Patagonia introduces the next generation PSI Vest, advancing big-wave surfing safety

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Nearly a decade after bringing its Personal Surf Inflation Vest to market, Patagonia introduces an updated design informed by years of testing and feedback from some of the world's leading big-wave surfers

VENTURA, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2026 - Patagonia today introduced the PSI Vest 2.0, the next generation of its PSI (Personal Surf Inflation) Vest and the latest advancement in the company's ongoing effort to make big-wave surfing safer. Developed through Patagonia's innovation and R&D capabilities and tested in some of the world's most demanding surf by Patagonia's big-wave ambassadors, the PSI Vest 2.0 reflects more than a decade of engineering, athlete feedback and real-world use. Designed to be worn under a wetsuit, the vest can be inflated multiple times during a session, providing added flotation following severe wipeouts and prolonged hold-downs.

To purchase a PSI Vest 2.0, surfers must complete specialized big-wave safety training through the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group (BWRAG). The requirement reflects a philosophy Patagonia has maintained since introducing the original PSI Vest: safety equipment is most effective when paired with the knowledge, preparation and skills to respond when things go wrong. BWRAG training covers critical elements of big-wave risk management and safety, helping ensure surfers understand both the environments they are entering and the equipment they are carrying.

Following the death of legendary big-wave surfer Sion Milosky in 2011, Patagonia's R&D team began developing a tool that could give surfers a better chance of reaching the surface after a serious wipeout. Working side by side with big-wave ambassadors, Patagonia developed and tested prototypes before earning a U.S. patent for the inflation technology in 2014 and bringing the first PSI Vest to market in 2017. From the outset, access to the vest was contingent on BWRAG safety training, making education and preparation part of the system rather than relying on equipment alone.

That same athlete-engineer collaboration drove the PSI Vest 2.0. Feedback from Patagonia's surf ambassadors informed a new expanded size range and gender-inclusive design to fit women and men equally, a reconfigured bladder that maintains the same air volume and eliminates extra layers in the chest, and the CO2 valves have been relocated to the back.

From the beginning, Patagonia believed the potential impact of the technology should extend beyond its own product. Rather than keep the patented PSI Vest technology exclusively proprietary, Patagonia made it available to other surf-industry manufacturers through a licensing program, with fees directed toward environmental causes. In 2017, the program generated a $150,000 donation to Fundación Punta de Lobos to support efforts to permanently protect the iconic Chilean surf break, Punta de Lobos. Patagonia continues to support Parque Punta de Lobos, including its environmental education plan and works to engage the local community in protecting and regenerating 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."

The launch of the PSI Vest will also come to life through Out the Back, Patagonia's multi-stop surf event series this fall. Alongside film premieres, athlete conversations, wetsuit repairs, workshops and community events, select stops will give media and surfers an opportunity to see the PSI Vest 2.0 firsthand, learn more about its development, and hear from the athletes and team behind it. The tour kicks off Sept. 10-13 at the Patagonia store in Cardiff, California; followed by stops at Patagonia's Ventura headquarters, California, Sept. 17-19; Farias Surf & Sport in New Jersey, Sept. 25-26; Patagonia's store in Santa Monica, California, on Oct. 9; Patagonia's store in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Oct. 22; and Patagonia Oʻahu's North Shore store, Dec. 3-6.

About Patagonia

We're in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $240 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid to Holdfast Collective to protect the planet.

Press Images and tour posters can be found here.