ABOUT INDIES TRADER APPAREL DIVISION

Indies Trader didn’t start as a company intending to do surf charters, and it certainly didn’t intend to make apparel. No, Indies Trader came into being because a young, independent-thinking Salvage Diver caught a glimpse of the Indonesian archipelago’s watery secrets, and set about securing the means of access and discovery so he could surf perfection with his mates.

Martin Daly’s discoveries became rumour du-jour and the surf industry soon beat a path to Martin’s wheelhouse – with the Indies Trader facilitating Rip Curl’s Search, the Quiksilver Crossing, and countless surf movies.

Seemingly inexhaustible industry commissions fuelled the Trader and her Captain’s journeys across the planet ’til … with an almost audible ‘Pop!’ the global surf industry fell victim to both the GFC and a misguided lunge for the mythical “mainstream”.

Several companies went bankrupt, pro surfers lost their contracts, and the self-regulating pendulum returned to the simplicity of just riding waves. You could say the industry stopped.

Indies Trader kept moving.

 The 2000’s saw us pioneer the remote Marshall Islands, and establish the world’s most sustainable surf resort, Beran Island. Daly went ashore for the construction and launch, but was soon back out on the hunt. Further recent discoveries in the South Pacific have resulted in the NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) Missions, which has just finished its first season of delivering surfers to astonishing, quiet locations.

In 2020 we also made the decision to jump the fence and start an apparel journey. You won’t see pro surfers wearing our trunks … yet, but you will see them at the world’s most out-of-the-way places, and perhaps at your local beach.

Our work wear will be in the bilge of surf-charter boats, any job-site near the beach, and in the garages of surfers as they fix their car and keep the money saved for a new board.

Our apparel is honest, hardworking gear, to be used by surfers no matter where they find themselves. We’ve been at sea since ’83 in our mission to chase down 100% wild-caught waves, and we will be on that mission for the foreseeable future.

We look forward to having you all along for the ride.