Sea Leather

While leather is useful and common a variety of alternates have been made available. One popular variant is Sea Leather. It is known for it's ability to take bold colors well and is especially effective when there is an expectation of water. It requires periodic application of water instead of deforming under it.
In reverse to animal based leathers, sea leather is made from a particularly durable kelp and as such is home in the sea. It comes in multiple varieties, the biggest of them being; a supple suede variety, a tough hardened variety, and a stretchy flexible variety.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Used frequently by sailors, divers, and underwater species for clothing, armor and decoration. Besides it's common use in underwater societies it is popular in coastal areas that enjoy swimming, diving, and Water Jousting. Swim and dive suits are made with sea leather, often accompanied by magical methods of breathing underwater.

Manufacturing & Products

Sea leather uses as it's base a kelp variety known as Laminaria Lentia. It is then cured in a contained bath with minerals, various mollusk powders, and seaweed extracts. The exact mix determines the toughness and color of the resulting fabric. Some of the most prized versions are the complex multicolor and finely textured varieties.
Once cured the materials are pressed into sheets about two meters in length by 30-100 centimeters in width. Once these have bonded the fabric is used as about any other fabric or leather.

Byproducts & Sideproducts

The process of making the leather requires flexible but strong adhesives made from the holdfasts of the kelp. These adhesives are also used outside the making of fabrics for various constructions and projects underwater. Such adhesives require moisture to continue to bond, so are of less use outside coastal or undersea areas. At times they are used to form a protective layer on the bottom of boats.

Reusability & Recycling

As the bonding agents require frequent water application, they will dry and begin to fall apart in dry sunny conditions. Recycling is done by piling the fabric on a beach or other dry outcropping until it begins the fall apart and be eaten by bugs.