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FOURTH ELEMENT J2 BASELAYER | SRP: £84.95 EACH Mark Evans: There is nothing worse than feeling cold when you go for a dive, and if you want to keep diving right here in the UK through the winter months, then some proper, effective thermal protection is essential. I tend to dive in my Fourth Element Halo 3D all year round, and even in the depths of winter, I have generally been able to last for a full dive, but call me nesh, I had taken to wearing a basic base layer under it for that little bit of extra core warmth when it got really cold. Son and heir Luke was keen to rub in the fact that along with his Fourth Element Hydra neoprene drysuit and Xerotherm undersuit, he also had a J2 baselayer – and I didn’t! – but that was rectified in the run up to Christmas and so we were both able to head off for dives properly bundled up with our J2s under our respective undersuits and drysuits. Now some people might baulk at the thought of shelling out nearly £170 for a base layer top and bottom, when you can pick up a basic base layer set for under £15 in your local supermarket, but they say you get what you pay for, and in the case of the J2, that certainly holds true. This is not your ‘normal’ baselayer, it is an extremely advanced garment. The J2 baselayer was developed specifically for the US Deep Caving Team’s 2013 expedition to explore the Cheve cave system in Mexico. Keeping the skin dry can be critical to success on an epic exploration such as this, whether it is staying warm, or preventing infections, and 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 ensured better thermal protection. The J2 baselayer system takes this performance further with triedand-tested anti-microbial silver ions embedded within the fibres of the fabric, which enables long, repetitive wear without the risk of skin infections developing – this was critical during the 2013 expedition. 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. A simple, close-fitting design with flat seams for next-to-skin comfort offers the perfect solution under any drysuit underwear. This top is not only easy to don, it has good aesthetics and is extremely comfortable thanks to excellent all-way stretch fabric and flat seams.
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