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. Cold water 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 or the San Juan Islands (all places I have reviewed on this site) are all exceptionally fascinating and accessible to divers with the right equipment. Below I present the gear options so you will be ready when you get the chance to dive in cold water.
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 which 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 has an impact on 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 which provides a description of the features and considerations of drysuit diving in detail, followed by one with detailed descriptions of the best drysuits:
- Best Scuba Drysuits – Features Described and Compared
- Top 10 Scuba Drysuits of 2019 Compared and Reviewed
Drysuit Undergarmants 
The water is cold and you’ve decided on using a drysuit. 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:
Best Drysuit Undergarments of 2019
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 several top models:
- Bare Drysuit Dry Gloves with Docking Rings & Thermal Liner
- 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:
- DUI 7mm Warm Neck Self-Venting Scuba Diving Dry Suit Hood
- Aqua Lung Heat Zippered Drysuit 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 two 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 second reviews 10 top wetsuits, 9 of which are available in 7mm or thicker neoprene:
- The Best Scuba Diving Wetsuit – Features and Descriptions
- The 10 Best Scuba Diving Wetsuits of 2019 – Reviewed and Compared
Wetsuit Gloves 
For really cold water, 5mm should be the minimum thickness. A well constructed and designed pair uses a 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:
Best Scuba Diving Gloves of 2019
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 which 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:
Best 8 Scuba Diving Hoods of 2018
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 you look for with 9 of 12 boots reviewed having greater than 5mm in thickness:
Best Scuba Dive Boots of 2019 – Reviewed and Compared
Other Cold Water Gear
Regulators
When diving in extremely cold water the regulator first stage freezing up is a consideration. To avoid this, the first stage needs to have an environmental seal which won’t allow the very cold sea water to get inside. The Atomic M1 Regulator is highly rated for cold water use. Here is my post on regulators where I describe features and characteristics and review several models rated for cold water usage:
Top 5 Best Regulators of 2019 – Reviewed and Compared
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<<
You have anticipated diving in colder water and made the decision to go with a drysuit. The drysuit, itself, only provides a minimum of thermal protection. Sure, it keeps you dry, but if you want to be warm, you’ll need to consider an undergarment to do the job effectively without overheating.
Snorkeling or freediving is a great sport, but unfortunately even the best can only stay underwater a few minutes. To
A surface marker buoy or SMB is an important safety accessory which can alert boats on the surface of the position of divers so as to avoid contact or reveal the location for pick-up. It provides an easily visible marker which can be seen from a distance when surface conditions are rough or a drift is causing the divers to travel a significant distance.
SMB
