Driftline Dispatch: We Got Tariff’d

Let’s talk about tariffs—because they just smacked us in the face like a rogue wave on a 1-2ft day.

As you probably know, we make wetsuit lined boardshorts. They’re patented. They’re designed for watermen who want to perform in the water—and have a damn good time doing it. Our Drifties are built with a 4-way stretch outer shell and a warm, buttery neoprene liner. And we make them in Thailand, because that’s where we can find the quality, sustainability, and tech to pull it off. (More on that in a sec.)

Up until now, bringing our product into the U.S. meant eating a 27.8% import duty. Not ideal—but we’ve made it work.

Enter the new tariff.

As of right now, on April 9th, a 36% “reciprocal tariff” will be slapped on imports from Thailand. That pushes our import fees to 63.8%! For swim trunks. Not EV batteries. Not steel. Swim trunks.

And let’s be clear: Thailand isn’t paying that. We are. To stay afloat, we will have to trickle down that cost.

This isn’t just a business problem. It’s a logistics problem. A sourcing problem. A reality problem.

Yes—we’d love to bring more manufacturing stateside. We’re not clinging to overseas production out of convenience or cost alone. We care about quality. Sustainability. Supply chain transparency. But here’s the deal: you can’t just spin up a neoprene production facility in Ohio overnight. The premium materials used within our products—like 100%  limestone-based Yamamoto™ neoprene from Japan—just aren’t made here. The 4-way stretch outer shell, the trims (zippers, drawstrings, etc.), the Bluesign®-certified processes—it’s all part of a global textile ecosystem that simply doesn’t exist in the U.S. right now.

We’re not against reshoring. We're against magical thinking. Until the U.S. invests in rebuilding its textile infrastructure from the ground up (think: actual incentives, not punishment via tariffs), small brands like us are stuck between a rock and a raw material that only exists 6,000 miles away.

So yeah—these policies hurt. Not because we don’t want to make things here, but because it’s just not possible. And even if it were, the U.S. is lightyears away from a realistic & sustainable process.

We’re still pushing forward. Still innovating. Still finding ways to deliver the best damn waterman gear on the planet without passing the pain onto our community. But it’s getting harder.

And hey—if you’re reading this and you work in U.S. manufacturing, supply chains, or policy—we’re listening. We want to be part of the solution! Thanks for supporting - we will keep you all updated as we learn more.