IDC Makes Waves with First Wetsuit Washer

IDC worked with a group of extreme watersports enthusiasts at M.A.S. Bully, who were inspired to develop a solution to the problem of cleaning wetsuits. The Bully Wetsuit Washer is launched today, 29 November, on the crowd-funding website, Indiegogo.

IDC’s Director, Ryan Fenton, explains, “This was an exciting product to develop, as it came straight from the heads of the users. Our clients at M.A.S. Bully are professional surfers who wanted to invent a better way of cleaning wetsuits. The traditional method is to submerge the wetsuit in a bucket of water, but this is inconvenient, often cold and messy and wastes a lot of water. There were no such products on the market and they saw this as an opportunity to develop a unique solution that would benefit them and the watersports industry as a whole.”

M.A.S. Bully came to IDC with a concept which had been proposed by other designers, but they weren’t happy with what had been suggested, so asked IDC to come up with a new solution. IDC was briefed to develop a high quality product, which performed efficiently using only a minimal amount of water. From design and engineering to prototyping and manufacturing, IDC’s team worked together to develop a new product in only 5 months, which balanced functionality and aesthetics.

The Bully wetsuit washer is based on a coat hanger using water jets to rinse the entire wetsuit. A shower head element washes the outside of the wetsuit, while the inside of the wetsuit is cleaned using a series of pipes that sit within the main hanger. The product has a strong visual design and an anthropometric form that ensures the wetsuit is both well presented and dries without creases. The system was also designed to conserve as much water as possible.

The team initially spent time researching and exploring methods of water distribution in parallel products which provided manufacturing insights and inspiration. Anthropometric data of shoulder width and sizes of existing wetsuits was also examined to help develop the final dimensions of the Bully product. Particular attention was paid to the collar, which was important in allowing the wetsuit to maintain its shape when hanging.

IDC’s designers chose a combination of aluminium and high quality plastic (with impact and UV resistant properties), which provide exceptional performance and aesthetic appeal. The main shower head is manufactured from an aluminium plate, pierced prior to forming to ensure the water jets spray in all directions to effectively clean the wetsuit. The pipework contains custom forms and couplings to ensure correct water distribution. IDC also developed a unique hook for the product with a 90 degree rotation and indexing plunger to give a satisfying click at the two outer positions.

IDC Models supported the development by producing prototypes throughout the design process; these were used to test different water distribution systems to find the most effective solution. Once the core technology and aesthetic design were finalised, a pre-production prototype was manufactured and shipped to Portugal.

M.A.S. Bully’s team is delighted - both with the final product, and IDC’s whole design process, saying, “Working with IDC was an amazing experience for us. From the start, we felt they understood our needs and through their professional design process, we were fully informed at every stage of the design. IDC’s communication was exceptional; we are a young start up company and their team made themselves available to support us at any time. We are launching our Indiegogo campaign today, confident that it was engineered by IDC and will be a game changer for watersports industry.”