When adventure takes you far from shore – into freezing winds, driving spray and relentless rain – your gear must do more than just keep up. It must protect, endure and last. That’s why we’re proud to share a major milestone for Nikwax: our first-ever marine partnership, with ocean performance specialists, Gill Marine. Together, we’re helping redefine what high-performance marine apparel can be – without relying on harmful ‘forever chemicals’.
PFAS-free, ocean ready protection
Gill Marine has chosen Nikwax Direct.Dry, our factory-applied, PFAS-free Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment, for its updated flagship OS1 Ocean System – marking a significant first for the marine industry.
Designed for the harshest environments, the OS1 System now delivers reliable waterproof protection paired with more sustainable materials. Developed as a complete ocean system, it reflects Gill’s engineering-led approach to performance, protection and material innovation. For sailors, offshore racers, and serious ocean explorers, this means gear that performs when it matters most, while helping to reduce environmental impact.
Developed for repeated use
Nikwax Direct.Dry achieves the highest rating on the AATCC 22 Spray Test while remaining durable through repeated washing – a non-negotiable for gear exposed to salt, spray, and extreme conditions. When sea adventures do take their toll, waterproof kit treated with Direct.Dry can be very easily renewed using our high performance, globally trusted aftercare products, ensuring season after season on the water.
Direct.Dry is already trusted for use on award-winning outdoor gear, but this marks its first appearance in marine apparel, opening a new chapter for PFAS-free performance at sea.
Proven where it matters: the Arctic Ocean
Gill’s OS1 Ocean System didn’t just pass lab tests – it was engineered through rigorous in-house testing and validated beyond industry standards, then proven across more than 5,000 miles of Arctic sailing, worn by Matt and Amy from Sailing Yacht Florence.
“In the Arctic, the real challenge is the wind chill coming off ice and glaciers. We wore the OS1 constantly and never had to dry out our mid or base layers. When the outer layer got wet, we shook it off and let it dry in the cockpit. That tells you everything about how well it performed.” Matt Humphries , Sailing Yacht Florence
That’s the kind of real-world validation we believe in at Nikwax – gear tested by adventurers, not just machines.
Performance with purpose
With 50 years of PFAS-free DWR expertise under our Nikwaxed jackets, we have long believed – and proven – that exceptional waterproof performance doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense.
“This partnership demonstrates that high-performance marine apparel does not need to rely on PFAS chemistry. Nikwax Direct.Dry delivers dependable water repellency and can be renewed with our aftercare products, ensuring garments last longer. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that moves the marine industry forward.” Brian Davidson, Nikwax CEO
For us, this partnership with Gill Marine is more than just a product launch – it shows what is possible when engineering, durability and responsible material choices come together, without compromise.
From mountain tops to open oceans, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done best: developing waterproof protection that is formulated for adventure, wherever it takes you next.
