Exhaust Air Getting Inside Wetsuit

[Marek K]

I don't usually dive wetsuits with hoods (warm-water wuss), but I just got a 5mm Triple-L jumpsuit with hood so I could dive some quarries around here.

Had it out the first time weekend before last. First dive was just fine... Maybe a little on the cool side of comfortable, with water being 64-67F; I tend to be pretty warm-blooded. But I was very happy that I didn't notice any significant water exchange through the suit; the water inside warmed up very nicely, and stayed that way.

My Sherwood second stage was hissing a little, and for the second dive I switched to my wife's Mares regulator that I'd brought along just in case. The Mares has a much smaller exhaust tee than my Sherwood, and it seems that I was getting exhaust air in through my hood opening. In any case, I was noticing a bit more air inside my hood (not enough for a "cone head," though).

But the really noticeable thing was when I went from horizontal to head-down... I'd get this large area of warm air moving inside the suit, down (up) my back from my neck toward my legs. Not horrible; kind of kinky in a way , and it didn't affect my buoyancy or trim that I could tell... but still kind of a bizarre feeling.

How normal is this with a compact exhaust tee? Does that mean the hood didn't fit quite well enough, after all?

--Marek

 

[spectrum]

I dive a Sherwood Blizzard with the "walruss" tee and I'm fine. I haven't spent enough time on my alternate with the standard exhaust to notice a problem. Both of my hoods have "skin in" seals that are trimmed to overlap my mask skirt by a bit.

Look in the mirror, a nip tuck of the hood may be in order, I needed to take a slice out of one of my wifes and it made a huge difference. It was a tapered slice oit of the center, like a mohawk. Reglued, blind dtitched and burnt a few vent holes and I'm a hero!

Pete

I don't usually dive wetsuits with hoods (warm-water wuss), but I just got a 5mm Triple-L jumpsuit with hood so I could dive some quarries around here.

Had it out the first time weekend before last. First dive was just fine... Maybe a little on the cool side of comfortable, with water being 64-67F; I tend to be pretty warm-blooded. But I was very happy that I didn't notice any significant water exchange through the suit; the water inside warmed up very nicely, and stayed that way.

My Sherwood second stage was hissing a little, and for the second dive I switched to my wife's Mares regulator that I'd brought along just in case. The Mares has a much smaller exhaust tee than my Sherwood, and it seems that I was getting exhaust air in through my hood opening. In any case, I was noticing a bit more air inside my hood (not enough for a "cone head," though).

But the really noticeable thing was when I went from horizontal to head-down... I'd get this large area of warm air moving inside the suit, down (up) my back from my neck toward my legs. Not horrible; kind of kinky in a way , and it didn't affect my buoyancy or trim that I could tell... but still kind of a bizarre feeling.

How normal is this with a compact exhaust tee? Does that mean the hood didn't fit quite well enough, after all?

--Marek

 

[Marek K]

I dive a Sherwood Blizzard with the "walruss" tee and I'm fine. I haven't spent enough time on my alternate with the standard exhaust to notice a problem.

"Walrus tee"?? :11: I've always mostly dived with Sherwoods, and I think of that type of exhaust tee as normal. The Mares tee looks weird to me, barely extending out farther beyond the valve area. I've never noticed a performance difference until now, though, with this hood.

Was your wife having this same problem with the exhaust, or just getting water exchange through the hood opening (which I'm not getting)?

 

[Mark_N]

You may want to add a couple of small holes to the top of your hood. This way if air does enter the hood it has a place to escape before you end up with a large bubble. Take a nail and heat it up to make the holes or cut a small x.

 

[kidspot]

I dive the same suit in a 3mil version and have the same problem. If the hood is not zipped up all the way you are more likely to get air in it as the hood collar acts like a type of funnel for the air bubbles. The holes Spectrum mentioned DO help, but make sure you empty the hood of air pockets before inverting for anything.

Aloha, Tim

 

[james croft]

You may want to add a couple of small holes to the top of your hood. This way if air does enter the hood it has a place to escape before you end up with a large bubble. Take a nail and heat it up to make the holes or cut a small x.

It is also less painful to do this if you remove the hood from your head first.

 

[kidspot]

It is also less painful to do this if you remove the hood from your head first.

but then you lose the entertainment value

 

[Marek K]

burnt a few vent holes

The holes Spectrum mentioned DO help

You may want to add a couple of small holes to the top of your hood. This way if air does enter the hood it has a place to escape before you end up with a large bubble

You know, I was thinking about adding holes while I was diving (or rather, the fact that I hadn't)... I kept patting my head, but I wasn't finding a "conehead" that I could detect. So I was thinking, "Gee, I guess I don't need holes."

Now that you all mention it, though, it did feel like there was a layer of air around my head. That's what shifted... I do believe holes would help after all. I'll try it.

Thanks!

It is also less painful to do this if you remove the hood from your head first.

Um, yeah, thanks... S.A....

 

[spectrum]

"Walrus tee"?? :11: I've always mostly dived with Sherwoods, and I think of that type of exhaust tee as normal. The Mares tee looks weird to me, barely extending out farther beyond the valve area. I've never noticed a performance difference until now, though, with this hood.

Was your wife having this same problem with the exhaust, or just getting water exchange through the hood opening (which I'm not getting)?

I agree that the "walrus is the more common configuration but they ship with both from what I know. I have the compact difusers if we should ever want to use them.


She was getting it from exhaust to the point where she calimed it was disturbing her mask.... go figure. I fixed it and all was good

The water exchage was not her complaint.

Pete