Is neoprene waterproof like Gore-Tex?

Neoprene is essentially water-resistant and a wetsuit deliberately lets a little water in, while Gore-Tex is engineered to keep liquid water out while breathing. They are not interchangeable: Gore-Tex keeps you dry, neoprene keeps you warm when wet.

Why does a wetsuit let water in?

A standard wetsuit traps a thin film of water between the neoprene and your skin; your body heats that film and the foam's gas cells insulate it, keeping you warm. A drysuit, by contrast, seals water out entirely.

Gore-Tex. Its microporous membrane lets sweat vapor escape, which is the whole point. Neoprene is sealed and airless, so it does not breathe and can be clammy out of the water.

Side by side

Gore-Tex vs Neoprene

Gore-Tex and neoprene are both modern synthetics that deal with water, but in opposite ways. Gore-Tex is a microporous membrane that keeps liquid water out while letting sweat vapor escape, so it keeps you dry from the rain. Neoprene is a foamed synthetic rubber that does not try to keep water out at all; in a wetsuit it traps a thin layer of water against the skin, which the body warms. One blocks water and breathes; the other seals and insulates.

Gore-Tex

No. 141

laminate: a microporous membrane bonded to a face cloth · first documented 1976

Neoprene

No. 142

foamed synthetic rubber sheet, often fabric-faced · first documented 1930

The differences

Aspect	Gore-Tex	Neoprene
What it is	A thin ePTFE membrane laminated to a face cloth.	A foamed synthetic rubber sheet, often fabric-faced.
Relationship to water	Waterproof: blocks liquid water from the outside.	Lets a controlled layer of water in and warms it (the wetsuit principle).
Breathability	Breathable: sweat vapor passes out through the pores.	Not breathable; sealed and airless.
Warmth	No insulation itself; relies on the layers under it.	Strongly insulating from its trapped gas cells.
Best for	Rain shells, mountaineering, waterproof footwear.	Wetsuits, drysuit seals, laptop sleeves, braces.

Which to choose

Choose Gore-Tex when you want to stay dry and let sweat out on land. Choose neoprene when you want insulation in or against water, as in a wetsuit. They solve different halves of the water problem: one keeps the rain off, the other keeps you warm when wet.

Common questions

Is neoprene waterproof like Gore-Tex?: Neoprene is essentially water-resistant and a wetsuit deliberately lets a little water in, while Gore-Tex is engineered to keep liquid water out while breathing. They are not interchangeable: Gore-Tex keeps you dry, neoprene keeps you warm when wet.
Why does a wetsuit let water in?: A standard wetsuit traps a thin film of water between the neoprene and your skin; your body heats that film and the foam's gas cells insulate it, keeping you warm. A drysuit, by contrast, seals water out entirely.
Which breathes?: Gore-Tex. Its microporous membrane lets sweat vapor escape, which is the whole point. Neoprene is sealed and airless, so it does not breathe and can be clammy out of the water.

Full entry: Gore-Tex Full entry: Neoprene

Sources & References

1.Gore-Tex, Wikipedia
2.Polytetrafluoroethylene, Wikipedia
3.Neoprene, Wikipedia
4.Wetsuit, Wikipedia