Begin 2017 Bare came out with a new wetsuit the Reactive for men and Evoke for the ladies. We picked it up immediately and tested the claim from Bare, is the Bare Reactive the warmest wetsuit on the market?
First look
When I saw the suit for the first time I loved the design. The suit is completely black with blue or red stripes and letters. No strange design or bubbles on the suit, just a black suit with a nice blue or red touch. In september 2018 Bare has developed a new color for the suit, the Titan Black! On the knees you’ll find simple knee pads but they are minimalist. Not really thick like the Waterproof W1 suit. So I think they are damaged really fast. The inside of de Bare Evoke is completely red, but why? It is the Ultra Warmth Celliant, I will tell you more later!
The Fit of the Bare Reactive
Bare is known to not use any zippers on the wrist and ankles. But for the Bare Reactive they made a exception. The long zipper on the ankles provides for easy time in the changing room. Neoprene used by Bare is A-quality and you can feel it. It’s super stretchy so the Evoke has a tight fit but not to tight, it feels really comfortable. The wrist and ankles seals are long and fits well. This prevents you from getting fresh water in the suit.
The UltraWarmth Celliant, does it work?
Normally I’m always cold in the water, even when the temperature is 29C/84F. Bare told me “this is the suit you need, you won’t be cold at all for the next dives.” Of course I taught this was a selling speech and didn’t take it for granted. The inside of the Reactive is completely covered with the Ultra Warmth Celliant, on the website from Bare they say the following about the Celliant:
“The suit is made with scientifically proven Celliant® Infrared Technology – 13 thermo-reactive minerals woven into the fabric lining that convert body heat into infrared energy and reflect it back onto the diver. Medical studies have shown that infrared energy improves the body’s circulation. Increased circulation improves oxygen levels in the body, enabling you to use less energy, improving overall warmth and increasing your dive time. ”
Foto zelf maken van Ultra Warmt Celliant
Okay, Okay, so I will be warm in the water again?! Bare provided me with a Bare Reactive 7mm for diving in Gozo, water temperature 22C/72F. When I’m using my other Sub-Gear Definition 7MM suit, I’ll need a oversuit otherwise I’m cold at the middle of the second dive. For the test I did 12 dives in 5 days so normally 2 dives a day and at the top 3 dives a day.
The results of the test in Gozo
I was amazed!!! The first 2 days we did 2 dives a day and I wasn’t cold at all, not even a bit! The next day we did 3 dives and I have to say that I got a little bit cold at the end of dive 3, this was a night dive. So conclusion, I definitely recommend the Bare Reactive / Bare Evoke! The wetsuit is really warm and this will be my next wetsuit for sure.
