Our Fabrics

At FishPeople Ocean Wear, fabrics are not just technical specifications on a label — they are something we tested ourselves through salt water, tropical sun, long boat days, training sessions, diving trips, and everyday ocean life.

We design our apparel for people who actually spend time in the water. That means the fabric needs to feel good on the skin, move naturally with the body, survive constant exposure to sun and salt water, and still look great after many adventures.

Over the years, we selected materials that combine performance, comfort, durability, and a more eco-conscious approach to production.

All our main fabrics are GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified, meaning the recycled materials used in production are independently verified and responsibly sourced.

Here's a closer look at the fabrics we use and why we love them.

Stretch4Balance™

Our original FishPeople rashguard fabric

Stretch4Balance™ is the core fabric behind our signature rashguards.

It was chosen for one simple reason: it performs exceptionally well in real ocean conditions.

Whether you spend your days diving, surfing, freediving, sailing, paddling, teaching on boats, or simply living under the sun near the water, this fabric is designed to keep up with daily use.

It has a supportive athletic feel without being too heavy, dries quickly, and keeps its shape even after repeated exposure to salt water, sun, and constant movement.

The fabric is made from:

• 78% recycled polyester
• 22% elastane

What makes it special:

• Durable 190 gsm circular knit construction for better shape retention
• 4-way stretch for unrestricted movement
• UPF 50+ sun protection
• Quick-drying performance
• Chlorine resistance
• Resistance to sun cream and oils
• Pilling-resistant surface for longer-lasting appearance

One feature we especially love is the white base fabric used for sublimation printing. This allows us to create deep, vibrant full-print designs with excellent color clarity and long-term durability.

For us, Stretch4Balance™ became the perfect "everyday ocean fabric": reliable, comfortable, and ready for years of adventures.

Vita Nylon

Soft performance with ocean purpose

Vita Nylon is another fabric we use for selected rashguards and our women's leggings.

It delivers the same technical performance as Stretch4Balance™, but with a softer, smoother hand feel against the skin.

The fabric is made from:

• 78% regenerated nylon
• 22% elastane

The regenerated nylon is created from recovered materials including discarded fishing nets, helping give ocean waste a second life.

What makes Vita Nylon special is how comfortable it feels during long wear. It stretches beautifully, supports the body naturally, and adapts especially well for leggings and fitted activewear.

It also comes in a wide variety of colors and works perfectly with heat transfer printing applications.

We especially love using Vita Nylon for pieces designed to move between training, travel, ocean activities, and everyday wear.

AquaBalance™

Built for board shorts and ocean movement

AquaBalance™ is the fabric we use for our board shorts and selected lightweight ocean lifestyle pieces.

When developing this fabric, we wanted something that feels light and comfortable in the water, dries quickly after swimming, and still performs beautifully during travel, training, and long days under the sun.

The result is a technical fabric designed specifically for movement and modern ocean lifestyles.

AquaBalance™ combines:

• Lightweight comfort
• Quick-drying performance
• 4-way stretch for unrestricted movement
• Water repellent properties
• Pilling resistance
• Excellent UPF 50+ sun protection

The fabric composition:

• 85% recycled polyester
• 15% elastane
• Fabric weight: 144 gsm

What we especially love about AquaBalance™ is how effortless it feels to wear all day. It stays lightweight even in tropical climates, dries quickly between water sessions, and moves naturally with the body whether you are surfing, diving, boating, beach training, travelling, or simply spending the day by the ocean.

Like our other core fabrics, AquaBalance™ is made using recycled materials and selected with durability and long-term performance in mind.

Our Main Customisation Method — Sublimation Printing

Most FishPeople products are customised using sublimation printing — the method we believe works best for technical ocean apparel.

In simple words, sublimation printing uses heat to transfer the design from specially printed paper directly into the fabric fibers. The artwork becomes part of the material itself rather than sitting on top of the fabric.

This gives several important advantages:

• The print does not crack or peel
• Colors stay vibrant for a very long time
• The fabric keeps its stretch and softness
• The garment remains lightweight and breathable

Another reason we love sublimation is that the process requires significantly less water compared to many traditional fabric dyeing methods. Instead of dyeing large amounts of fabric in water tanks, the design is transferred under heat onto white base fabric, creating the final colors and artwork with minimal waste and excellent precision.

For ocean apparel that lives under sun, salt water, chlorine, and constant movement — sublimation simply performs beautifully.

At FishPeople, every fabric and production choice is selected with real-world use in mind.

We believe good ocean apparel should not only look beautiful — it should feel reliable every time you pack it for your next adventure.