Heated vests - Do they actually work ?

[mr_v]

I am in Thailand right now. The water temperature is around 32°C. I guess I should not dive then !
I might understand you don't really want to start your dive with very warm temperature and finish with very cold one but staying warm all your dive, what's the problem ? That's what do hundred of thousend of divers in the tropic...

The OP inquired about heated undergarments and diving in 7C degree water. My advice was in that context.

 

[Richard Dayan]

I'd rather have a heated hood.

Does such a thing exist?

No it doesn't exist.

 

[MICHIGAN DIVER]

Just got back from Cozumel. 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 100'. My wife and I dove for a week and a half with no wetsuit at all. I am from Michigan so used to colder water. Most of fellow divers had a 3mm or 5mm and were fine. Reefs were amazing, best tropical diving I have done so far.

 

[Canajan]

I use the Santi heated vest and gloves, game changer. Waters here in Canada when not ice, are about 2 C in winter, with the vest, gloves, merino wool, a poly sweat shirt, my fourth element halo 3D, drysuit, we can get an hour to an hour an a half.
The reliability of the gloves is a problem, they are very expensive, and both my buddy and I have had one fail. Just get a cold hand quickly, and then tends to shorten the dive as hand becomes useless.
My external battery is a 24Ah, seems to be adequate for the vest and gloves. In warmer water, like 7 and above we can do just over 2 hr dives and still feel a bit of warmth from the vest while exiting the water.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

I use the Santi heated vest and gloves, game changer. Waters here in Canada when not ice, are about 2 C in winter, with the vest, gloves, merino wool, a poly sweat shirt, my fourth element halo 3D, drysuit, we can get an hour to an hour an a half.
The reliability of the gloves is a problem, they are very expensive, and both my buddy and I have had one fail. Just get a cold hand quickly, and then tends to shorten the dive as hand becomes useless.
My external battery is a 24Ah, seems to be adequate for the vest and gloves. In warmer water, like 7 and above we can do just over 2 hr dives and still feel a bit of warmth from the vest while exiting the water.

Santi quality - I had the indicator lights (on/50/100 % power) on the battery fail twice, a friend of had had the cable and the battery fail and another diver had the battery fail. And that's not after some intense diving. It's an incredibly poorly made product.