Konfidence started back in 1996 when, while we were
on holiday, we realised there was a desperate need for a real alternative to
armbands/water wings. Life jackets were too bulky and traditional buoyancy aids
were made of scratchy nylon. Out of this came the idea to construct a swim
jacket made of soft wetsuit neoprene with 8 foam floats 'hidden' on the inside.
The Adjustable Buoyancy Method would allow the wearer to become familiar with
the water and develop their swimming technique. In time the buoyancy would be
reduced leaving a confident and happy swimmer! In addition this personal
floatation device would give parents confidence whilst their children were in
the water. Very quickly and obviously we decided on the name 'The Konfidence
Jacket'.
18 months of investigation and R&D with Sola
Wetsuits of Saltash, Cornwall resulted in our Original Konfidence Jacket.
Subsequently The Konfidence Jacket was manufactured for us by Gul Wetsuits in
Bodmin, Cornwall. The design, great materials and brilliant application came to
the attention of Marks and Spencer, one of the best known department stores in
the UK. In 2000 they placed their first order! Following this, many high street
retailers now sell our swim jacket, Konfidence childrens wetsuits and our UV
protection swim and beach wear in the UK, Europe and now all over the world.
The range of products has slowly but
surely grown to include our adult and youth swim jacket (personal floatation
from 8 years to 80!), kids, infant and childrens wetsuits, UV protection
swimwear and clothing. The demand for innovative and essential childrens
products continues.
We, like many companies, now manufacture
in the Far East, allowing us to pass on the cost savings to our customers and
our products which now represent excellent value for money whilst maintaining
superb quality. Our factories are independently auditted to meet International
Ethical Trading standards and we are working hard to reduce waste and excess
packaging.
The Konfidence Jacket has been
independently tested and approved as a buoyant aid to swimming to CE standard,
the European equivalent of US Coast Guard Type V PFD and Australian AS1900.
We are still a family owned business
with three generations now involved. In North America Konfidence is growing
fast with Steve and Colleen Yockey developing products and markets for the
North American continent. We are always very pleased to recieve feedback, both
positive and negative, which will allow us to continually improve our products
and our service to our customers. .
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