What Typhoon International does

Typhoon International Limited is a UK-based manufacturer of marine and watersports apparel and equipment, headquartered and produced at a single factory in Redcar, Cleveland. The company traces its origins to 1947 when Oscar Gugen established E.T Skinner — the first UK wetsuit manufacturer — which was rebranded to Typhoon in the 1970s and remains operationally active from the original Redcar facility. Core technical differentiators include the first lightweight drysuit (1976) and the proprietary Clotex soft polyester trilaminate fabric (1992), which became an industry-standard breathable substrate for surface drysuits.

The company operates three vertically segmented sub-brands: Typhoon Leisure (consumer-grade drysuits, wetsuits, base layers, footwear, gloves, headwear, luggage, floatation, sunglasses, and tech clothing for recreational diving, sailing, and watersports), Typhoon Commercial (professional-grade workwear and diving equipment for commercial marine operators and professional divers), and Typhoon Military (specialized defence and tactical-grade marine apparel supplied through a dedicated military division to government and defence organizations). The portfolio has broadened historically from wetsuits and drysuits into a broader apparel and accessories catalogue, including a mid-tier Centre Range line.

Typhoon makes money through three one-time-sale product lines (Leisure, Commercial, Military), distributed via an authorized global stockist and dealer network for consumer and commercial buyers, and through direct sales for defence and government clients. The business is privately held as a subsidiary of Alliance Marine, holds ISO 9001 certification for quality management, and is reported to employ between 101 and 250 people. Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed, and there is no evidence of current funding activity, M&A, or recent large-scale expansion in the input data.

Name

Typhoon International

Legal name

Typhoon International Limited

Website

https://typhoon-int.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Typhoon International Limited is a UK-based marine and watersports apparel manufacturer, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Redcar, Cleveland. It produces drysuits, wetsuits, and related protective equipment across Leisure, Commercial, and Military sub-brands, distributing globally via stockists and direct defence sales as an Alliance Marine subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Redcar

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Leisure Products: Sale of consumer watersports and diving equipment including wetsuits, drysuits, base layers, diving accessories, footwear, gloves, headwear, and luggage.
2. Commercial Products: Sale of professional-grade marine equipment to commercial operators and professional divers.
3. Military Products: Supply of specialized waterproof and protective apparel to military and defence organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Typhoon International manufactures drysuits, wetsuits, and a broader range of marine and watersports clothing and equipment across three product divisions: Typhoon Leisure (consumer), Typhoon Commercial (professional), and Typhoon Military (defence). Core offerings centre on waterproof and breathable protective apparel, using the company's proprietary Clotex trilaminate fabric and pioneering lightweight drysuit design.

Product overview

Typhoon International is a manufacturer of marine and watersports clothing and equipment, operating three distinct sub-brands: Typhoon Leisure (consumer recreational products), Typhoon Commercial (professional-grade workwear and diving equipment), and Typhoon Military (specialized defense sector products). The product portfolio centers on drysuits and wetsuits as core offerings, with the company pioneering the UK's first wetsuit manufacturing (1947) and developing the first lightweight drysuit (1976). In 1992, Typhoon introduced Clotex soft polyester trilaminate fabric technology, now standard for surface drysuits. The broader product range spans Base Layers, Diving Accessories, Equipment, Footwear, Gloves, Headwear, Luggage, Personal Floatation, Sunglasses, and Tech Clothing, supported by the Centre Range mid-tier line.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Typhoon Leisure: Consumer leisure products including base layers, drysuits, wetsuits, diving accessories, footwear, gloves, headwear, luggage, sunglasses, and tech clothing for recreational water sports
• Typhoon Commercial
• Typhoon Military

Products and services

• Drysuits Watertight suits for diving and water sports, including the pioneering lightweight drysuit design (1976) and Clotex trilaminate breathable drysuits (1992).
• Wetsuits Neoprene wetsuits providing thermal protection for diving and watersports; the foundational product line for which Typhoon became the UK market leader.
• Diving Drysuits Specialised drysuits designed for scuba and professional diving applications.
• Base Layers Thermal undergarments for cold water protection and temperature regulation worn beneath drysuits and wetsuits.
• Diving Accessories Supporting equipment and accessories for diving activities sold under the Typhoon Leisure range.
• Equipment General watersports and diving equipment sold through the Typhoon Leisure range.
• Footwear Waterproof and thermal footwear designed for marine environments and watersports.
• Gloves Protective gloves for diving and watersports activities.
• Headwear Protective headwear for marine and watersports use.
• Luggage Water-resistant bags and cases for transporting diving and watersports gear.
• Personal Floatation Life jackets and personal flotation devices for marine and watersports safety.
• Sunglasses Polarised eyewear designed for marine and outdoor use.
• Tech Clothing Technical apparel incorporating advanced fabric technologies for performance watersports.
• Centre Range Mid-range product line positioned between entry-level and professional tiers.
• Typhoon Commercial Range Professional-grade marine workwear and diving equipment for commercial marine operators and professional divers, distributed via dedicated commercial brochures and B2B engagement.
• Typhoon Military Range Specialised military-grade diving and maritime equipment for defence sector applications, sold through a dedicated military division with login-gated access.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alliance MarinecoreOthersAlliance Marine is the parent company of Typhoon International. The company is identified as 'An Alliance Marine Company' and operates under the Alliance Marine corporate umbrella.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bare Sports: Bare is a long-standing diving wetsuit and drysuit manufacturer competing head-on with Typhoon in the scuba and surface diving apparel category. Highly comparable product mix (wetsuits, drysuits), target customer (recreational and professional divers), and distribution via independent dive shops mirrors Typhoon's go-to-market.
• Fourth Element: Fourth Element designs and sells diving and watersports apparel (wetsuits, drysuits, thermal layers) with strong technical positioning. Overlaps directly with Typhoon Leisure and Typhoon Commercial in product, customer (divers and watersports athletes), and channel (specialist retailers and online DTC).
• Musto: Musto is a UK-based technical marine and sailing apparel brand serving sailing, offshore, and country sports markets. Closely comparable to Typhoon's marine apparel positioning, with overlapping commercial/military customers and similar product categories (offshore jackets, salopettes, base layers).

Broad incumbents

• Scubapro: Scubapro is a Johnson Outdoors-owned diving equipment and apparel brand with a much broader portfolio (regulators, BCDs, masks, wetsuits, drysuits). Comparable as a category leader in diving apparel/equipment serving recreational and professional divers, but at far greater scale.
• Aqualung: Aqualung is a heritage diving brand offering wetsuits, drysuits, and full diving hardware globally. Competes with Typhoon across the diving apparel line but operates at meaningfully larger scale and with broader product breadth spanning regulators, BCDs, and instruments.
• O'Neill Wetsuits: O'Neill invented the modern wetsuit and remains a global surf and watersports apparel leader. Overlaps with Typhoon in wetsuits, rash guards, and thermal watersports apparel, but at significantly larger scale and with strong lifestyle brand positioning.
• Helly Hansen: Helly Hansen is a global Norwegian technical apparel brand with deep marine and offshore heritage. Competes with Typhoon in marine waterproof apparel (sailing, workwear) and shares institutional/defense customers, but at materially larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Rip Curl: Rip Curl is a global surf and watersports apparel brand competing with Typhoon Leisure in wetsuits, rash vests, and surf accessories. Operates at far larger scale via global retail and DTC channels, and overlaps primarily at the consumer end of the diving/watersports category.
• Billabong: Billabong is a global surf and watersports lifestyle brand with wetsuits and rash guards in its assortment. Comparable to Typhoon's leisure wetsuit offering but competes primarily through lifestyle branding and global retail rather than technical marine positioning.

Regional players

• Sail Racing: Sail Racing is a Swedish technical sailing apparel brand focused on offshore and racing segments. Comparable to Typhoon Commercial in marine technical apparel for sailing professionals, but primarily serves the Scandinavian and European racing markets rather than the UK/global mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Typhoon_Int
• Facebookfacebook.com/TyphoonInt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/typhoon-international-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Typhoon International