Blue Soup has launched its latest inflation vest to the global water sports market. The UN Vest features a lifesaving inflation system within a comfortable, lightweight outer layer, to a design influenced by some of the world’s biggest names in water sports.

The hand-assembled UN Vest has already made its debut on the global Big Wave scene, being worn by surfers at the recent Gigantes De Nazaré in Portugal.

At just under 1kg, the UN Vest is designed to be worn under a wetsuit without adding unnecessary weight or unwelcome bulk. The lightweight four-way stretch material feels comfortable next to the skin or can be worn over an impact vest, and inflates within seconds when activated in an emergency, propelling the wearer to the surface and into the allimportant ‘head back’ position.

The UN Vest is the latest in a series of safety products set to be launched by Blue Soup and is an alternative to the innovative UP Vest, which is worn over a wetsuit and was launched in 2017 and is used by the majority of the world’s professional Big Wave surfers.

Blue Soup’s partnership with Red Bull sees the firm supply bespoke branded safety vests to its professional surf team, while resellers across Europe and America in turn supply amateurs and professionals alike.

The UP Vest is credited with saving the lives of numerous Big Wave surfers including tow-in surfer Eric Akiskalian, international windsurfer Dany Bruch and British surf legend Andrew Cotton. The UN Vest utilises the same lifesaving inflation technology but the vest has been designed to fit snug to the body under a wetsuit, providing surfers with the option of either style depending on their preference.

Take a look at the UN Vest and the UP Vest, available for £395 for the two-pull vest and £495 for the four-pull