Until 1970, Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer ran one of hundreds of Australian surf shops vying for attention in a highly competitive market. Both avid surfers, they realized that too many companies supplied boards while too few manufactured wetsuits. So they bought a small house and a pre-World War II sewing machine, then cut up rubber from the floor to weave into prototype designs that they test-piloted themselves. Rip Curl was founded on the principles that, "Rip Curl is a company for, and about, the Crew on The Search." The company bases its foundation on the guiding concepts that the products they make, the events they run, the riders they support and "the people they reach globally are all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on" .

Now made with the duo's own Elastomax and SlickSkin technology, the wetsuits are one of many Rip Curl items designed and distributed in more than 60 countries around the world. Though products such as handcrafted custom boards and tide-tracking wristwatches retain the company's ties to surfing, the business has since expanded to gear and accessories for boardsports that include snow, skate, and wake. Rip Curl also continues to foster the boardsport community with Rip Curl Pro competitions throughout the globe and sponsored teams of top surfing, snowboarding, and wakeboarding athletes.