Bare Exowear Unisex Vest

As a general rule, thicker neoprene insulates more, so colder water pushes you toward thicker accessories, but fit, dive length, and personal cold tolerance matter as much as the millimeter number. Divers commonly lose a great deal of heat through the head, so a hood is often the highest-value warmth upgrade for the money. Remember that every added piece of neoprene also adds buoyancy you will need to account for.

Boots should fit like a snug athletic shoe, with no heel lift and no crushed toes; a little water inside is normal, a sloshing pocket is not. Try them on with the socks you would actually dive, and remember your fin foot pocket has to accommodate the boot. Hard-sole boots protect on rocky shore entries, while soft-sole boots are lighter and pack smaller for boat and travel diving.

Gloves should be snug across the palm with fingertips reaching the ends without bunching, since trapped air and loose fingertips destroy dexterity. Thicker gloves are warmer but make buckles, clips, and inflator buttons harder to operate, so choose the thinnest glove that keeps you comfortable in your conditions. Try working a clip or buckle while wearing them before you commit.

A hood should seal around the face and neck without restricting your throat or jaw, and lie flat on your head without pulling the mask strap out of position. A loose hood flushes cold water continuously, while an overly tight one is distracting and uncomfortable. Many hoods have a vent to release air trapped during descent, so check yours and burp out any trapped air before you go down.

New neoprene compresses and relaxes with use, so a boot, glove, or hood that feels firm out of the packaging usually settles slightly after a few dives. It should still be snug afterward rather than loose, because neoprene that stretches into a loose fit was probably oversized to begin with. Buy for a snug fit when new, but never for a fit that restricts circulation or breathing.

Yes, because every piece of neoprene you add is buoyancy, and a hood, boots, and thick gloves together can shift your weighting noticeably. Do a proper buoyancy check any time you change your exposure protection rather than assuming your usual weight still works. The weight-check procedure is covered in your training, and a dive professional can help you re-do it.

Rinse them inside and out in fresh water after every dive day, since they hold sweat and salt more than any other gear, and dry them fully inside-out before packing. Dry them out of direct sunlight and never on a heater, because heat hardens neoprene and weakens glued seams. Store them dry and unfolded, as damp neoprene sealed in a bag is how gear picks up a permanent smell.

Yes. The Exowear Vest is designed to be worn either standalone or layered under a wetsuit for additional warmth. The 3-layer fabric uses 4-Way Stretch and flat seam stitching, so it adds core insulation without added bulk, and the large armholes keep shoulder movement free when a wetsuit goes on over the top.

OMNIRED Infrared Technology is built into the Exowear fabric and converts outbound body heat into infrared energy, then reflects that energy back toward the body. In controlled lab testing, Exowear slowed thermal loss by 36% at 1ATM of pressure. That means the warmth comes from heat retention and reflection rather than from thick insulating material.

The Exowear Vest is neutrally buoyant, so it does not add buoyancy the way added exposure protection often can. Even so, any change to your exposure protection is worth verifying in the water. Do a standard buoyancy check the first time you dive the vest, especially if you are also layering it under a wetsuit, and adjust ballast from there.

It is offered in black in eight unisex sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL. The ML size helps divers who sit between medium and large. The vest uses a 3D pattern with 4-Way Stretch for optimal shape and fit. Call 888-701-4017 if you are between sizes.