A French company, born in Nice, with a global outlook

Plouf is an innovative, family-owned French brand, proud of its roots in Nice, yet also open to the world.

Plouf products are sold directly in several countries, distributed and recognized for their unique textile expertise.

Beyond the numbers, there is our ambition: to make water safety and well-being accessible to everyone.

 

A story of textiles and ingenuity

Before Plouf, there was GREYSTONE.

Founded in 1981 by Alain Belkadi, an expert and visionary in French textiles, Greystone then worked for the biggest distributors. The company supported brands, innovated, tested, and improved. For nearly 20 years, it developed recognized expertise known for its rigor, technical skill, and high standards.

Then one day, an industrial mistake changed everything.

In an Italian factory, an engineer injected too many micro air bubbles into a batch of hollow synthetic fibers. Rather than recycling it, this fiber was studied and tested. This "failed" material actually held incredible potential: it was lightweight, ergonomic, durable... and it floats.

This is how FibreAir® was born, a fiber made up of 97% micro air bubbles, patented in 2000. A French innovation that would take on its full meaning a few years later.

 

The (re)birth of Plouf

For a long time, FibreAir® remained a technology waiting for an application.

It was tested and analyzed before finally being understood: this fiber can save lives.

In 2019, Sandy Niddam, girl of Alain Belkadi, arrives. At 39, she went back to her studies to train in digital marketing and face the reality on the ground. She then brought Plouf back to life, a brand that had been sleeping in the family archives. Plouf then became the first brand in the world to integrate FibreAir® into a swimwear designed to make children float , without armbands, without floats, without inflation. Please note, even with this innovative device, a child who is swimming must always be under adult supervision.

The swimwear swimsuit by Plouf is therefore a revolution:

• It helps children float naturally
• It supports them in their learning
• It leaves the arms free and allows total freedom of movement
• It helps reduce fear and apprehension of water
• It gives children autonomy and parents peace of mind

Discover our floating swimsuits for children

Very quickly, in 2022, Plouf became an official partner of the Swimming Academy, official supplier of the French Swimming Federation and supports the national "Learn to Swim" program of the Ministry of Sports every year.

Plouf is no longer just a brand, it is a mission.

A simple but essential mission: making swimming safer and preventing drownings.

 

Safety Concept: giving adults the confidence that children already had

One question keeps coming up: "And for adults?". The needs are immense:

• Adults who do not know how to swim
• People who no longer dare to go into the water
• Those who want to stay active
• Athletes in rehabilitation
• People suffering from pain, shortness of breath, apprehension…

All these people have one thing in common: they want to enjoy the water without fear.

This is how Safety Concept by Plouf was born, the adult range also using the FibreAir® to provide support, comfort, autonomy, and safety in the water.

The Floating swimsuit for adults quickly became a success and is now recognized as health equipment. It has also won over healthcare stakeholders: the brand is now official partner of Carsat Sud-Est which covers 100% of the swimsuits floats as part of the OSCAR package.

The ambition is clear: making swimming accessible to everyone, at every age and for all physical conditions.

Discover our adult swimsuits floats

 

Safety Concept Pro: textile innovation serving experts

After families.

After adults.

The FibreAir® can still make a difference in a new field: professionals.

These experts are looking for lightweight, durable, ergonomic equipment capable of improving their safety without compromising their freedom of movement.

Plouf then integrates the FibreAir® into floating garments (watch jacket and suit) for professionals, designed as genuine personal protective equipment (PPE):

🛟 Indestructible, ergonomic, heat-resistant, waterproof, durable over time… and above all naturally buoyant.

These garments do not replace a life jacket and must never be used as such, but they provide additional buoyancy, valuable support, and significant mobility in demanding conditions.

Discover our professional equipment

What we really do

We manufacture swimsuits. We produce fibers. We innovate in textiles.

But above all, we give people what is priceless:

• The courage to get into the water
• The peace of mind of seeing your child safe
• The freedom to move without fear
• The confidence to start again
• The simple pleasure of floating

That is Plouf.

That is why we exist.

And the story is only just beginning.

Discover our FibreAirⓇ, as well as our production line for the floating range and the European Standards for our floating clothing for children and adults.