Beyond Tested

You should be able to trust your kit. That’s our job – and it has been since 1975. At Gill, trust isn’t claimed, it’s earned through relentless testing, in the lab and at sea – with our ambassadors who rely on our gear every day.

Every product we create is pushed beyond industry standards. From abrasion and waterproof testing to spray and saltwater exposure, every detail is proven where it matters most – on the water. So, you can rely on your gear, wave after wave, season after season.

Gill. Beyond Tested.

Hydrostatic Head: Total Waterproof Protection

Waterproof is a word that gets used loosely. We measure it precisely, using the Hydrostatic Head test – this determines exactly how much water pressure a fabric can withstand before it leaks.

Many international industry standards allow up to three water droplets to form before a fabric fails the test. We fail it at the first. Our baseline starts at 10,000mm. Most of our gear exceeds 20,000mm. Our OS1 Ocean fabric holds at over 30,000mm – built for the kind of conditions where there's no margin for error.

One drop through means it isn't good enough. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

Martindale Testing: Built for Real Wear

On a boat, gear takes constant punishment – from ropes, rails, and deck surfaces. To test how our fabrics handle it, we use the Martindale Abrasion Test. But we run it harder than the standard requires.

Where standard tests rub two fabrics together, we use industrial grit paper – simulating years of real-world wear in hours. And we don't stop until the fabric fails.

All garments: minimum 3 hours (9000 rubs) (10,000 rubs) against abrasive grit
OS1 Ocean Jacket: 18 (50,000 rubs) 8 hours of continuous abrasion
Salopette seat and knees: 35+ 33 hours – because those areas work hardest

Spray Test: Water Off. Every Time.

Even the most waterproof fabric can let you down if its surface finish fails. A Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish is what causes water to bead and run off the fabric rather than soak in – and without it, even a technically waterproof garment starts to feel wet, heavy and cold against the body.

Our spray testing ensures our waterproof fabric performs exactly as it should. Water must bead cleanly off the surface and not be absorbed - because a fabric that wets out doesn't just feel uncomfortable, it starts to work against you.

This test is applied to all waterproof fabrics in our range, with particular focus on those that face constant water exposure on deck. No absorption. No wet-out. No compromise.

Salt Corrosion Testing: Failure Isn't an Option

Saltwater is relentless. Over time it works into zips, eyelets and metal trims –corroding from the inside out, weakening components that sailors depend on without a second thought. Our corrosion testing submerges metal trims in saltwater for a minimum of 12 hours, exposing any weakness before it reaches the water. Every zip, eyelet and exposed trim on our garments goes through this process. If it doesn't hold up in the lab, it doesn't go on the gear.

Real World Validation

The lab takes us a long way. The water takes us the rest. Each product in the range is worn, sailed and pushed by our global roster of ambassadors, operating in real conditions.

Their insight feeds directly back into how we design and refine our gear, closing the loop between engineering and experience. Because the most honest test of any kit is with a sailor who depends on it.

Beyond Tested

Worn, sailed and tested worldwide. By sailors who depend on it.

Explore systems

OS1 – Ocean proven in the Arctic

Matt and Amy, of Sailing Yacht Florence took the OS1 5,000nm to the Arctic and back – sub-zero temperatures, driving wind chill and weeks of sustained exposure.

OS2 — Built for the Vendée. Ready for Anything.

Conrad Colman – 2x Vendée Globe finisher and veteran of multiple ocean races — trialled early OS2 samples during pre-race testing, in conditions that reflect exactly what it was built for.

OS3 — 144 Islands. One Jacket.

Tested with JP & Charlotte, of Project World Sail through the Bay of Islands, New Zealand – 144 islands, tight anchorages and conditions shaped by shifting winds and strong tides.

Verso — Race-Ready. Rotterdam Tested.

Developed in collaboration with 3x Volvo Ocean Race sailor Gerdjan Poortman and the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team – built and validated by sailors who race.