! That thing did some changes over the years."

Gideon always had the old waterproof and windproof ‘robe’ idea in the back of his mind. It took one freezing cold winter's day some 25 years later, standing in a rainy car park with a soggy towel robe on after a surf, for him to decide to make something better.

Shortly after that, he set about making the first waterproof and windproof change robe, taking inspiration from his mum’s homemade cape. The first versions had no zip front and no sleeves, and the lining just wasn’t right. After some lateral thinking, and sourcing the right elements, the revised version was simplified and improved upon until the design finally worked. dryrobe® was born!

"I wore the first dryrobe at Marine Drive, in Woolacombe back in 2010. I knew straight away that it was good. I was asked, by two ladies, where they could buy one. A bit of a weird conversation, as I was ‘mid-change’ and naked in this dryrobe thing. Trust me, it feels strange talking to people like that the first time!"

Setting up a makeshift office in his bedroom, Gideon started producing them with the help of a local business and sold the first few to mates who asked him for them. The first-ever waterproof, windproof dryrobe® change robe was sold online in December 2010.

Since they were first developed, dryrobe® changing robes have been continually upgraded and refined. As the unique design has evolved, so have the materials used, increasing both the performance and sustainability of the fabrics with each development.

Beyond surfing, the potential of a super-warm, waterproof change robe was soon spotted by other sports. Triathletes, swimmers, obstacle course racers, paddleboarders all quickly adopted dryrobe®, taking advantage of not only the ability to get changed anywhere in comfort but also its weatherproof properties.

Over the years dryrobe® has become a very familiar sight on beaches worldwide and on the back of elite athletes. It’s grown from cold water surfing to quickly become an essential piece of kit for all outdoor sports and activities. It’s even found its way on film and TV sets, keeping stars and crew warm on productions including, Game of Thrones, Avengers: End Game, Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, Bridgerton and many others.

At dryrobe®, we’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s biggest brands and inspiring organisations, including Red Bull, GoPro, Save The Waves and the RNLI to name just a few. The dryrobe® Advance has been worn at global sporting events, including by Team GB at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio, Tokyo and Paris.

Despite being around for well over a decade, and having changed the outdoor clothing industry forever, this still feels like the beginning. We’re always developing innovative new products, and there are some exciting collaborations on the horizon. Watch this space…

Published on July 17, 2024