Built-in hood or separate?

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Anyone have any distinct pros/cons for built in hoods on a wetsuit? I'm talking a cold-water 7mm suit.

I've only ever used separate hoods, but I can imagine potential cons with built-in hoods would be getting a good fit off the rack and less flexibility if you wanted a hooded vest or something.

But I imagine they're nice, huh? Tucking separate hoods in can be a pain...

Anyone have any thoughts?

Gregg

 

[crpntr133]

I went through the same thing before I bought my wet suit. I looked at it this way. If I bought a seperate hood then I had the flexablility to take it off for warmer dives. I have actually been known to remove my hood mid dive to cool off. I know, then you have to worry about loosing it. To me it beat having that lump of hood behind my head. Just my $.02.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Integrated hood, only way to go. Much more comfortable, and the water doesn't run down your back. XCEL Titanium Polar Quad Density, that is my suggestion. Very good suit, water hardly gets in and it keeps me warm at SoCal 55.............

http://www.xcelwetsuits.com

 

[CHUD]

Separate hood, only way to go. I'm much more comfortable, can "hear" better, and feel more in touch with the ocean with my no-hood wetsuit. I've had two cold dives where I felt like I was getting a brain freeze, but I acclimated and felt fine in a few minutes.

I'm not a masochist, though. I just got a hooded vest that I'll be wearing under my wetsuit now that it's getting cold.

 

[ScubaSarus]

It depends on how the suit fits. For cold water 55 or below I say integrated hood if you get water down your back. For warmer water seperate hood will do. It's too bad no ones invented a removable attached hood system yet. You may want to get 2 suits one for winter and the other for warmer waters.

Chris

 

[matt t.]

Go with a separate hood. With the separate hood you have more flexibility to use/not use a hood. You will get the best hood fit with a separate hood (ie: they don't offer 3 different sized hoods on a size L suit). If your suit fits properly you won't get a lot of water running down your back. Good Luck.

Matt

 

[mweitz]

Humu,

I second Shaka. I have the same suit and it has kept me warm here in Monterey.

Mark

 

[Paco]

Hooded vest is the only way to go, in my opinion. 7mm suit with hooded vest is even suitable for ice diving.

 

[CALI68]

Integrated hood, only way to go. Much more comfortable, and the water doesn't run down your back. XCEL Titanium Polar Quad Density, that is my suggestion. Very good suit, water hardly gets in and it keeps me warm at SoCal 55.............

http://www.xcelwetsuits.com

Those are great! Another option is The Henderson Gold Core Semi Dry.

 

[MontereyCADiver]

An integrated hood, compared to a separate hood, will DRAMATICALLY reduce the cold-water-wash down your back.

Try both styles before making a purchase. Before I switched to a DUI drysuit, I wore a 7mm one-piece w/ an integrated hood for a few hundred dives in Monterey. When I was in slightly warmer waters I would don the suit and leave the hood over the back of my neck. For me it was not an inconvenience, nor bulky, etc. Again, it worked great for me -- others may feel differently.

Ditto to CALI68 & ShakaZulu!