get a close fit with a wetsuit like the W80.
In the W80 Waterproof uses a neoprene called
Ultraflex that has a lot of give. If you have proper
biceps (I don’t) and do flexes, the material will
contract and expand with your muscles.
For surface sports, such as sailing and surfing,
high-stretch neoprene is essential; for diving it is
less important. Waterproof uses denser
neoprenes in its high-end coldwater semi-drys,
but this is far costlier than that used in the W80.
I would guess that the W80 neoprene is rated
for fairly modest diving exposures, because of
compression causing the suit to thin out at
depth and lose insulation.
The problem Waterproof has set itself is that
while most rivals offer only soft neoprene suits,
it sells a better suit but at a higher price.
The usual nylon lining inside and out adds
strength and makes it easy to don and doff the
suit. The outer adds additional scuff protection.
Waterproof builds on this abrasion protection
by adding plasticised panels to the seat,
extending down the back of the thighs. These
have a stippled non-slip finish to help keep your
butt from sliding around on boats.
Small raised shoulder flashes prevent
slippage of BC straps. Around the wrists you’ll
find stippling to create friction to stop your
gauges shifting – all nice touches on a budget
wetsuit. The right thigh is equipped to take
Waterproof ’s optional WPAD expanding pocket.
divErNEt.com
DIVER TESTS
TESTERSteve Warren
PRICEW80 £269, W-Series Overvest (no hood)- £138, WPAD Expandable Pocket - £40
SIZEW80 M XS-3XL (8). F XXS-XXL (8).
Overvest M XS-3XL/t (16) F XS-XXL (12)
COLOURSW80 - black/blue. Overvest - black
CONTACTwaterproof.eu
DIVER GUIDEW80 ★★★★★★★★★✩
Overvest ★★★★★★★★★★
SPECS
Female (left)
and male
W-Series
Overvest.W-Series
Overvest
This 5mm garment, which
Waterproof calls an overvest,
is front-entry. The offset zip aids
freedom of movement, because
when worn over the W80 you don’t
have two zips behind you that need
to flex together.
It also further reduces any flushing
through the W80’s own zipper.
The sleeves come down just over
your upper arms, helping to achieve
a seal without appreciably
impinging on movement around
your shoulders and leaving your
elbows completely unrestricted.
The legs end at the top of your
thighs. I noticed no increased
effort when finning.
A hood-attached version is available,
though the one I tested was hoodless. As with
the W80, this is a nicely finished suit with low-
profile seams and bound edges.
Waterproof has again provided anti-skid, anti-
abrasion protection to the lower back and butt,
and repeated the fitting for the pocket.
With the use of the micro-bubble neoprene,
you can expect a much longer working life from
the premium W-Series. You should stay warmer
for longer on deeper dives and experience less
buoyancy shift.In Use
The W80 is easy to don and doff by yourself.
The back-entry zip has a tab at the base of your
spine to give you purchase while you do it up.
It locks in place when you close the Velcro-
backed collar.
A simple underflap minimises flushing along
the length of the YKK zipper. The ankles have
zips, so they open right out. It’s easy to put your
feet through.
The zips don’t have expanding gussets behind
them, which would mean there’s no flushing
through the teeth at all. Instead they use
backing flaps, like the main zip. These do reduce
flushing to some extent.
I carried out a series of dives in the 15-30m
range in 14° water while wearing the W80 in
Gibraltar, supported by Gibraltar SAC.
The harshest test was a dive on which I was
also testing a computer. It put the W80 on notice
because at the target depth of 22m the
neoprene is substantially compressed, so
insulation is reduced. However, no-stop time is
generous compared to, say, a 30m dive. You’re
exposed to the cold water for far longer.
I was also waiting for the computer to go into
deco, and barely moving for most of the time.
That dive lasted more than 70 minutes, including
stops. I used the W80 with the W-Series shortie,
and the Waterproof combo performed very well.
The W80 was very comfortable in and out of
the water. I made some long swims in it (not
always intentionally, but because I get lost a lot)
and, due to the shaping of the pre-bent knees
and supple neoprene in the back of the legs, it
doesn’t bunch up here. It won’t abrade your skin.73 divErThere’s no resistance when you bend your
arms to raise a camera, either.Conclusion
For a lot of casual Mediterranean and Red Sea
diving, the W80 would be fine, I’d have thought,
for two or three dives a day. If you feel the cold,
are a slow-moving photographer or fish-watcher
or are diving those locations in the winter
months, I’d want the shortie as well.
For UK diving the combo should be fine as
a summer suit for no-stop dives.
In very warm water, the W-Series shortie can
be used on its own for a bit of extra insulation,
buoyancy and to protect your shoulders and
back from your BC.
Get a good fit and this makes an attractive
low-cost purchase for younger divers, because
the Ultraflex neoprene provides a little growing
room. I’m happy to recommend the W80 for the
conditions I’ve outlined, and commend
Waterproof for its honesty about neoprene.
Which brings me back to the W-Series.
Again, easy to don and doff, very comfortable
and seemingly rugged with its stand-out feature
being the microcell construction. Highly
recommended. ■Anti-slip protective panel.WPAD pocket in-situ (above) and (below) detached from
W80 wetsuit.