Bare 8/7mm Velocity Ultra Men's Hooded Semi-Dry Suit Medium/Large Short

2025-01-26T10:50:22

The good: The most comfortable comparing to aqualung and Henderson. Kept me warm but not as warm as the soloflex. I dive Oregon coast 52ish degree water with steel 120cf tanks in soloflex I am warm for full 90 minute dive, BARE really cold at 70 minutes but good for 60. I am 6foot 2inches and 70yrs old, 40 years of diving. The bad. The suit itself seemed to puncture easier. The worst thing was the Zipper failed roughly at 75 dives give or take 20 dives, repair estimates from diving shops in excess of $300. Soloflex suits purchased years before have a similar number of holes, sharp rocks to climb over, but zippers still good and many more dives on those suits.

James B.

2024-09-29T09:00:06

very warm and comfortable. rugged design and material I've dove in 43 and was fine. Easy don and doff.

Ray W.

2022-04-18T17:24:23

Solidly built with good craftsmanship and materials. Held up well in Puget Sound waters, especially my core temp. The zipper is very stiff reducing mobility and it is very hard to get out of but a solid suit and upgrade from a standard wetsuit.

BRIAN L.

2022-01-15T16:45:46

I have done 4 dives now with this suit in 45 F water it's been plenty warm. I absolutely love it. My only problem is the hood is filling with air throughout the diving and messing with my buoyancy especially in shallow water. I have yet to decide weather or not to start poking holes in the hood...

Micah P.

2021-09-29T08:27:46

What a great wetsuit. Used it for suction dredging for gold in Alaska. Even with that fridge water I was super warm if not too warm. Suit fits just like I had hoped. My only gripe is the head is too big. I bought 1 XXL short and 2 XXXL for my men. We all had the same experience, one guy cut the hood off and used a separate hood. Otherwise a very well build and accurately tailored wetsuit. Highly recommend!

SEJ K.

2021-01-11T09:25:07

I love this suit. Just got back from snorkeling for an hour and a half. 41.2 deg f. I was warm and comfortable everyplace the suit covered. Good Job! My suits almost a year old (9 months),I will buy another for sure.

JOSEPH S.

2020-12-08T07:09:50

These suits are great. My crew uses them to dive harvest Geoduck in Washington State and they really like them and way cheaper than purchasing and maintaining a dry suit.

JOHN S.

2019-11-06T07:28:53

I ordered this particular suit to use between seasons. I have dove it about 6 times now and have found it to be quite warm! It is easy to done and doff by myself. I usually do not like an attached hood, but this one works very well. I love the knee pads, they are very robust and cover the entire knee and shin area. I can honestly say that I have not found anything to dislike in this suit. I highly recommend this suit!

JEFF C.

2019-08-18T13:05:45

Great wetsuit. I use it in the coastal waters of BC.

Matthew A.

2019-07-03T05:48:06

This suit fits well and keeps me very warm. It is not a replacement for a real drysuit in extreme winter/cold conditions. You need to wax the zipper with the wax tube that comes with the suit. The threads tend to come undone on the seams. I am always burning or fuzzing them with a match. The small bubble vent, which is nice, let’s in too much cold water on the very top of my head. I reduced the size of the vent hole with Aqua Seal .I am 5’ 10, weight 185 lbs and have a 42-inch chest. I bought the size XLS. I really like the suit and it fits very well.

WILLIS C.

2019-06-08T08:32:28

Great siut!!!! Great fit!

Joseph C.

2019-02-20T13:09:04

Great suit. The water temp was 52 degrees F and out of a group 5 divers, three with 7 mm wetsuits, one with a dry suit and me in a Bare. the dry suit diver and myself were the only ones warm. At the end of the dive very little water was in the suit and during the dive I never felt any cold water traveling within the suit. The sizing was true. I had to add an additional 16 pounds compared to my 3mm weight of 10 pounds for a total of 26 pounds. Very happy with the suit. More zippers would make changing easier.

Jimmy q.

2019-01-27T15:08:01

A very comfortable suit. It seems to keep me warm. Up to about 50 to 60 minutes at 46 to 50°. The seals are incredible and work wonderfully. I would give it five stars. But my one complaint is that the cuff seals might tear easily. I would buy the suit again. The attached hood has no reasonable negative qualities and it’s a huge benefit.

JACOB M.

2019-01-09T09:27:24

I spearfish off the oregon coast and got tired of shivering in a 5 mil. Im 6' 3" 195 lbs and bought the large tall. I have only used it a couple times now so i can't comment on durability, but as far as warmth goes in winter waters (~55 Fahrenheit), I've been able to stay out for ~1 hour without getting cold. It is definitely long enough for legs and arms. The only issue I have is with the hood. It leaves a pretty small opening for a mask/snorkel and pushes my mask down to an uncomfortable position on my face. Not worth docking a star, though. The quality seems pretty great the the price.

Matt S.

2018-12-19T07:27:58

Great wetsuit. Pretty good flexibility for a 7mm wetsuit. Very little water going in. Diving in December in SoCal not feeling cold at all.

chao l.

2018-12-05T13:18:40

Excellent cold water suit

Ed R.

2018-12-02T08:33:41

Jam up suit fits good contains warmth very well and the guys at Leisure Pro or on spot willing to go the long mile to help you out

DAVID C.

2018-11-29T09:59:32

Awesomely warm awesome wetsuit!

Homer F.

2018-11-12T07:49:08

After a few 3-4 dives it seems to be a great suit. I have been in water as cold as 52 degrees so far and have stayed very warm. the water has finally dropped below 50 to 47 this week (Nov 11-17, 2018), so I will find out how well works in the 40-49 degree range by the end of the week.The fit is excellent; ie, water exchange from head to knee is not perceptible; however, the ankle to knee diameter is a shade large for me, meaning the ankle seals area bit loose on me and allow a little bit more water exchange than I anticipated. The AquaLung SolaFX in the same size fits me a bit better in the ankles, but was unavailable.So I would rate this suit a 4.5 on 5pt scale with 5 being high.

Robert R.

2018-09-12T00:55:30

Great suit! Single person donning keeps the body warm.

Brian P.

2018-07-07T12:48:28

The water temperature was at the bottom 48-50F (9-10C), outside temperature was around 60F (16C) surface time was around 60 minutes. Deepest dive was 100 feet with 8 minutes at that depth (total time 34 minutes). Did a 3 dives/day with night dive (70 feet). Well the experience was significant. Now the review. After the first day (2 dives) I added a 3mm vest because at the zipper there is just a thinner single layer of neoprene (2mm). You can feel the cold immediately (30 feet). By adding the 3mm vest that suit start to shine. At no point above 80 feet was the cold a problem. Below 80 feet you can feel it, but that was tolerable (8 minutes at 100 feet). After completed 5 dives in two days the torso was completely dry, the legs (up to the knees) and the arms (to the elbows) were wet. The integrated hood is fantastic. You will need more weight then a wetsuit but less then a drysuit since some air is trap (torso) unless you let the water getting in. I never unsuited between dives. I will recommended this suit in late spring to early fall here in Vancouver BC. Longevity unknown.

Danick B.

2018-05-31T09:43:02

This is a well built suit. Unfortunately I’m a weird size, being short and a little plump. I ordered a 2xl short. Amazingly height was very close. I was able to get legs down the holes, waist and chest were good, though it did seem to restrict breathing and was very tight around my neck. The problem was the arms. I have thick forearms and wrists and just could not get the sleeves on even with 2 other people helping. I had a rash guard on, but it was no help. Eventually I was able to get into it and try it in the water. At 48-54 degrees it was very warm. But being so restrictive I just can’t wear it. Hopefully returning it won’t be a problem, even though I know I’ll only get store credit.

Daniel M.

2017-10-25T14:33:14

Warmest semi dry Iâ??ve ever owned. The 2017 model is the best.

TIFFANY C.

2017-09-12T10:26:45

It is warm. Challenging to get into solo, but it can be done. With a buddy it is much easier. If it fits well, it works well. For multiple dives, try to keep the inside dry (don't pee in it).

JAMES F.

2017-09-12T07:59:08

I love this suit. I get cold easily in the water. This suit is perfect for me. It really is semi-dry. Usually only get a little water in, and it keeps me warm, even in cold Oregon waters. If I'm going into the really cold ocean off Oregon, I'll wear an extra 3m shirt too.

Frank M.

2017-02-21T17:25:00

i've worn 7mm wet suits for cold water. This suit is easier to get on, kept me warmer in colder water and worked fantastic.. once i remembered i'm not diving in shorts in Mexico anymore. This is an awesome suit for what its designed for. Though easier to get on than a 7mm suit, i found i would almost absolutely need another person's help to get the sleeves up and the zipper zipped... which is probably normal for suits like this, but worth mentioning anyway.

Roger B.

2014-08-25T20:00:00

I use this product for Scuba Diving and after having taken it for the first time into 54 degree deep water off the California coast line, I was impressed by how warm I was in it. The only complaint is the difficulty it is to get it on and off. Almost definitely need someone else to help zip you up and pull it off.

Chris M.

2014-08-03T20:00:00

Fit is rather awkward. Legs and bottom were fine and big bubble at the chest. And it's for my son who has well developed chest. Could be even worse for an average guy. Had to return it for exchange for different brand.

ANDREW S.

2014-08-01T20:00:00

Many of my dives are in the Gulf of Maine which doesn't get much warmer than 60 degrees F. In the late fall, winter and spring, for those who dive here, the standard is a dry suit with substantial undergarments. Even in the late spring, summer and early fall, the best we can hope for is a 7mm wetsuit with 5mm or 7mm jacket/core warmer; hoods, gloves and neoprene socks under thick booties. As we say, if you can dive here you can dive anywhere. My old 7mm BARE suit is pretty warn so it was time to look for something new. I am a big fan of BARE products so when I saw this 8/7 semi-dry on sale I thought it might be worth a try. To be honest, I have always considered a semi-dry to be suspect. I mean, if it's that cold why not just go dry. But for the price being offered it was worth a try. I'm delighted with this suit. I was able to drop several pounds of weight because I am no longer wearing 12mm. The suit stays warm on dives with temperatures in the low 50s. I'm hoping with the addition of a jacket I will be able to wear this into November here in Maine. Some tips: wear a rash guard to make donning and doffing easier. I also use a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and conditioner to get the sleeves on more easily. keep the zipper lubricated with silicone, it makes a huge difference in getting it zipped up. I fashioned loop out of para-cord which loop around the zipper so I can zip the suit shut with one swift movement. I own several BARE suits, I am a XL in all of them but with this suit I am a large. I originally ordered the XL but had to return it and get a large instead. I have read where some people felt the suit ran small, I would say it is a size big based on other BARE suits. Overall I am very happy with this suit, delighted really. On top of everything else, the front zipper looks cool and the suit itself is extremely comfortable. A couple of final tips, because the suit is so well sealed, air from mask clearing can build up in the good and then migrate to the rest of the suit, especially the legs (I frog kick). I found whenI use regular booties the air remains trapped. when I use my OTB boots, which have holes in the bottom, the air can escape and I don't feel as if I am being pulled upside down. Finally, I have used ScubaPro frameless masks for years. With the hood configuration I found an extremely low profile mask --the kind worn by free divers-- works better. The larger frameless mask works, but I did find more leaking because the hood pushed the mask lower on the face. Not a criticism and a smaller mask is a good work around. I highly recommend this suit. Jeff

Atomic P.

2014-04-09T20:00:00

This suit has been great for the cooler months here in the northern Gulf of Mexico. I love how most of my dive buddies hit the water in their semi dry suits and come up screaming about how cold the water is but when I dive in I never feel a rush of cold water with this suit.

Paul