So the consumer is stuck with stock-size suits
and the manufacturer does what it can to get as
good a fit as possible. It’s extremely important todivEr 72 divErNEt.com
I’ll take its lead and talk about it
in that context, keeping in mind
that it’s a low-cost wetsuit.The Design
The W80 is a one-piece made from
8mm Ultraflex neoprene. While the
neoprene creates an insulating barrier
that slows heat-loss from your body to
the water, heat-loss also occurs through
flushing, which can occur through seams
if they aren’t watertight.
Seams are glued and dry-stitched to
prevent this. Because it’s not a semi-dry, the
W80 lacks anti-flushing seals at wrists,
ankles and neck.
Here’s why semi-drys exist – the anti-
flushing seals mitigate a poor fit. As a kid,
my wetsuits were tailor-made in the UK,
long before semi-drys existed, and they
fitted me perfectly. When I took them off,
the inside would be damp, not soaked,
and you could tell the type of stitch used
from the imprints left on my body.
Today, the British market will rarely bear
the price of bespoke wetsuits, because the
cost of manufacturing in the UK or Europe
greatly exceeds that of even a Far East-made
budget drysuit, let alone a humble wettie.SO MANY FACTORS AFFECT HOW WE CHILL
under water, apart from water temperature.
Some are highly personal and variable. We lose
body heat from wind-chill around the dive-site,
accumulated cooling from repeat dives over
multiple days, and even by just breathing, which
is exacerbated at depth. Especially, we chill when
we’re not moving.
So any wetsuit test is subjective, and so it is
with the 8mm Waterproof W80 steamer, which
I used over six dives or so, both as a standalone
and with the 5mm over-shortie.
Waterproof is a Swedish company, though the
W80 is assembled in the Far East. The company
also runs Waterproof Expeditions, which has a
special emphasis on polar adventuring.
Waterproof ’s suit range encompasses a broad
choice of drysuits, catering to military,
commercial, technical and recreational divers.
Alongside sits a line of semi-dry and wetsuits,
with features and benefits from premium to
economy.
The W80 is from the economy range, and
Waterproof states that it is designated for
moderate depths and lower temperatures. It
doesn’t specify a specific depth and temperature
range, and how could it, given each individual’s
personal predisposition to cold?
But Waterproof should be applauded for its
candour in downplaying its claims for the W80.DIVER TESTS
WETSUITS
WATERPROOF
W80 &W-SERIES
OVERVEST
really understand the point of these knobs. Why
drop large amounts of hard-earned cabbage on
a high-performance reg set, then de-tune it?
How many Ferrari owners go back to the
garage asking for their new car to be made
slower?
But I do know there are those of you who willdisagree and, for you, the
control works well.
Fully open and the breathe is
smooth and high-volume
without being fierce. Closed,
and you need to suck a bit, but
never to the point at which you
feel as if you’re having your first
asthma attack.
If you want a second stage
with breathing resistance
adjustment, this one works
well. That means another big
tick from me.
The venturi levers on both
second stages were easy to
locate and move with a gloved hand, and the
BRA knob on the LX200 was equally easy to
twiddle even with my Kevlar dipped 5mm
gloves.
Both also purged progressively and easily,
allowing full control over the amount of gas that
the purge swooshed through the second stage.Conclusion
So that’s it. I’d be comfortable using the LX100 or
LX200 for tech or rec, cold or warm water. In fact,
the more I reflect on the gas-delivery of these
sets, the more impressed I am – there’s a
smoothness to the gas-flow that’s hard to
describe but makes them very nice to use.
I’d be tempted by the lower price of the
LX100, but I really like the idea of the tougher
coating on the LX200. Regardless of which you
plump for, these are good regs. ■TESTERMike Ward
PRICESLX100/DC3 - £345.
LX200/DCX - £500
PORTSLX100 - 4lp, 2hp. LX200 - 5lp, 2hp
WEIGHTLX100 - 1070g. LX200 - 1200g
CONTACThollis.com
DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★✩SPECS
Hollis mouthpiece.