Platinum Sun was launched in 2014 when waterwomen and sisters, Marina and Elena Pavlovska, were frustrated by the lack of affordable, high-quality and fashionable waterports apparel products available on the market. Without hesitation, the financial analysis/accountant and architect pair launched Platinum Sun with pure passion, hitting the market with innovative products like its top-selling neoprene jacket. Combining fashion with technical material selection, Platinum Sun uses a professional team of designers to bring stylish technical water wear to the market. Platinum Sun’s Richbonn Galguerra takes us through the latest developments.
What is new at the organizational level of your company for 2022?
Being a company dedicated to outdoor sports and recreation, this past couple of years have been hard due to the pandemic. Despite these challenges, we are planning for a stronger start to 2022. We have been working hard with talented designers from London to produce even more amazing designs. We have new rash guards landing for the start of next year and we’re currently in collaboration with one of the largest wetsuit manufacturers to produce the best quality wetsuit on the market with a discerning eye on every detail. On another note, we are promoting our fleece rash guard made from recycled materials to advocate environment-friendly products and we’re investing a lot of time researching the best way to accomplish waste-free packaging to make a bigger impact on our environmental advocacy and awareness. Lastly, we are looking to work with young professional athletes in the watersports industry to show our top-notch products to a wider audience.
The dry bag has been one of the staple products in the Platinum Sun line, but this year you are making some revisions that make it extra useful for adventures. What are the key changes?
We are releasing our new and improved Adventure Dry Bag and we expect that it will change the outdoor experience big time! It’s 100% waterproof, snowproof, sandproof and mudproof, so you can pretty much take it anywhere since it also doubles as hand-carry luggage during air travel. To top it off, this new revolutionary design offers 40L of storage, lots of additional pockets inside and out and an expandable bottom compartment which can be used as an extra storage for wet or dirty clothes. If you’ve experienced a dry bag with a single compartment, you know that everything gets messy when you combine clean with wet/dirty items. Our new bag solves this problem, keeping everything organized throughout your adventure. We’ve made our Adventure Dry Bag out of 500D PVC tarpaulin which makes it heavy duty travel companion, ready for whatever conditions lie ahead.
The Unisex Neoprene Jacket has some very interesting features including a drain system in the hood. What are the main material and performance characteristics of this product, and what are the types of conditions that kiteboarders typically choose to use this technical garment in?
The Neoprene Jacket serves as an extra layer of protection that keeps you warm in colder climates when doing watersports activities. The jacket serves as a great layer on top of a rashguard or a wetsuit so you don’t have to wear thicker gear that will limit your range of mobility. It also serves as a windbreaker that helps resist wind chill and light rain before or after a session or a long boat ride in cold and windy conditions. The Neoprene Jacket is a great insurance policy for changing conditions. We have added some technical details like drainage holes in the hood which lets the water out easier, so you don’t have this additional weight after a crash. The harness hole allows you to wear the jacket on top of your kiteboarding harness and the front zipper makes it easier to put it on and take it off compared to hoodie style jackets.
Platinum Sun has introduced an impressive line of UPF 50+ rashguards for both men and women. What are the key materials and designs that gear these tops for kiteboarding?
Platinum Sun’s rashguards are well-designed for watersports enthusiasts and have a very stylish design for anyone planning to spend time on the water or at the beach. Our rashguards come with a silicone line at the bottom of the garment that prevents it from riding up during activities and most of our rashguards also feature thumb holes at the cuffs to ensure total sun protection coverage and protect the skin on your wrists when holding the bar for a long time. Our neck zipper makes getting the rashguard on/off as effortless as possible. We’ve incorporated a ton of small design details that make our rashguards an essential part of the kiteboarding quiver.
For anyone considering long days in the equatorial sun, the Men’s Compression Swim Leggings seem like the perfect choice for sun protection, comfort and to keep you on the water longer. What key features of this product make it a must-have part of the sun protection quiver?
These leggings are made from high-quality materials that keep them in their best condition for a long time. They will help prevent rashes after spending an entire day kiting or long periods of walking in the water; you will find that many instructors love this product. Also, these leggings will not only protect you from the chafing that comes with dragging across the sand after a crash in the shallows, but they will also protect you from jellyfish and other small animals that you don’t see.
We use our unique UPF 50+ material to protect your skin from the sun during long kiteboarding sessions. Sometimes a wetsuit is just too warm, but the compression leggings will keep you comfortable when neoprene is too much. On non-windy days, these leggings are perfect for any kind of workout because their moderate compression qualities improve muscle oxygenation and their gradient pressure protects you from fatigue.
Are there any other accessories in the R&D pipeline that you would like to introduce?
Platinum Sun never gets tired of hearing the needs and wants of customers. Next in our lineup is a new and improved watersports sunglass design. Aside from the importance of incorporating polarized lenses for long days under the sun, our designers have honed in on a fashionable frame that is both extremely comfortable and practical. We will be offering our glasses in different colors and designs so everyone will have a choice depending on their taste and personal fit. We have designed a clip-in strap that keeps the glasses firmly in place, yet you can easily install the strap or remove it, depending on the type of activity. All these are made to be extra durable and still quite affordable.
Learn more about Platinum Sun’s 2022 collection at: www.platinumsun.com
