The end of  my time in Sweden had me visiting Waterproof, where CEO Christer Falkeborn showed me around the building and gave me a sneak peak at the coming line of equipment. I was very excited to come have a look as I have been using Waterproof gear for my whole scholarship year, and without sounding biased I believe they make absolutely fantastic thermal protection for diving. Sue Crowe from Tabata Australia is a distributor for Waterproof and very kindly sponsors the Australasian scholar with a full diving set up, she kitted me up in one of Waterproof’s Draco drysuits at the start of the year and it’s been performing fantastically ever since.  With all that in mind it was nice to come see where the inception for its design was first created, and what other designs they have brewing in the Waterproof think tank.

Johan had arranged the visit and came along with me to see behind the scenes of the operation. On my visit I felt I gained an important insight into the operation of the business. Waterproof is a dive company that to me stands out above many as they excel in innovation of the design of their suits. They are constantly trying out new ideas and testing them in the harshest conditions the planet has to offer.

One of the latest and greatest items that will soon be released is the Waterproof D1 hybrid drysuit. As I mentioned before I believe Waterproof are at the forefront of innovative design for thermal protection suits and this latest suit illustrates this perfectly. This suit utilises a spacer material lining that is comprised of polyester springs arranged in a vertical formation. This means that it doesn’t compress under pressure, providing the diver with a constant volume in the suit and therefore protection from the cold. Because the suit has this internal thermal layer one doesn’t have to wear anywhere near as much thermal protection as you would in a conventional drysuit. Allowing for much more movement and comfort whilst diving in a huge range of diving conditions. Coupled with silicon seals in the arms and neck and you have one seriously impressive drysuit. It’s an impressive step up for thermal protection.

Saying goodbye to Christer, it was time for me to leave Gothenburg. Although it was a short visit it was one that was richly rewarding in aspects that I did not originally think about. Gaining insight into the workings of the dive industry is something I found fascinating and was not as I expected.