Xcel Hawaii Inc., is a wetsuit retail, wholesale and manufacturing firm that was founded in 1982 in by Ed D’Ascoli. Ed began Xcel Wetsuits in a bedroom of his house at Sunset Beach on Oahu, Hawaii, and eventually began making diving wetsuits for commercial divers and the U.S. military, as well as developing Lycra sun protection apparel. After penetrating the surfing market, Xcel rode its rapid growth into expanding its offerings and found wider audiences across the ocean. Today, surf, paddle, dive, sun protection, and wake combine to form the core of Xcel's brand appeal.
Xcel has their Xcelerator brand, along with 2mm Racerback model, Superlite 2mm Springsuits, or 3/2mm fullsuits and Infiniti 3/2 or 4/3 fullsuits or the hooded 5/4/3 fullsuit. The X-flex is a lightweight flexible wetsuit made from 300% PLUS stretch neoprene, in 2mm. There is a model to fit the demands of every surfer for all water temperatures. Over the past 20 years Xcel has stayed on the cutting edge of material and design development. Xcel's emphasis on stretch, durability, fit and sealed seam construction is carried through on all of their wetsuits. In 2007 and 2008, Xcel was awarded consecutive “Wetsuit of the Year” titles from the Surf Industry Manufacturer's Association (SIMA), prestigious recognitions from industry peers.
