Patagonia Celebrates Retail Expansion On North Shore Of Oahu

Patagonia has celebrated the opening of its new and expanded retail locations in Hale‘iwa, Hawaii. A new, larger store, located at 66-252 Kamehameha Highway, opened with a traditional ceremonial blessing for the community. The brand’s original Hale‘iwa store, established in 1993, has been repurposed into a dedicated Surf Shop, tailored to meet the needs of surfers in Hawaii and beyond.

Patagonia opened its first Surf Shop in 1997 at its Ventura, California, headquarters, directly linked to the Fletcher Chouinard Designs (FCD) shaping facility. The shop also serves as a design and repair hub for Patagonia’s innovative Yulex® natural rubber wetsuits, as well as impact suits and PSI vests—groundbreaking advancements developed in Ventura. The new Hale’iwa Surf Shop joins a select group of Patagonia Surf Shops worldwide.

To celebrate the opening of the Hale‘iwa Surf Shop, Patagonia Surf hosted a special event last weekend. In attendance were Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Fletcher Chouinard of FCD, Gerry Lopez, freediver Kimi Werner, and many members of the Patagonia Surf team.

As part of their efforts to support the surfing community, Patagonia also offered wetsuit and PSI vest bladder replacement and repair services over the course of last week to help surfers prepare for the potential Eddie Aikau Invitational at Waimea Bay, with the waiting period set to begin on Saturday, December 15th. The opening ceremonies for the Eddie Big Wave Invitational, held in memory of Eddie Aikau, took place on Friday, with invitees and alternates gathering at Waimea Bay. Among those in attendance were Patagonia ambassadors Greg Long, Paige Alms, Ian Walsh, Kohl Christensen, Eala Stuart, and Ben Wilkinson.

Recognized as a world-renowned proving ground for water sports, Hawaii’s North Shore continues to inspire Patagonia’s commitment to research and develop innovative products to meet the demands of the North Shore. The new Hale‘iwa Surf Shop will serve as a one-stop shop for surfers, offering a curated selection of FCD surfboards, Patagonia Yulex Lite wetsuits, and swimwear for men and women. The new shop will offer Patagonia PSI vest servicing, training and wetsuit integration, along with wetsuit repairs for spring or fullsuits.

Bremmen Schmeltz, current Patagonia Surf category manager, shared, “The North Shore is the epicenter of all things surf. For over 50 years, we’ve been building gear for outdoor adventures like climbing, fly fishing, surfing, and skiing. Patagonia has had a presence in Hale‘iwa for three decades, and as we expand Patagonia’s Oceans category, it felt natural to dedicate a space specifically for the core surf products we design.” Schmeltz added, “The cornerstones of Patagonia Surf are big water safety equipment, FCD boards, impact suits, board shorts, and wetsuits. Our new surf shop will not only house these products but also provide wetsuit repair and PSI vest servicing to support the North Shore community and beyond.”