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The Tribe

We are surfers, sailors, divers, scientists, and activists.

We began Wet Tribe as a cause-related brand; a company with a mission, in this case, to clean the ocean and end plastic pollution.

But Wet Tribe is more than a brand, we are a movement, on a hero’s journey to save our ocean planet. It is a true David vs Goliath story; a grassroots tribe pitted against trillion-dollar fossil fuel interests, beachfront real estate developers, plastics manufacturers, and corporate polluters, all fighting to stop us.

We are coastal people, living near and in the water, it is precious to us, so we are making it our mission to keep it plastic-free. We believe most people feel this way, because we are more alike than we are different.

Why is it Wet Tribe? A social division within society, linked by a common purpose, culture, and dialect, is defined as a tribe. We are not strangers separated by countries; we are a tribe connected by oceans. We are Wet Tribe, we are ‘tide to the ocean’…and we are rising. Join us!

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“We are not strangers separated by countries; we are a tribe connected by oceans.”

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The Mission

An estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the ocean from land-based sources every year. That is the equivalent dumping two garbage trucks full of plastic into the ocean every minute. Plastic recycling and waste management is irrevocably broken. So, the three R’s; reduce, reuse, and recycle would not be sufficient – so, we added research, recovery, and restoration.

80% of ocean plastic comes from land-based sources, carried by streams, rivers, and storm drains to the sea. Ocean-bound and ocean plastic comes from gaps in the waste management system itself, while the remainder comes from microplastics, single-use plastic, and intentional litter. Coastal cleanup can stop the majority of debris from entering or reentering the ocean.

Plastics are not only a primary marine pollutant but also a significant driver of climate change. The climate crisis, ocean acidification, oil and plastic pollution, mangrove, and coral loss, have intersectionality. It is past time to realize these connections, so we are all focusing our actions within the environmental community to solve the issues together.

Mangrove propagules (seeds) found floating along with plastic debris during ocean plastic recovery, tie our cleanup, mangrove, and coral protection, efforts together - as mangroves have been shown to lower ocean acidification in adjacent tropical waters.

Warming oceans cause corals to expel symbiotic algae, known as coral bleaching, which can be exacerbated by excess nutrient runoff. Bleached coral is under stress, with increased chance of mortality, impacted by acidification, microplastics, and sunscreen chemicals.

We clean the coasts, the ocean, restore mangroves, and protect coral, while providing a portion of the proceeds from sales to continue to fund these efforts.

Our products are not only ethically produced, and environmentally friendly, but often made from the very materials we recycled to help clean the ocean (talk about Karma!) But we are not stopping there (no half measures for us) a portion of the proceeds from each sale are going to political and ecological efforts to solve the issue of ocean plastic.

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“Mangrove propagules found floating along with plastic debris, tie our cleanup, mangrove restoration, and coral protection, efforts together.”

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The Manifesto

Water covers two-thirds of the Earth, which should have been named ‘Ocean.’

There is something sacred about the ocean; we have roughly the same percentage of salt and water in our bodies as the sea. It is in the sweat of our efforts, and the tears of our disappointments.

Plastics used and disposed of daily are rarely recovered - currently less than 9% of the plastics produced are recycled - it is often shipped to other countries, where it can be rejected or mismanaged.

What happens to the rest? It is dumped in toxic landfills or burned, the remainder ends up discarded in the environment; where it washes into storm drains, rivers, and ultimately out to sea.

Wet Tribe clothing conforms to our strongly held beliefs of protecting our ocean. Made from bamboo and hemp, they are organic and microplastic-free. There is nothing imitation or false about it, from manufacturing and design, to the wearers themselves.

All our products are sustainable, or made from the very ocean plastic we recover, with a portion of the proceeds going to raise awareness, change behavior, and turn the tide on pollution, in a transformative movement to save the planet, and ourselves.

The climate crisis, ocean acidification, oil and plastic pollution, mangrove loss, and coral bleaching, have intersectionality. It is past time to start connecting the issues, so we are focusing action within the environmental community to solve the problems together.

We are surfers, sailors, divers, scientists, and activists on a hero’s journey to save our ocean planet. We recover ocean plastic, restore blue carbon, like mangrove forests, to mitigate ocean acidification, and save coral reefs.

A social division within society, linked by a common purpose, culture, and dialect, is defined as a tribe. ‘We are not strangers separated by countries; we are a tribe connected by ocean.’

We are Wet Tribe, we are ‘tide to the ocean’…and we are rising!

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“The Wet Tribe Manifesto is a published verbal declaration of our mission, intentions, and motives.”

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The Gear

Our gear is returning soon!

All of our upcycled hard products, such as water bottles, sunglasses, and beads, are made from the very ocean-bound and ocean plastic we recover - while our soft products, like clothing, bags, and totes are organic and sustainable.

Synthetic textiles release plastic microfibers when washed, or even worn, while cotton is both water and chemical-intensive to grow. However, bamboo and hemp are both grown organically and do not require insecticides or pesticides. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing products, a renewable and sustainable resource, using about 1/3 less water than cotton to grow. Hemp is also extremely sustainable, using even less water, 1/20th the amount of cotton.

Wet Tribe clothing is truly worthy, conforming to our strongly held beliefs of protecting the oceans and the planet. There is nothing imitation or false about it, from manufacturing and designs, to the wearers themselves.

Our organic bamboo apparel is naturally…

  • Insulating; cool in summer, warm in winter
  • Hypoallergenic and Anti-microbial
  • Moisture-wicking
  • UV-protectant

Our organic hemp apparel is naturally…

  • Strong and durable
  • Softer as it ages
  • Water-absorbent
  • Fade-resistant

Check back soon for our newly redesigned ecommerce site.

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“A portion of the proceeds go to raise awareness, change behavior, and turn the tide on pollution, in a transformative movement to save the planet, and ourselves.”

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The Digits

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