Looks like I have arrived rather late to the party, but I'll add my sixpence worth anyway.
The Zeiss 8x30 Classic is not water proof, although it is rain proof, and it would probably survive all but prolonged immersion. The view is wide, clear, with good edge sharpness, and surprisingly free of CA, especially when compared to the competition. (This is probably because it focusses by moving the objectives, rather than using internal focussing lenses.) It is not as contrasty as more recent offerings such as the Nikon 8x32 HG, but that is minor IMO. IMO the view is comparable to anything out there, and better than many. The only real flaws are the limited eye relief (but no worse than the old Leica 8x32 Trinovid, and useable), rubber eye tubes rather than the modern extending ones (a pain for eyeglass wearers) and flare. In day to day use I never noticed flare, but at dawn and dusk it was obvious. For example, when I would look into a dark wood with a bright sky in the top of the field, I saw nothing in the wood due to light spill from the sky. Most of the time though the flare was not an issue.
Overall this is a little gem. it is a bit old fashioned looking, but then again, isn't "retro-chic" trendy?
I hope Roy enjoys his new binocular.