As Deeply is a brand that has been leading sales in the Portuguese surfing industry, and knowing that it has new shareholders, would you like to tell us a little about this situation?

Hernan, despite being originally from Chile, has residency in Portugal and has lived here for several years. He is a very successful businessman in various industries and has been focusing more and more on European projects.

As for me, António, I'm Portuguese and I've been accompanying Hernan on projects that we've set up together in various sectors, from biotechnology to retail, as is the case with Deeply.

Both Hernan and I are entrepreneurs with very different experiences to this project where we are now, which allows us to have a fresh vision to innovate.

What is the reason for this purchase?

There's a big emotional component behind it, both with surfing and with the brand.

Both had been wearing Deeply suits since before purchase due to their quality, and we valued the brand.

It is a brand that is strongly recognized at a European level, for its ability to develop technical and innovative products of high quality, and in an accessible way. Several assets were also created that allow the brand to be sustainable in the long term.

From a macro point of view, it's clear that outdoor sports are on the rise and surfing is no exception. People are starting to look for alternatives to gyms and indoor workouts. They are looking for something that gives them more than just fitness.

There were many barriers to entry for new players in this market, but Deeply demonstrated a strong capacity to be able to continue to grow in the coming years.

We know that there is a greater affinity with surfing on the part of these new Deeply shareholders, do you want to talk to us about that?

Hernan has always practiced extreme sports and even went to the Olympic ski games. He had the first longboard board in Chile, offered by Hawaiian friends and since then he has created a strong connection with the sea.

Even today, over 70 years old, he continues to venture along the beaches of Portugal with his longboard. His favourite beaches are Aivados and São João.

I, despite having started surfing late, today in my 30s, see surfing as a moving meditation, and it has become essential for my physical and mental well-being. I never imagined that a sport could influence my happiness so much.

Will Deeply's headquarters remain in Portugal?

We are immensely proud to know that Deeply is a Portuguese brand established in Porto and we want to reinforce its origins.

With this we decided to keep Deeply where it was created, and in this way strengthen its roots. However, let's change our HQ to reflect what Deeply is today, and what we hope it will become in the future.

A community that works together near the sea. We want to maintain the brand's authenticity and be close to what inspires us most, the sea.

Is it a new phase? Is it a new Deeply?

When we acquired Deeply, we had one thing pretty clear. We wanted to create a brand with a strong purpose. We try to get to know and give people the feeling of extreme happiness and flow that both Hernan and I, and all surfers feel when they are in the water.

We also want to recognize that in any water sport this can be achieved. Whether surfing, bodyboarding or even kite surfing. What unites us is this passion and connection to the sea. We aim to become the most “community centric” brand ever.

In our favor, Deeply already had a strong foundation. I must say that much of this is due to some of the extraordinary people who worked to build them.

In this new phase we have ambitious goals, but we always give priority to our purpose and the authenticity of the brand. Looking to take advantage of all assets created to date.

What can we expect now from Deeply's “surf” suits that are worn by hundreds of thousands of surfers?

The best way we have to convey our purpose is through the experience we provide to our community in the water with our technical products.

For this, we have people dedicated to the development of functional products that take into account the biomechanics of movement and the science of the latest materials and technologies.

There is also a great involvement over time of our athletes in product development. This work together allows us to carry out an “all year testing”, and make innovation a constant.

Will there be a greater focus on the development of new technologies to make Deeply the "ultimate wetsuit"?

As I mentioned at the beginning, we want to have a strong focus on the community. With this we will always want to offer what our community is looking for and create and develop products based on demand.

We don't want to fall into the trap of creating or adding new products just for the sake of making both our community and us lose “value for money”. When it comes to the development of our suits, we are following the “Design Principles” so that our development team, together with our athletes, can constantly test new types of design.

In parallel, we seek feedback from our customers, and listen to their needs. Giving equal priority to whoever is starting, or someone who finds us in the water.

New Deeply models for when on the European market?

These last few months we have been testing new technologies both in terms of material, as we did with graphene, as well as in terms of cuts and technical design of the suit. Since this is now a constant, we have several projects in the pipeline, and may already have some new features in the next collection, which will be consolidated in next year's collection.

Regarding the purchase of Deeply surfing suits, these have been available mostly on the Deeply website, that is, online. Will this trend continue? if yes why?

We highly value the customer experience. Therefore, we have been investing in a more direct channel, and online is our preferred medium. However, we want to enhance the experience of our consumers through partnerships with our surf schools.

We are studying how we can grow physically, while maintaining this proximity to the consumer. We try to use alternative channels, always prioritizing experience and proximity.