It is probably the most known wetsuit thanks to the image it has from the international competitions where the strong Pathos Team led by Giacomo De Mola, champion and instructor, is constantly present at the top of all rankings. This wetsuit, the Pathos Team, is inevitably a sort of must-have by the passionate spearos. Let’s look at the solutions requested by the professional Pathos official athletes.
Materials and protections
The extreme performance requested on this professional wetsuit evidently requires the softest and warmest option neoprene, which is the open cell inside and smooth outside solution. The specific type of neoprene is the very durable Heiwa SK, which we can already confirm is soft, but still keeping a good strength and resistance to compression, where in fact the elasticity is very good but not to an extreme softness that would suffer depth.
No protections at all on the jacket and trousers, aiming for best comfort and elasticity, with all the lower part of the jacket completely open cell smooth neoprene down to the lower profile, meaning also an amazing sealing effect with the externally smooth surface of the neoprene of the high waist pants. The sternal protection is absent on the 7 mm jacket, which relies only on the thickness of the neoprene to protect the sternum when loading the speargun.
No camo solution for the Pathos Team wetsuit, but only the very recognizable Pathos Pro Spearfishing logo.
Finishings and cuts
The Pathos Team wetsuit amazes for the really reduced number of pieces of neoprene used and glued together. This aspect definitely generates a much “cleaner” look of the wetsuit and also increases its resistance as there are very few bondings that can detach. On the other hand, the fewer the cuts and pieces of neoprene and the more limited is the possibility to give the correct shape to the wetsuit and obtain the wanted performed areas. Still, we will evaluate this point in the test in the water.
The Pathos Team wetsuit has though bondings in the face, ankles and wrists profiles, where a folded smooth open-cell neoprene is used to refine the edges, while the profile of the high waist of the pants is obtained with a net cut. The folded profiles all have a very small and neat pass-through stitching.
The only lining present is on the final part of the beavertail, which internally has a special Nylon reinforcement, the lower part of the jacket profile completely covered with a one-piece elastic Nylon strip, and the area of the crotch of the pants, which is particularly critical and so need to be reinforced with externally lined neoprene (internally open cell). The beavertail closes with a single clip, which is actually as good as the double, except in the remote case it breaks…
Even the underarm area is not made with an additional rhomboidal piece of neoprene, but with one single piece covering all the way along the lower part of the arm. With the same philosophy, the rear part of the jacket is made with one single large piece of neoprene.
The high waist pants are higher at the back (49 cm) compared to the front (43 cm) to better protect the lumbar area.
Special solutions
The Pathos Team has in the simplicity of its cuts its strength for what concerns resistance, but also being the official Team’s wetsuit has an additional element of reliability and fashion. The extremely reduced areas of lined neoprene determine higher softness and elasticity and fast drying.
Plus and Minus
Plus
- Few pieces of neoprene for reduced bondings and greater resistance
- Almost zero linings, for elasticity, warmth and thermal insulation
- It is the Pathos Team official wetsuit…let us add this emotional plus
Minus
- No protections whatsoever, reduced lining also on the beavertail can make this wetsuit delicate against rocks and also wearing and taking it off
- We would have preferred a folded neoprene profile also on the pants waist
For the complete data chart of the Pathos Team wetsuit click here.
