W1 Lady Diving Suit

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: product design 2009

Protective suit from the ice
“The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish,” the most famous of all marine explorers, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, once said. As a man with an immense passion for the oceans, he not only loved the challenges, but was keenly aware that both good equipment and profound knowledge are needed to guarantee the safety of a diver underwater. The W1 is an innovative diving suit that was developed on the basis of experience gathered during expeditions in the extreme conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic seas, where temperatures can drop to –50 degrees centigrade. Specially conceived for use by female divers, this wetsuit features a feminine appearance, imparting a technically balanced aesthetics. Its design follows a new approach of the suit not as a static object, but rather as something that follows the natural movement of the diver underwater. Individual stretch inserts for the arm and knee pits as well as knee pads with a hinge design allow a high degree of free movement, while the use of new materials gives more wearing comfort. In order to further prevent water from entering the suit, the W1 features a design with double seals made from glide skin neoprene at arms and legs. Another exciting innovation is the shape of the spine pad, the supporting structure on the back of the suit, which is moulded in one piece and directly integrated into the suit. It thus prevents water from running along the spine and gives extra warmth to the spinal cord and kidneys. Thus designed, the W1 gives female divers more comfort and more safety while diving. For optimum orientation underwater, the suit features an easy-to-read high-tech compass as well as a contemporary computer strap anchor to prevent the computer from slipping off the arm.