New To Wearing Hoods

[Bob DBF]

You need to check the fit of the hood versus your mask. If the hood overlaps the mask, you are more likely to get air trapped in the hood. If the hood doesn't quite touch the mask--that's the right fit, and you may need to own & trim your own hood to get it that way.

I just insure that the hood is over the mask skirt, not under. Never had to modify a hood.


Bob

 

[Nianne]

BTW, my avatar was taken in Cozumel before I started having the swimmer's ear problems

Here's your solution to swimmers ear. Been working for my 74 year old ass.
When I hit 40 I would get ear infections every time I spent more than a couple hours a day in the water. Then I started using the recipe below after EVERY dive. I haven’t had an ear infection in 24 28 now 34 years. I always have a bottle on board and in my truck. I just take the cap off hold my finger over the opening and let a small amount go down into each ear.

All the materials are available at any drug store for less than $10.00. The Alcohol dries the water, The boric acid is what your grandmother used for infections and the white vinegar keeps the wax from drying up because of the alcohol.


Ear wash recipe
1 Pint 70% or less % Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol

Boric acid powder 6 oz. is more than enough

White Vinegar



Pour out about 2" of the alcohol out.


Pour or put about 2 Table spoons Boric acid into Alcohol and shake up. If acid remains in powder on bottom you have enough if not add until a small amount remains on bottom. Only a certain % will go into solution so you can't overdue the Boric Acid. Fill the remaining area in the bottle with white vinegar and shake up. The solution is now ready to use.


I usually buy 3 or 4 bottles of alcohol and mix them up in a big bowl then pour them back mixed up into the alcohol bottles. This way the powder on the bottom remains in the bowl and won’t make your ears white when the solution dries out after pouring it into your ears.

You can also add eucalyptus essential oils in the mix. It works perfectly !

 

[TMHeimer]

I didn't use ear drops after my last dive--first time in a real long time. Guess I didn't tip my head at all donning/doffing fins--no noticeable ear water at all. The hood does it's best to keep water from going deep inside the ears.

 

[JDubs09]

Is there any way to reduce the shirt on the hood so that it didn't have to be folded over to fit in the wetsuit in the back? The fold always allows water to flush in and out.

 

[broncobowsher]

You are correct, folding a skirt will make the wetsuit worthless. Someone once "helped" me by zipping up the suit, they folded the skirt on the hood, it funneled the water in.

I've found that it can often just be worked out by hand. Just force it flat. Being the zip is the last place to work it that is where the bulk ends up when trying to make the rest of it perfect. Pull that excess material toward the front, peak the shoulders a little. Not a lot, just a little. Spread that excess material so it isn't all in one place. There is a lot of variability in your body shape vs. the cut of the hood as well. But what you describe should just be a technique issue.

If that just can't work for some reason, or you keep getting poor assistance in suiting up, the hardware fix would be going to a hooded vest.

 

[FinnMom]

Some hoods come with a built in valve on top to let the air out. My Waterproof brand one has it.

Waterproof valve is very nice because it does not allow cold water into thehood.
I <3 Waterproof.

I have cut a small hole at the top of my Ursuit 3mm hood to vent air, as was suggested above. BTW The hole also makes it possible to clip thru the hood firmly with a pistol clip, or thread it on a hanger - that way it can dry on the boat w/o any chance of it blowing overboard. I almost always wear a hood because it completely and reliably controls my hair.

BTW, if you already own or can lay your hands on two 3mm hoods, you can wear one over the other instead of buying a thicker hood for a 1-time need.

The hood will not affect your field of vision.

 

[Rred]

A neoprene hood can be tailored just like any other part of a wetsuit. If there's simply too much material for it you, that can be slit, cut out, and the edges glued (with neoprene cement or Aquaseal which is somewhat stiffer). Or possibly just left to overlap and lay flat. Your LDS should have a local resource to do a little tailoring if you don't feel adventurous about it.

 

[Storker]

Most hoods are 5 mm.

If that's true, it's bad. Because you'll need a hood in anything from 18C to 3C water, and the latter puts quite a bit more demands on the hood than the former does.

I just love Waterproof's hoods. They're fantastically warm, and I have two of them. One 7/5 mil, one 10/5 mil. The 10/5 mil is my preferred winter hood as it's warmer than any other hood I've tried. I deliberately chose a size which is a mite too small than the size which is a mite too large to limit water flow underneath it.

My new suit, an Ursuit, came with a hood. It'll probably just collect dust, because I'll never give up my Waterproof hoods.

 

[Storker]

I just insure that the hood is over the mask skirt, not under. Never had to modify a hood.

Stick your finger under the hood skirt, run it around the mask skirt. Make sure the mask seals against your face. Have your buddy check that everything looks OK.

And open the hood against each of your ears after descending, to avoid ear pressure issues. Worst case, you might end up with vertigo if your ears experience different pressures. You won't hear crap with your ears filled with water, but, hey, that's just life.

 

[icechip]

I am not a fan of neck constriction with the skirted hoods. For winter and early spring diving, I use the SEAC 7mm semi-dry hood that came with the suit. Has a vent at the top. If put on correctly, it joins nicely with the neck of the suit, less water let in. Don't mind cold water that much, so as soon as I can, I switch to a multi-colored beanie, good for visibility. No trouble clearing the ears with either hood, but at the surface, I need to break the 'seal' to hear talking. I just use a finger to pull the hood away from my cheek or jaw. Nothing to it.