Updated October 18, 2022
When most people think of scuba diving they imagine a warm tropical setting with the fantastic creatures and wrecks that have been presented in the media that we are all familiar with. Coldwater settings, though, can be equally, if not more amazing with the array of life and exploration possibilities. Places like the Arctic and Antarctic, the Isle of Man, and the San Juan Islands (all places I have reviewed on this site) are exceptionally fascinating and accessible to divers with the right equipment. Below I present cold water diving gear options so you will be ready when you get the chance to dive in cold water.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Drysuit Scuba Diving
If the water is really cold, the best choice is a drysuit. It can be pretty expensive and there are other accessories to complete the package, but is the option that will keep you warmest in the most frigid conditions.
Drysuits
Each drysuit has its own special features and characteristics and there is air inside it between your body and the suit that impacts buoyancy. Because of these factors, you need a little practice and training before wearing it on a serious dive at depth. Here is a post that provides a description of the features and considerations of drysuit diving in detail, followed by one with detailed descriptions of the best drysuits:
Drysuit Undergarments
The water is cold and you’ve decided on using a dry suit. It will keep you dry, but only offers a minimum of warmth. You’ll need to wear something underneath that gives you proper thermal protection without overheating. The use of drysuit undergarments is the solution. This post explains the features and characteristics of drysuit undergarments and reviews 10 top models:
Drysuit Gloves
Drysuit gloves seal to the wrist of the drysuit. There are different systems to accomplish this including the use of a ring or zipper system. Here are a couple of top models:
- DUI Zip Gloves Heavy Duty Dry Suit Gloves with Liners
- DUI Zip Gloves Maximum Dexterity Dry Suit Gloves with Liners
Drysuit Hoods
Drysuit hoods are usually made of neoprene, like wetsuit hoods, but are thick and well-sealed around the face and 
neck. Here are several top models:
- Waterproof H1 5/7mm Vented Anatomical Hood
- Bare 7mm Ultrawarmth Coldwater Hood Scuba Diving Hood
- XS Scuba 7mm Drysuit Hood
Drysuit Boots
Most divers use thick wetsuit boots with their drysuit. Some drysuits have a soft sock attached that can be worn inside wetsuit boots or durable, hard-soled drysuit boots, which add greater protection when walking over rocky surfaces:
Wetsuit Scuba Diving
Drysuits are usually pretty expensive, and as stated earlier, require some extra training and practice to become safely acclimated. For many a thick wetsuit of 7mm or more is an acceptable alternative, along with some added accessories.
Wetsuits
A wetsuit can provide good thermal protection in very cold water if it is thick enough, fits well, and has very minimal water circulation. The proper accessories provide a good assist in maintaining optimal comfort. Here are several posts to help you decide which wetsuit is right for you. The first gives you an explanation of how wetsuits keep you warm and describes the features and characteristics of good wetsuits. The others are reviews of wetsuit models generally, for women, for spearfishing, and for surfing.
- The Best Scuba Diving Wetsuit – Features and Descriptions
- Best Scuba Diving Wetsuits
- Best Scuba Wetsuits for Women
- Best Spearfishing Wetsuits
- Best Surfing Wetsuits
Wetsuit Gloves
For really cold water, 5mm should be the minimum thickness. A well-constructed and designed pair use material like stretch neoprene that provides warmth, a flexible, comfortable fit, and sturdy seams resistant to leakage. This post provides an explanation of the best features and reviews 8 models, 4 of which come in 5mm thickness:
Wetsuit Hood/Hooded Vest
For really cold water diving with a wetsuit, a hood 5mm or thicker is advised. A hooded 
vest is an option that adds a layer of neoprene to the torso while eliminating the possibility of inflow at the neck. The Bare 7/3mm Ultrawarmth Hooded Vest, shown at right, is a good example. Here is a review and description of wetsuit hoods, 4 of which are 5mm or thicker:
Wetsuit Boots
For cold water, the full-foot fin without a boot is a non-starter. You’ll want a boot with 5mm of neoprene in thickness and a thick sole is helpful. The following post describes the features and characteristics to look for with 9 of 12 boots reviewed having greater than 5mm in thickness:
Best Scuba Dive Boots – Reviewed and Compared
Other Cold Water Gear
Regulators
When diving in extremely cold water the regulator’s first stage freezing up is a consideration. To avoid this, the first stage needs to have an environmental seal that won’t allow the very cold seawater to get inside. The Atomic M1 Regulator is highly rated for cold water use. Here is my post on cold water regulators where I describe features and characteristics and review models rated for cold water usage:
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on cold water equipment interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
I like the thought of diving, but I don’t like the cold, so I doubt I will ever try cold water diving. I accept that there are many beautiful things to see in cold water, too, but I don’t think I can ever be convinced to try it.
I am planning to go to Indonesia in May. Do you think I can learn to dive there?
Thanks for all your information.
Hi Gno,
Thanks for your input and questions.
I think warm water is a good place to start if you want to learn how to dive. Indonesia has some of the best diving in the world. I suggest Bali as a very accessible and low priced destination. Please take a look at my review. It has resorts and pricing there. All those dive shops can do the beginning course in a beautiful location that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Best regards,
Joe
Thank you for this great post and also taking your time to talk about the equipment needed for scuba diving. I am a complete novice with practically no knowledge of diving at all, so this article was a little over my head, yet intriguing. My God, what a lot of equipment to consider to go diving in cold water. It is mind-boggling. If I ever get around to doing it, I think I will stick with warm water. I don’t think my brain power is sufficient to get to the point of being able to use all that gear.
Hi Clement,
Thanks a lot for your thoughts.
I can understand how complicated it all seems. Learning to dive is a step by step process. You start with some classwork and pool sessions where you will develop knowledge and skills to use the basic gear. As it is needed you would learn how to use the cold water gear. It is not too complicated really. I hope you don’t let all this equipment scare you out of giving it a shot someday. There are a lot of wonderful places to dive where it is so warm you may not need a wetsuit at all.
If you have any questions about anything related to diving, please let me know.
Best regards,
Joe
Hi Joe,
This is really a great step by step guideline with all related necessary specific information about best cold water scuba diving equipment. I know this is very important for all beginners who want to dive with safety. Some of my friends want to go for this diving and I believe this article will be helpful for them. I am going to refer it to them. Thanks for sharing this informative article.
Hi,
Thanks for your interest, kind comments and for sharing with your friends.
Best regards,
Joe
Great post and good info.
This is actually life-saving as well, and you know why? Lots of people don’t think about equipment when they go to dive. The only thing they think is the diving bottle, and that is all. Now honestly, the majority of this, I didn’t know as well. But indeed, in cold water, I think it is best to have the right thermal protection.
One question, at which temperature can you say it is cold water?
Hi again Emmanuel,
Good to see you again. Thanks for your continued interest.
It is essential to keep warm on your dive. If you get too cold you can more quickly than you might realize become debilitated, which is life-threatening.
Here is a general guideline for thickness of wetsuits and water temperature, with individual differences possible:
1-2 mm: above 85 degrees F (29 degrees C)3 mm: 70-85 degrees F (21-28 degrees C)5 mm: 60-70 degrees F (16-20 degrees C)7 mm: 50-70 degrees F (10-20 degrees C)
When the temperature gets below 20 degrees C, many people will want to use a drysuit.
If you have other questions or comments, please get in touch.
Best regards,
Joe
Before going on a cold water scuba diving trip you certainly need cold water gear to keep you warm. Thicker wetsuits or drysuits become relevant, and with this more weight to counter it the extra buoyancy. Although I have experienced cold water scuba diving just twice, the dry suit really helped me a lot. I didn’t even feel much of the cold.
Hi Seun,
Thanks for your comments.
Drysuit diving in cold water is quite an experience. I’m glad to hear it was successful for you.
Happy diving!
Joe
I have dived in relatively cold waters but my experience is mainly in the offshore wind energy sector where the wearing of dry-suit flight suits is mandatory. These are the same as diving dry suits in that they are to keep the person dry in the case of an emergency landing in the North Sea.
Does the dry-suit have a neoprene foot attached to the suit or is this made of the same materials as the suit itself? I have only the experience of this being made of neoprene and am not sure how this will stand up to arctic diving.
Rich
Hi Rich,
Thanks a lot for your kind comments and for sharing your experience.
There is often a sock attached to the drysuit which is made of fabric or latex. The fabric ones are getting better, but have the reputation for wearing out quickly. Socks can also be purchased separately.
The people diving in the North Sea for oil field work use hot water suits to keep warm. That keeps the diver nice and cozy, but requires an umbilical.
Good luck to you.
Best regards,
Joe
This was an excellent guide to some of the best cold water scuba diving equipment in the market today. You have covered pretty much a complete suggested set for both the dry and wet suit outfits. There is a lot you need, but when in cold water, I like to be prepared.
The money is not little for the gear, but on the other hand, I am more than willing to pay the cost for the equipment as it will last a long time with proper care. Cold water diving can be a wonderful adventure, but only if you are comfortable enough to enjoy it.
I will likely look at the wet suit and gear, as I also dive in areas where this type of gear is more appropriate. This way I can use it in many different locations and get more use out of it than I would with a dry suit. I will look through all the suggested equipment you’ve listed and make some decisions. Thanks!
Hi Dave,
Good to see you, again. Thanks for your kind and reasoned comments. I hope you get some good ideas for gear purchases from my posts. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Best regards,
Joe