The Real Reason We Started Fader Wetsuits

Most wetsuit brands begin with a desire to improve warmth, flexibility, or performance.

Fader started with a different question entirely:

How can we make people less visible to sharks?

For over 25 years, our founder, Rob Carraro, has spent his life in and around the ocean. As a diver, marine scientist, and shark researcher, he has dedicated his career to understanding one of the ocean's most misunderstood predators.

Rob's journey began with a fascination for marine life and a first-class honours project studying Wobbegong sharks. That research sparked a lifelong interest in shark vision and how sharks see the world around them.

Over the years, Rob worked on numerous shark research projects with NSW Fisheries, including tagging Wobbegong,  Grey Nurse sharks and Great Whites. He later spent four years conducting aerial shark surveys with CSIRO and the University of Technology Sydney, observing sharks in their natural environment from above.

What he witnessed changed the direction of his career.

Rather than viewing shark encounters through the lens of fear, Rob began looking at them through the lens of science.

He noticed that many shark encounters appeared to be driven by visual cues. Sharks weren't necessarily hunting people — they were responding to what they could see.

That observation became the foundation of what would eventually become Fader.

Looking at the Ocean Through a Shark's Eyes

For decades, wetsuit design has focused almost entirely on the person wearing it.

At Fader, we decided to approach the problem differently.

What if we designed equipment from the shark's perspective?

To answer that question, Rob spent more than a decade researching, testing and developing technology designed to reduce the visual signals that can attract a shark's attention.

The result was Fader & Sharkview™ technology and the development of our Contrast Gradient wetsuits and Adaptive Camouflage surfboards.

The concept is surprisingly simple:

If you can't be easily seen, you're less likely to be approached.

Nature has already perfected this strategy.

95% of fish species use forms of camouflage to blend into their environment and avoid predators. Inspired by these natural defence mechanisms, Fader developed technology that helps water adventurers become less visually distinct in the ocean.

More Than Just Another Black Wetsuit

Traditional wetsuits create a strong silhouette in the water.

Fader wetsuits use a Contrast Gradient pattern designed around how light behaves underwater. As light changes with depth, water clarity and weather conditions, the pattern adapts visually, helping the wearer blend more naturally into their surroundings.

The goal isn't to make someone invisible.

The goal is to reduce contrast and visual recognition from a distance, making it less likely that a shark will investigate in the first place.

The same thinking led to the development of our Adaptive Camouflage surfboard technology. Using a patented reflective film that mirrors the surrounding water, the board reduces the visual outline of both the craft and the rider.

Together, these technologies create a passive mitigation system that works continuously without electronics, batteries or active deterrents.

Protecting People Without Harming Sharks

One of the principles that guided Fader from day one was that any solution should protect ocean users without harming marine life.

Sharks play a vital role in healthy ocean ecosystems, and they deserve our respect.

Our aim has never been to scare, injure or interfere with sharks. Instead, we've focused on reducing the chance of accidental encounters by applying decades of research into shark behaviour and vision.

It's an approach grounded in science, not fear.

Why We Continue to Innovate

Anyone who spends enough time in the ocean understands that there is always an element of unpredictability.

No technology can eliminate risk entirely, and we would never claim otherwise.

But we believe there is room for innovation in how we approach ocean safety.

Fader was born from decades of shark research, thousands of hours spent in and around the water, and a simple belief that understanding sharks is the key to reducing unwanted encounters.

What began as one marine scientist's observation has evolved into a new way of thinking about wetsuits, surfboards and ocean safety.

Because sometimes the best solutions aren't about fighting nature.

They're about learning from it.