Established in 1967 by Dennis Cross, Gul produces watersports apparel. Products include

wetsuits A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on water. Its p ...

jackets A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which ...

bodyboards Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as ''Boogieboarding'' due to the invention of the "Boogie ...

buoyancy aid Buoyancy aids are a specialist form of ''personal flotation device'' (PFD) used most commonly by kayakers, canoeists, people practicing rafting, and dinghy sailors. They are designed as a flotation aid, rather than merely a life-saving device ...

s, and

life jackets A personal flotation device (PFD; also referred to as a life jacket, life preserver, life belt, Mae West, life vest, life saver, cork jacket, buoyancy aid or flotation suit) is a flotation device in the form of a vest or suite that is worn by a ...

History

Gul was founded by Dennis Cross after realising there was a need for a solution to the cold

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

waters. After making a makeshift wetsuit, Cross decided to produce the suits on a larger and more professional scale. This resulted in the establishment of the company in 1967. Gul is credited with pioneering the first one-piece wetsuit in 1974/75. It was first nicknamed "the steamer" because of the steam given off from the suit once taken off allowing heat held inside to escape. Further expansion was given to the company when

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

was introduced in the mid-1970s, as wetsuits are ideal for the sport. Gul started to diversify in the 1980s when it introduced its first watch, and later moved into other watersports including sailing, kayaking, wakeboarding, kitesurfing, and more. In 2015 the Gul brand was acquired by Sports Direct subsidiaries Gul IP Limited and Brand Holdings Limited.

Headquarters

In 1996 Gul moved to a new factory in

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...

costing around £2 million. In 2011 Gul moved to a nearby location of a smaller size.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gul (Sports Apparel) Clothing brands of the United Kingdom Companies based in Cornwall Clothing companies established in 1967 Sportswear brands Surfwear brands 1967 establishments in England Sports Direct