7mm+ Thermal Packages — Cold Water Without a Drysuit

7mm is the practical limit of what a wetsuit can do. Below roughly 13°C, most divers move to a drysuit — but between 13°C and 19°C, a properly fitted 7mm system with a matched hood, gloves, and boots is a genuinely capable and far less complicated option. No training course required, no seals to maintain, no valve to manage.

Fit matters more at this thickness than at any other. A 7mm suit that flushes is a 7mm suit that doesn't work, and the extra insulation only pays off if cold water isn't cycling through it. At DiveCatalog.com we carry 7mm packages from Bare as an authorized dealer.

The 7mm Package Range

• Bare Revel 7mm and Bare Reactive 7mm — men's
• Bare Elate 7mm and Bare Evoke 7mm — women's
• Bare Nixie Ultra 7mm — women's premium

Every package includes the wetsuit, hood, gloves, and boots matched for cold-water use.

Why Fit Is Critical at 7mm

A wetsuit warms you by trapping a thin layer of water that your body then heats. If that water is being replaced continuously — flushing — your body spends the whole dive heating fresh cold water and never gets ahead. At 3mm in warm water this is a minor inefficiency. At 7mm in 15°C water it's the difference between a comfortable dive and an early exit.

The usual flush points are the lower back, the neck, and the wrists and ankles. Check those specifically when you try the suit: no gaps, no folds you can pinch, and the hood bib sitting flat under the collar.

Temperature Range and Honest Limits

7mm suits generally cover 13–19°C (55–66°F). Toward the bottom of that band, dive duration drops sharply — a 7mm suit that's comfortable for 50 minutes at 18°C may only be comfortable for 30 at 13°C.

Below 13°C, or for long dives and repetitive cold-water diving, look at a semi-dry package or a drysuit. There's no shame in it; a wetsuit has a genuine floor and pushing past it makes for miserable diving rather than tough diving.

Practical Considerations

• Buoyancy. 7mm neoprene is significantly more buoyant than 3mm, so expect to add meaningful weight. If you're moving up from a thinner suit, redo your weight check rather than guessing.
• Compression. Neoprene compresses at depth, losing both buoyancy and insulation. You'll be warmer at 10 metres than at 30.
• Donning. 7mm suits are genuinely hard to get into. A rash guard underneath makes a substantial difference.
• Fin fit. 7mm boots are bulky. Confirm your open heel fins close over them before your first dive.

Why Buy 7mm Packages from DiveCatalog.com?

• Authorized Bare dealer — genuine products, full manufacturer warranty
• Matched cold-water systems — hood, gloves, and boots rated for the same conditions as the suit
• Expert sizing advice — critical at this thickness; send us your measurements and we'll confirm
• Fast shipping — in-stock items ship within one business day
• Easy returns — if sizing isn't right, exchanges are straightforward
• Rewards program — earn points on every purchase

Frequently Asked Questions

7mm wetsuit or drysuit?

Down to about 13°C, a 7mm system is simpler, cheaper, and needs no additional training. Below that, or for long and repetitive cold dives, a drysuit is the better tool — it keeps you dry, the insulation is adjustable via undergarments, and it doesn't lose performance at depth the way compressed neoprene does. Drysuits do require a specialty course.

How much extra weight will I need?

Considerably more than in a 3mm suit — the exact amount depends on your body composition and the suit, so do a proper weight check in shallow water rather than estimating. Don't reuse your warm-water weighting.

Why do I get colder as the dive goes on?

Partly natural cooling, but also neoprene compression — at depth the foam compresses and loses insulating capacity, so the suit is objectively less warm at 30 metres than at the surface. This is a real limitation of wetsuits at any thickness and the main reason drysuits dominate genuinely cold diving.

Any tips for getting into a 7mm suit?

Wear a rash guard underneath — neoprene slides over smooth fabric instead of gripping skin. Put it on dry rather than wet, work in stages from the feet up, and don't yank at the seams. Plastic bags over your feet and hands help enormously with boots and sleeves.

Browse the full 7mm collection above, or see Semi-Dry Packages and all Thermal Packages.