Attached / Detached ???

[swedish diver]

Hello,

When it comes to attached / detached hoods, I haven't decided for a camp yet, so go on, convince me - which is best?
All aspects are very welcomed.

(Am going to buy one of those nice compressed neoprene drys from NDiver, but do not know how I REALLY want my hood to be)

Regards

/Kristian

 

[MikeS]

I went with an attached hood on my 7 mm. My reasoning is that I like as few separate parts as possible to misplace or forget. Other than mask, fins, and gloves I like everything connected to either my wetsuit or BC. Also an attached hood provides a better water seal.

On the downside, an attached hood complicates fit; the suit has to fit your body and head/neck. Some might argue that you might want to remove the hood if the water is warmer, but I will wear my thinner wetsuit if that’s the case.

Mike

 

[metridium]

Unattached for me.

I used to dive wet with a hooded vest, but couldn't stand having the hood on or down around my neck for more than a few minutes out of the water.

My drysuit came with the DUI warm-neck hood, which tucks into an outer 'sleeve' of the drysuit. This minimizes water inflow, and the hood doesn't separate from the suit until I want it to.

 

[Welshman]

Unattached for me too. It gives me the option of not wearing it if the water is warmer. BTW this is with a semi dry suit.

 

[kelpmermaid]

I have never understood the logic of diving without a hood - given the amount of heat lost from the head, I should think it would be the first thing you'd want to cover...okay, maybe not THE first thing for guys...
I went for an attached hood on the jacket of my 2-piece suit. The only problems so far have been 1) learning to remove the hooded jacket 2) the hood has started to fray around the face opening where the snorkel rests, so it will require replacement some day.
On the other hand, there are no more jets of water streaming down a fold in the hood skirt into my wetsuit...

 

[Jarhead]

Originally posted by kelpmermaid
I have never understood the logic of diving without a hood -

It all depends on where you dive. Typical summertime Florida dives are 80-82 degree water with 95+ degree air during surface interval. We get in the water to escape the heat.

Jarhead

 

[kelpmermaid]

with the type of suit SD mentioned and his location, I wouldn't think he'd be going hoodless. I have seen people "go bare" here, but I wouldn't.

 

[rcohn]

Attached for cold or cool water suits where I will always wear a hood. For warm water travel (3 mm or less) unattached can give you more flexibility to layer and match diving conditions.

To make the suit warmer you might also consider eliminating the zippers. With the new slick coatings, like Goldcore, the neoprene has more stretch and zipperless suits pull on easily.

As MikeS said be very careful on the fit with an attached hood, off the rack may be harder to find.

Ralph

 

[swedish diver]

I didn't mention that I was thinking of drysuits. When wetsuit diving I always use an attached hood but:

with the dry a hood has a few for me unwanted features...

1) It makes it harder to fold down the latex neck seal (especially with dry gloves)

2) It is bulky when doing shore dives where you have to walk, and really don't need a warm hood (folding it back is uncomfortable)

3) It works as an airtrap and adds to the "conehead effect".

4) It is easier to maintain / exchange neck seal

5) If it is torn - no problem

6) You could choose differnt thicknesses

7) attached hoods are not dry anyway...



and some wanted...

1) It is warmer

2) You cannot forget it at home

3) any more???


hmm... this is what i think at least (didn't want to write it until know - wanted to hear your opinions first)... but would be nice with even more opinions

: )

/Kristian

 

[tchil01]

I bought a Viking from Bob3 that came with a detached hood, but like a few others on here, I cut it off and have a 5 mil drysuit hood that I wear. I could never get the attached hood to fit right and it leaked and would soak my head and the beanie insulation thing. It was probibly my fault for not triming it right... but off it went.

Ty