Scuba Knit Fabric Manufacturer — Cotton & Polyester
Scuba knit fabric with structured drape for dresses and activewear: cotton scuba, polyester scuba and doubleface, made in Turkey. Request a fabric sample.
A dress that stands away from the body, holds a clean peplum and needs no lining is almost always cut from scuba knit fabric. That structured, slightly spongy hand is not a finish sprayed on afterwards — it is knitted in, and it is what makes scuba one of the most reliable fabrics in a fashion buyer's range. At RT Tekstil we knit, dye and finish scuba under one roof, and since 1980 we have supplied knit fabric to more than 40 countries, with scuba, polyester scuba and doubleface anchoring the structured-fashion side of that business.
This page is the working reference for sourcing the scuba family: what scuba is and how the double-knit build works, the three qualities we run with their GSM and composition, how to match a weight to your end use, and how to move from a swatch to a container. If you already know your fabric type and want a price, our team can quote straight from your spec sheet.
The scuba knit fabric family: three qualities, one structure
Scuba is a double-knit — two interlocked layers knitted together on a double-plate machine — which is the source of its firm, smooth, memory-holding hand. Within that one structure sit three qualities that behave quite differently in a garment, and choosing between them is the first decision a buyer makes.
Scuba (classic) is a polyester-spandex double-knit run between 250 and 350 g/m². It has the most structure of the three: it stands away from the body, holds a sculpted seam and recovers its shape, which is why it dominates structured dresses, skirts, peplums and soft-tailored jackets. This is the fabric most people mean when they say "scuba".
Cotton scuba is a cotton-heavy blend with spandex, run between 250 and 320 g/m². It trades a little of the classic's snap for breathability and a softer next-to-skin feel, so it suits dresses and tops aimed at warm markets or buyers who want a natural-fibre story without losing the scuba silhouette.
Polyester scuba is 100% polyester, run between 220 and 300 g/m² and built for print. Because the dye bonds to the polyester fibre, it takes sublimation and all-over prints with sharp, wash-fast colour, which makes it the base of choice for printed activewear and photographic fashion prints. Alongside these three sits doubleface, a heavier double-face knit at 280–400 g/m² for coats and premium outerwear, covered in full on our doubleface knit fabric guide.
Scuba GSM and composition: choosing the right quality
Weight and blend are the two decisions that set the price, the hand and the end use. The table below is our working range for the scuba family — brief a spec from it before you request a sample, then confirm the final numbers against your own pattern and market.
| Fabric | Knit | Typical composition | Weight (g/m²) | Best-fit use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scuba (classic) | Double-knit | Polyester-spandex | 250–350 | Structured dresses, skirts, jackets, peplums |
| Cotton scuba | Double-knit | Cotton-heavy + spandex | 250–320 | Dresses and tops for warm markets (breathable) |
| Polyester scuba | Double-knit | 100% polyester | 220–300 | Printed activewear, sublimation-ready fashion |
| Doubleface | Double-face knit | Cotton/poly blend | 280–400 | Jackets, coats, premium outerwear |
A few field notes from what buyers actually order. Under roughly 250 g/m² a scuba starts to lose the structure it is prized for and drapes more like a heavy interlock; if a buyer wants that softer fall, cotton scuba near the bottom of its range is the honest choice rather than a thin classic scuba. For dresses that must hold a peplum or a sculpted waist, 280–320 g/m² is the safe middle. For printed activewear, stay in polyester scuba at 220–260 g/m² so the garment is not heavy once the print and the seams are added. Composition follows the destination: polyester-spandex for structure and shape retention, cotton scuba for breathable warm-market fashion, 100% polyester when the whole program is built around print.
Why buyers source scuba from one integrated producer
Scuba lives or dies on consistency across a color card. A fashion buyer rarely orders one shade — they order a structured dress in eight colours, and every one has to hold the same hand, the same weight and the same recovery so the garments hang together on a rail. When scuba is split across a knitter, a separate dyehouse and a finisher, weight drifts and shades wander between lots. We remove that risk structurally: at RT Tekstil, knitting, dyeing and finishing sit under one roof in our Istanbul integrated production, backed by a dedicated dyehouse and colour laboratory in Tekirdağ.
In practice that means when you approve a lab-dip shade, every colour in your scuba program is dyed to that same standard, in coordinated lots, so the eight-colour dress drop matches across the range. Our lab-dip and colour-lab process targets zero colour deviation, which for a structured-fashion buyer is the difference between a clean season and a rail of near-misses. It is also why repeat buyers reorder the same standard shade a season later with confidence.
Two more things matter to an importer at container scale. First, capacity and continuity: 8,000 tons of annual capacity and 40+ years of manufacturing since 1980 mean a program will not stall mid-season. Second, compliance: our scuba and doubleface qualities are produced to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 requirements, which is what EU retail and brand buyers audit for. You can read more on our approach to fabric quality and certification standards.
A buyer's checklist before you request a scuba sample
Bring these to the table and the first quote will be accurate instead of a placeholder. It also shortens the lab-dip and sampling loop, which is where most of the calendar goes.
- Which scuba: classic polyester-spandex, cotton scuba, or 100% polyester scuba for print.
- Target GSM: e.g. 300 g/m² for a structured dress, 240 g/m² for printed activewear.
- Composition: polyester-spandex, cotton-heavy blend, or 100% polyester — and the elastane percentage you need.
- Colours and matching: Pantone or a physical standard, and how many shades share the program.
- Print method: if sublimation or all-over print, flag it so we base the fabric for your print house.
- Finish and compliance: OEKO-TEX® requirement, plus any shrinkage or fastness target.
- Volume and destination: tonnage per colour and the port or door we ship to.
If you are still deciding whether scuba is the right base at all, our explainer on what scuba knit fabric is and where it is used walks through the properties in plain terms. For structured garments that need a firm, elastic edge finish, buyers often pair scuba with a matched trim — see our guide to rib and pique knit fabric for trims.
Where scuba fabric goes: end uses across a range
Scuba is filed by many buyers under "structured dresses and done", but the family reaches across fashion and activewear once you map the end use to the right quality. Getting that mapping right keeps a program tidy and the reorders predictable.
Structured dresses, skirts and peplum tops are the anchor of the classic scuba side. A 280–320 g/m² polyester-spandex scuba stands away from the body, holds a sculpted seam and needs no lining, which is exactly what a bodycon or peplum silhouette relies on. Soft-tailored jackets and blazers pull the heavier end of classic scuba or step up to doubleface for a coat-weight hand with two clean faces. Dresses and tops for warm markets lean to cotton scuba, keeping the silhouette while breathing better against skin.
Printed activewear and photographic-print fashion is the domain of polyester scuba: leggings, sets and statement pieces where the print carries the design and has to survive repeated washing. Across all of these, the weight-to-use rule is the same — the structure a garment needs decides the GSM, and the GSM is fixed at the sampling stage, not renegotiated after the first container.
Field proof from our own runs. The pattern we see most often across 40+ years and 40+ countries is simple: buyers who consolidate a multi-colour scuba dress program onto one integrated producer stop opening shade-mismatch and weight-drift claims, and their season-to-season reorders drop straight in because the standard shade and GSM are held in our colour lab. Buyers who keep splitting the knit and the dye keep firefighting a two-tone rail. That is not a sales line — it is the single most repeated reason a structured-fashion importer moves a scuba program to us and keeps it here.
Request a scuba sample or a container quote
Every new program with us starts the same honest way: an approved sample first, a formal quote second, a container run third. Send your fabric type, target GSM, composition, colours and tonnage through our central contact page, and our team replies with a lab-dip plan, a price per kilogram or meter, and a realistic lead time. We supply scuba knit fabric at container scale — typically 10 to 100 tons across scuba, polyester scuba and doubleface combined — and we ship to your port or to your door on agreed Incoterms. If you want, request a swatch card of our standard scuba qualities and we will match it to your target shade.
Frequently asked questions
What is scuba knit fabric?
Scuba is a double-knit fabric with a smooth, slightly spongy hand and firm structure that holds a shape without lining. Classic scuba is polyester-spandex at 250–350 g/m²; cotton scuba is a cotton-heavy blend at 250–320 g/m² for breathability; polyester scuba is 100% polyester at 220–300 g/m² for printed activewear. The double-knit build is what gives all three their structured drape.
What is the difference between cotton scuba and polyester scuba?
Cotton scuba is a cotton-heavy blend with spandex at 250–320 g/m²; it breathes better and feels softer against skin, so it suits dresses and tops for warm markets. Polyester scuba is 100% polyester at 220–300 g/m² and is built for sublimation printing and activewear, holding vivid all-over prints that cotton cannot take the same way. The classic polyester-spandex scuba at 250–350 g/m² sits between them for structured dresses and jackets.
What GSM should I choose for scuba dresses?
For structured dresses, skirts and peplum tops, 280–320 g/m² is the working range: heavy enough to stand away from the body and hold a seam, light enough to wear. Lighter tops and printed activewear sit at 220–260 g/m², while jackets and coat-weight pieces move to doubleface at 280–400 g/m². We supply a sample yardage in your target weight so your pattern room can confirm before a container order.
Is scuba fabric good for sublimation printing?
Polyester scuba, at 220–300 g/m² and 100% polyester, is the right choice for sublimation and all-over prints because the dye bonds to the polyester fibre and gives sharp, wash-fast colour. Cotton scuba does not sublimate the same way. If your program is printed activewear or fashion with photographic prints, specify polyester scuba and we will match the base for your print house.
Do you supply OEKO-TEX certified scuba fabric?
Yes. Our scuba and doubleface qualities are produced to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 requirements, which EU retail and brand buyers audit for. Because knitting, dyeing and finishing run under one roof, we also hold zero colour deviation across a program through our lab-dip process. We can confirm the applicable certification scope for the specific quality and shade you intend to import.
What is the minimum order for scuba fabric by container?
We are built for container-scale supply, typically 10 to 100 tons per program across scuba, polyester scuba and doubleface combined. Colours and GSM can be split within that volume. We ship to your port or to your door on agreed Incoterms, and we start every new buyer with an approved sample and a formal quote before the bulk run.
How do I request a scuba fabric sample and quote?
Send your fabric type, target GSM, composition, colours and tonnage through our central contact page. We reply with a lab-dip plan, a price per kilogram or per meter, and an honest production lead time. First orders usually begin with an approved sample before the bulk run is booked, so you confirm hand, weight and shade against your own market first.
