Lavacore vs Sharkskin: Which Thermal Layer Should You Buy?
If you have already decided against a neoprene wetsuit as your first layer, you have probably narrowed the field to these two names. Both make a thin, stretchy, neoprene-free thermal garment. Both are worn under a wetsuit, under a drysuit, or on their own in warm water. They look similar on a hanger and they cost very different amounts.
A disclosure before anything else, because it should change how you read this: we are the European distributor for Sharkskin, and we also list Lavacore through our partner catalogue. We sell both. That is exactly why this page is built out of things you can check rather than things we assert. Prices and specifications were checked in September 2026.
The short answer
Both are three-layer, neoprene-free, neutrally buoyant, windproof thermal wear, and on the basics they are more alike than either brand's marketing suggests.
Lavacore is roughly half the price at the entry level. A long sleeve top is about 98 to 116 EUR at German dealers, against 195 EUR for Chillproof and 232.50 EUR upward for T2 Chillproof.
Sharkskin publishes a warmth rating, offers a warmer second tier, carries a two year warranty rather than one, and is made in Australia.
So: if you dive warm water and the budget matters most, Lavacore. If you want the warmest neoprene-free layer available, or you want European stock and European returns, Sharkskin. Everything below is the evidence for that, including the parts that do not flatter us.
What they are made of
Sharkskin's Chillproof is a three-layer composite. Next to the skin is a hollow fibre fleece. In the middle sits what the manufacturer describes as a 10,000 plus technical membrane that stops windchill and still breathes. The outer is a four-way stretch face fabric with a durable water repellent finish. T2 Chillproof is the same three layers with titanium nano-technology permanently embedded in them.
Lavacore's Polytherm is also a three-layer laminate: a durable water repellent outer, a windproof and breathable middle layer, and an inner fleece the manufacturer describes as anti-bacterial and anti-pill. Four-way stretch, flatlock seams, overlapped and sewn with a full gusset.
Read those two paragraphs again and the useful point becomes obvious. "Not neoprene" is what these two brands share. It is not what separates them. If you are choosing between them, the thing that decides it is not the absence of neoprene, because both are neoprene-free. It is the published warmth rating, whether a warmer tier exists, the trims, and the price.
How warm, and who says so
Sharkskin publishes figures. Chillproof is described as the equivalent warmth of a 3 mm neoprene wetsuit underwater. T2 Chillproof, with the titanium layer, is described as equivalent to up to 5 mm. Those are the manufacturer's numbers, not an independent laboratory's, and we would rather say that than let you assume otherwise.
Lavacore does not publish an equivalent figure anywhere we could find, on its own site or its product pages. The "2 to 3 mm" you will see quoted in forums comes from divers, not from Lavacore. It is a reasonable owner estimate and it is not a specification.
That difference matters less as a warmth claim than as a buying tool. A published rating lets you compare a garment against the wetsuit you already own. Without one you are relying on other people's skin.
One thing owners of both brands agree on: the fleece lining takes a long time to dry properly. If you dive twice a day, plan for that.
For which Sharkskin tier suits your water, we wrote a separate piece on Chillproof against T2 Titanium.
If you are allergic to neoprene
This is the reason a good number of people find us at all. A customer wrote to us recently because he is allergic to neoprene and had found only two alternatives anywhere. So it is worth being precise rather than reassuring.
Both fabrics are neoprene-free by their makers' statements. Lavacore states "Neoprene FREE" on its Merino product page. Sharkskin's Chillproof and T2 Chillproof fabric contains no neoprene.
But fabric is not the whole garment. Sharkskin's own FAQ on latex and rubber allergies names the specific items it considers safe: the Chillproof front zip suit, without the neoprene collar that the back zip full suit has, and a Chillproof hood, socks and gloves. So if you are genuinely allergic: the back zip suit has a neoprene collar, and the Performance Wear range uses neoprene panels and is not the range for you. The front zip suit, tops, pants, vests, hoods, socks and gloves are.
Lavacore's site does not state what its trims are made of. If you are buying on this basis, ask the dealer before you order. We would rather tell you to ask a competitor's dealer a question than have you buy the wrong thing from us.
Range, cut and sizes
Both ranges are broad. Sharkskin covers full suits, long and short sleeve tops, vests with and without hoods, long and short pants, hoods, socks and gloves, across Chillproof and the warmer T2 Chillproof. Lavacore covers full suits in front and back zip, long and short sleeve tops, a long sleeve hooded top, vests and hooded vests, unisex pants and shorts, hood, gloves and socks, plus a Merino line and a lighter Lavaskin layer.
Sizing is where they differ more than most buyers expect. Sharkskin runs men XXS to 5XL, women 6 to 22 in Australian numbering, and a junior range from 4 to 12. Lavacore runs men XS to 4XL plus King 1 and King 2 for larger men of average height, women's sizes plus W sizes for curvier women of average height, and short sizes in unisex. We did not find a junior range.
So if you are buying for a child, that decides it. If you are a shape the standard grid does not serve, Lavacore's King, W and short sizes are a genuine advantage and we will not pretend otherwise.
Lavacore's Merino line is marketed on fit and comfort rather than as a warmer tier, which is worth knowing if you assumed merino meant warmer.
What they cost in Europe
September 2026, in euro, at named retailers.
A Lavacore long sleeve top is 98.50 to 115.95 EUR at German dealers such as TaucherQuelle and Tauchsport Frommann. A Lavacore front zip full suit is 215.95 EUR at Tauchsport Frommann.
A Sharkskin Chillproof Long Sleeve Full Zip is 195 EUR. T2 Chillproof Long Sleeve Full Zip starts at 232.50 EUR. The T2 Chillproof Suit Chest Zip is 553.50 EUR.
Lavacore is about half the price at the entry level. There is no way to present that as anything other than what it is.
What the difference buys, in terms you can check rather than adjectives: a published warmth rating instead of an unpublished one; a second, warmer tier in T2 that has no Lavacore equivalent; two years of warranty rather than one; manufacture in Australia; and, if you are in Europe, stock held in the EU with EU returns rather than a parcel that may come from further away. Whether that is worth double is your call, not ours, and for a warm-water diver it may well not be.
Warranty, care and how long they last
Sharkskin garments carry a two year guarantee on workmanship, with fading from chlorine or sun excluded. Lavacore offers a limited one year warranty on materials and workmanship for purchases from an authorised dealer, and states that no warranty repair will be accepted without the original receipt. Keep it.
Care is near identical and neither brand is forgiving. Hand wash in cool water after every use. No machine wash, no tumble dry. Hang out of direct sun. Lavacore adds the sensible warning to keep the fabric away from Velcro.
On durability we do not have independent data for either brand, and we are not going to invent it. Owner reports on Lavacore go both ways, from seam separation inside a year to two hundred dives with no significant wear. That spread is normal for garments that get treated very differently.
Where to buy in Europe
Sharkskin: we hold stock in Sofia and ship across Europe. Shipping is free across the EU, including Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland and the Nordics, as well as Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Romania. Switzerland, Norway and the UK are outside that and pay 35.99 EUR. There are also Sharkskin distributors in France, Germany and Austria.
Lavacore: the manufacturer lists dealers in Germany, where the network is densest, plus Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Denmark, Spain, Malta and Turkey.
At a glance
| Sharkskin (Chillproof / T2 Chillproof) | Lavacore (Polytherm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand base | Australia; made in Newcastle, NSW | Oldsmar, Florida, USA |
| Country of manufacture | Australia, 95% of products | Not published |
| Fabric construction | 3 layers: hollow fibre fleece, breathable windproof membrane, 4-way stretch DWR outer | 3 layers: anti-bacterial fleece, windproof breathable middle, DWR outer, 4-way stretch |
| Neoprene in the fabric | None. Neoprene collar on the back zip suit; neoprene panels in Performance Wear | None stated by the maker. Trims not stated |
| Warmth rating (maker) | Chillproof 3 mm equivalent; T2 up to 5 mm | Not published. Owners estimate 2 to 3 mm |
| Warmer tier available | Yes, T2 Chillproof | No warmer tier published |
| Windproof and breathable | Yes | Yes |
| Buoyancy | Neutrally buoyant | Neutrally buoyant |
| Sun protection | UPF50+ | UPF 50+ |
| Seams | Not stated | Flatlock, overlapped, full gusset |
| Men's sizes | XXS to 5XL | XS to 4XL plus King 1 and 2 |
| Women's and junior | Women 6 to 22; junior 4 to 12 | Women's plus W sizes; no junior range found |
| Long sleeve top | Chillproof 195 EUR; T2 from 232.50 EUR | 98.50 to 115.95 EUR at German dealers |
| Full suit | T2 Chillproof Suit Chest Zip 553.50 EUR | 215.95 EUR at Tauchsport Frommann |
| Warranty | 2 years on workmanship | 1 year limited; original receipt required |
| Care | Hand wash cold, line dry in shade | Hand wash cool, no machine or tumble dry, avoid Velcro |
| Buying in Europe | EU stock; free shipping across the EU; 35.99 EUR to Switzerland, Norway and the UK | Dealers in DE, AT, CH, CZ, DK, ES, MT, TR |
When Lavacore is the better buy
You dive warm water and you want a windproof layer for the boat and the surface interval rather than real thermal protection. Your budget for a top is under 120 EUR. You already own one, it fits, and it works. Or your local dealer stocks it, which means the warranty is a conversation across a counter rather than a parcel and a receipt. That last one is worth more than people think.
When Sharkskin is the better buy
You want the warmest neoprene-free layer available, which is T2 Chillproof and has no Lavacore equivalent. You dive temperate water, or you dive the same site three times in a day and the third one is the cold one. You want two years of cover rather than one. You are in Europe and you would rather buy from EU stock with EU returns. Or you need a junior size, in which case the decision is made for you.
Questions people ask
Is Lavacore neoprene-free?
Yes, by the manufacturer's own statement, which appears on its Merino product page. What Lavacore does not publish is what its trims are made of. If you have a genuine neoprene allergy rather than a preference, ask the dealer before ordering.
Is Sharkskin warmer than Lavacore?
On the published numbers, yes, but the comparison is uneven because only one side publishes any. Sharkskin rates Chillproof at 3 mm neoprene equivalent and T2 Chillproof at up to 5 mm. Lavacore publishes no figure, and owners commonly put it around 2 to 3 mm.
Can you wear either under a wetsuit?
Yes. Both are designed for it, both are thin enough not to change your fit much, and both are neutrally buoyant so your weighting should not move. We wrote a separate guide on layering under a wetsuit or drysuit.
What is Lavacore Polytherm?
It is Lavacore's three-layer laminate: a water repellent outer, a windproof breathable middle, and an anti-bacterial fleece inner. It is the fabric almost the whole Lavacore range is built from.
If you want the wider field
Lavacore is not the only alternative worth looking at. We compare Sharkskin against Fourth Element's Thermocline separately, and there is a broader round-up of neoprene alternatives for diving if you have not settled on a shortlist yet. If you have decided on Sharkskin, the T2 Chillproof range is the warmest we carry, and our warranty and care page covers what the two year guarantee does and does not include.