Best type of hood for Seaskin drysuit

[Zef]

Ask yourself...Do you associate more with this:

Bibbed hood

or with this:

Nob-bibbed hood

-Z

 

[Beau Holden]

One that fits and keeps the head warm.

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

Why not just get the neoprene suit with a glued in neoprene neck seal?

a) want a better seal via silicone and b) <5 minute replacement on the boat if it rips

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

Ask yourself...Do you associate more with this:

Bibbed hood


or with this:

Nob-bibbed hood


-Z

Unfortunately I don't have an option to get a the non bibbed version due to store credit that I have to use

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

One that fits and keeps the head warm.

Wow someone get this guy the World's Most Helpful Comment Award of 2023

 

[Zef]

Unfortunately I don't have an option to get a the non bibbed version due to store credit that I have to use

I missed that earlier post of yours...sorry.

Further thought is that you are way over thinking this.

There are some who swear by the "warm neck" feature on their drysuit and others that don't feel they are suffering by not having it. My wife's made-to-measure drysuit arrived from Italy with the extra ring of fabric for the warm neck in the package to be sewed on by the owner of the local dive shop if she wanted it....the company that made the suit and the dive shop owner we purchased it through did not recommend it being installed with the Si-Tech Quick Neck ring system, but it seemed their recommendation was more about aesthetics than anything functional. When we were diving in Europe, it was mostly quarries and lakes where the water temps were generally on the cold side. My wife has never complained about wanting that ring of neoprene installed and so it lives on its lonely life at the bottom of one the myriad of plastic bins of dive gear on a shelf in our basement.

I dive an Aqualung Fusion Bullet, I don't know if the design of the outer skin constitutes a "warm neck" design, but I don't think I would be bothered either way, and when living overseas it was not uncommon to be in 4c water for 45-120min (depending on the depth we were diving at).

Your safest option is most likely to order your suit with the standard neck that has the warm neck with velcro. If you don't like it you can log it as learning curve and choose a different option the next time you get a suit, or request and pay for a change when your suit is sent back for any repairs you need done in the future.

Either way, standard neck, simple neck, no warm neck...I don't think any of the options will cause you any grief or become talking points at the pub after any of your dives.

Good luck and I wish you many happy hours of bubble blowing in your new suit, whatever you choose.

-Z

 

[lexvil]

a) want a better seal via silicone and b) <5 minute replacement on the boat if it rips

A better seal from what? Silicone can tear and being able to change, neoprene is unlikely to have an issue but you can put a neoprene in the quick neck system, I do.

 

[Boarderguy]

If you have your hands free (no gloves on yet and no kit) the standard warm neck is easy to tuck a bib into. With my kit on it is a giant pain in the ass. I don't think the H1 bib would be any different for you. Get, dive it, give it a few tries to determine if you like it. Worst case scenario is you sell the H1 to someone and buy a non bibbed hood.

 

[vickasaurusrex]

I like the Fourth Element 5mm Neoprene hood.

https://fourthelement.com/product/5mm-hood-neoprene/

Very warm, and easy to don/doff - especially if you have long hair. I personally don’t like having to tuck the skirt into the warm neck collar - too much work to manage.

Sharing some example photos of how the hood looks with my Seaskin drysuit: Review - Seaskin Nova drysuit review - ladies' POV

Hello,

After doing a bunch of research and reading lots of reviews on this forum, I’ll be buying a Seaskin trilam drysuit (never used one before). Which type of hood will be best for 40-60 degree water temp? I know there are some hoods that have a “skirt” that extends down to the shoulders (I had one of these and was able to tuck it into my 7mm wetsuit) and some that effectively cut right off at the neck.

Can you also recommend any brand/models that stand out?

For the Seaskin, there are two “neck” options…is each option specific to a type of hood?

Thanks.

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

Decided to pull the trigger on 7/5 waterproof w bib (only option), see how I like it with the standard neck (Velcro), and if I don’t then just cut the bib off and keep the warm neck velcroed without thinking about it again
Thanks everyone for your help