Generally, the longest-lasting suits are made more abrasion resistant with multiple layers of PVC coatings. Polyurethane is a rubber polymer coating. It's lighter and more flexible than PVC, but it's also less durable, and is usually applied inside the nylon shell. It's more breathable than PVC, but making it more breathable on the inside means reducing its ability to repel water from the outside. Better quality polyurethane gear is carefully bonded in many thin layers to prevent water absorption that can result in eventual delamination.
Neoprene is the most flexible and durable of the coatings.
It's very popular in England and other areas where boating is not just wet, but cold, and boaters are willing to suffer the weight and the cost for guaranteed waterproof gear that lasts. Breathable fabrics allow perspiration and condensation inside the foul weather suit to pass outward. Body heat and the higher pressure of humidity drive out the weather vapor. Some breathable gear is designed to wick water away from the skin. We offer a wide variety of breathable foul weather gear to suit the needs of offshore and coastal boaters in many styles, sizes, colors, and prices.