Comfortable soft waistband and flat seams maximise next to skin comfort.
With excellent anti-microbial performance thanks to the use of silver ion technology, and outstanding wicking from a unique fabric, the J2 baselayer is designed for extended use under a drysuit.
Keeping the skin dry can be critical to success, whether it is staying warm, or preventing infections. The J2 baselayer was designed to wick perspiration away from the skin and maintain a dry zone next to the skin. Air is a better insulator than water and consequently, the baselayer ensures better thermal protection.
The J2 baselayer system takes this performance further with tried and tested anti-microbial silver ions embedded within the fibres of the fabric. This enables long, repetitive wear without the risk of skin infections developing – something which was critical on the US Deep Caving Team’s 2013 expedition to explore the Cheve cave system in Mexico, for which the J2 was specifically developed.
The J2 wicking performance also comes into its own when the fabric gets wet. Water is wicked away from the skin, and with the right combination of drysuit underwear, further away though the fibres of the undersuit. Even in the event of a suit flood, the J2 will retain some of its performance.
Silver ions are incorporated into the fibres when they are manufactured, ensuring that the bacteriostatic and antifungal properties of the fabric last. This cannot be washed off. The silver ions prevent the formation of bacterial cell membranes, preventing most bacteria from growing in the fibres of the garment. However, this will not adversely affect the naturally occurring bacteria on the skin itself.
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The use of recycled materials, such as old fishing nets, in collaboration with Ghostnets UK, shows great consistency with the above standards. The same goes for the use of Econyl fabrics, an Italian company specializing in recycled fabrics made from recycled plastic.
Since neoprene has an amazing performance in water sports, the use of fuel oil and therefore supporting oil drilling is not what we want as sea and nature lovers. The fourth element we use for our wetsuits is Limestone and Yulex Pure Neoprene.
Development never stops, so even the new REC FINS, which are made of 97% recycled material, can be recycled again. So here you see the whole life cycle of a product, and the end of life is the beginning of a new life.
"Fourth Element is dedicated to making the best gear for your underwater adventures, from award winning drysuits and wetsuits to swimwear and rashguards made from recycled ghost fishing nets. We develop our products to perform in the world’s most extreme environments and we are working to minimise their impact on our planet and its oceans."
One of the key ingredients of neoprene, Eco Carbon Black, is recycled by our wetsuit factory from post-consumer scrap tyres. This significantly reduces energy consumption and cuts CO2 emissions by 200g per wetsuit.
Utilising a unique fabric made using ECONYL® recycled Nylon from ghost fishing nets, laminated with a waterproof membrane and thermal fleece, Thermocline revolutionises
the notion that being environmentally responsible means sacrificing performance or aesthetics.
Active Fit
Our UPF 50+ fabric is a blend of recycled nylon and xtra life™ LYCRA® which gives generous stretch and also offers extended protection against chlorine and salt.
This swimwear is made of ECONYL® 100% regenerated nylon, a significant percentage of which comes from fishing nets recovered from the sea.
Single-use plastic packaging just isn’t OK anymore. It pollutes our water ways, suffocating marine life and breaking down into micro plastics which enter our food chain. We still aren’t perfect but we’re improving and working hard to become single-use plastic free.
During the neoprene production process, limestone is used to replace petrochemicals to form rubber chips. You achieve the same performance as traditional neoprene, but with way less environmental impact
One of the key ingredients of neoprene, Eco Carbon Black, is recycled by our wetsuit factory from post-consumer scrap tyres. This significantly reduces energy consumption and cuts CO2 emissions by 200g per wetsuit.
Water soluble | Recyclable | Compostable
Biodegradable | Non-toxic | Marine-safe
Zero waste
Our No More Microplastics packaging is 100% water soluble, recyclable, compostable and biodegradable – eliminating the problems that plastic usually causes when we attempt to dispose of it.
A Better Neoprene
Limestone Neoprene | Recycled Rubber | Dope-Dyed Yarn (exclusive products)
After the neoprene creation process, the redundant trimmed materials will be recycled and reused in the mixing process to produce more neoprene sheets. Overall huge amounts of raw materials are saved, energy consumption is reduced and waste water and air emissions are minimised during production.
The recycled dive fin. It is the unique combination of materials which makes this fin special. The plastic is made from 100% reclaimed post-consumer waste polypropylene and the rubber is made with recycled TPR. By using materials in this way, we are preventing plastic being sent to landfill or ending up as waste in the ocean as part of fourth element’s mission to become OceanPositive.
