Hood Question

[GIFFMANN]

Okay, just picked up a used DUI suit that will be here Wednesday. Since Nebraska waters tend to be cold, I need to get a hood. I'll probably go with an Otter Bay hood, as they come highly recommended and 12mm just sounds SO nice for a cold swim.

However, in the meantime, I may need a hood to use til I get that ordered. Would a hooded vest like the 3mm BARE with 7mil hood work alright with a drysuit? I've already got one of these at home, and IIRC, the neck is smooth surfaced, which, at first glance, would seem to make a decent seal. This would be just for a dive or 2 until the "real" hood arrives.

What say all of you Drysuit divers??

Thanks!

Giff

[bubbletrubble]

Please don't try to use a hooded neoprene vest with a drysuit. You won't like the results.

Drysuits generally have a neck seal made of neoprene or latex. This seal needs to sit flush against your neck. The seal keeps water out of the drysuit. Wearing a hooded vest will allow water into your drysuit.

The Otter Bay drysuit hood is a great idea. In the meantime, if you don't have a neoprene drysuit hood available (which lacks a collar), in a pinch, you can use a regular old wetsuit hood that has a gauntlet collar -- just don't tuck in the collar under your drysuit, OK? Yeah, it will look funny, but I suspect that it will keep you warmer than no hood at all.

Have fun and dive safe.

[MSilvia]

I'd just use a regular neoprene hood. The vest is overkill, and will likely result in flooding. Personally, I ice dive in a Bare 5mm drysuit hood with no neck to speak of, and it keeps me as warm as I could want. I'd expect a 12mm to melt my head.

If you find yourself with "sinky feet" when wearing it, I have an idea why.

[BouzoukiJoe]

I dive a regular hood, which works fine as it tucks under the 'warm neck collar' of my drysuit.

[cummings66]

The nice thing about a DUI drysuit is it's got a built in place to tuck your hood, so just use a wetsuit hood or dryhood and trim it to fit that spot and you're good to go. You could wear it outside altogether which I've seen divers do before.

[CompuDude]

In a pinch, any regular hood will work, although NOT a hooded vest, as others noted. Unless you're thinking of cutting the hood right off the vest. That aside, I've seen plenty of people just stick any old hood they had laying around over their head, and letting the bib flap around. Looks silly, and the one time I tried it with my old suit I found it highly annoying annoying (the flapping under my chin). Works just fine short-term, though.

I don't know how prone to getting cold you are, or how cold the waters are you plan to dive, but I can't stand the regular hoods on a drysuit. Even the DUI, which has the nice area to tuck in the hood's bib. Or perhaps especially? I find it really annoying to be all geared up to dive and have to spend an extra minute or two stuffing the neoprene into the little slot, or needing to request help from other to do so. (I'm perfectly happy to assist others, but hate the idea of needing such an assist for myself.)

I'd pick up a hood specifically for drysuits. A specifically-made drysuit hood has no bib, so there's no tucking needed. Your Otter Bay hood (two thumbs up, based on every review I've ever read) will be like that. I'm happier than can be with my Henderson Gold Core drysuit hood. The most comfy hood I've ever worn, by far, and no tucking needed. The 7mm hood keeps me plenty warm in our SoCal water temps (50s and 60s). For colder waters, though, I'd be looking into an Otter Bay hood myself.

[RoyN]

If you want, you can try ordering a 12mm hood from Otter Bay in Monterey, California. I need it in order to protect my core head even there isn't much in there.

[floater]

I've used DeepSee Comfort Dry Gloves (4mm neoprene) that have smooth neoprene cuffs to form a seal with my drysuits' latex seals. That worked fine, but one of the reasons I did it was because my drysuit seal had become too loose to seal tight against my bare wrists.

If your hooded vest really does have a waterproof, smooth neoprene surface, the type used on drysuit neoprene seals, then it could work provided that it goes smoothly over your neck. If it's at all loose you'll get creases in it that will leak. I pulled my dry glove cuffs over my undergarment sleeves to make sure they was smooth.


(the KY helped with donning; had to put gloves on first before pushing my hands through the latex seals...)

If your hooded vest can work like that then it should be fine, but the bad news is the neck seal will likely either be too tight, and if not (or if you trim it), then it'll be too loose when not used with the hooded vest.

[GIFFMANN]

I went ahead and ordered a 3mm hood from ScubaToys today to hold me over til I have the cash for one of the Otter Bay ones. For dives in the next month, the 3mm ought to help enough to make the dives bearable.

Thanks!

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by GIFFMANN

I went ahead and ordered a 3mm hood from ScubaToys today to hold me over til I have the cash for one of the Otter Bay ones. For dives in the next month, the 3mm ought to help enough to make the dives bearable.

Thanks!

Why 3mm? I'd cancel and buy a 7mm.

Anything cold enough for a hood, you'll want 7mm. The only exception I can think of is extreme repetitive diving in very warm water.