FFM Users, How Do You Wear A Hood?

[jackson07]

I've used both AGA and Guardian for years. Neoprene hood goes over the skirt. If I'm using one of my Viking suits with integrated latex hood, it goes under the skirt.


iPhone. iTypo. iApologize.

Any issues with a communication system and hood? We use the OTS hardwire system and have found neoprene hoods greatly reduce the ability to hear. Any better luck with the Viking suit with latex hood?

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

Being a Public Safety Dive Team leader for 3 Dive Teams, and diving for another 4 teams, I am no stranger to the issues that come with using a full face mask. Dive Rite In Scuba 2 you are right in regards to the contamination factor that Public Safety Divers worry about. Unfortunately the only true way to seal out all contaminants is to use a latex hood. The level of contamination is where one decides what is sufficient to where (either latex or neoprene).

As of to date, one of our teams is currently using the Iron Mask by Ocean Reef, and Sea Soft FFM hoods. We do have a few divers myself included that prefer the latex attached hoods on the dry suits, but through a risk and analysis study we conducted and with the amount of calls (and type of calls), the hazmat concerns we face are minimum. As of to date, the majority of contamination we have faced is gas, oil, and etc. from vehicles. We have had a local city that connects to one of our water ways dump sewage (and charge thankfully), but this is normal for our local lake (most of us go in normal and come out glowing, we are going to start a new PADI course, called the Toxic Diver).

In personal use, I use the Ocean Reef standard Neptune Space G-Diver. With a custom hood (OS-Systems) I don't have an issue with getting a seal on top of the hood down to around 20 feet. Any deeper and I get to much compression on the neoprene and the mask begins to free flow. Cases like this, when I know I'm going deeper I will use the Sea Soft hood. Last year (2014) I conducted over 15 missions, ranging from evidence recovery, body recoveries (4 in 2014), to vehicle recoveries. Most were mid summer and I chose not to where a hood. During my scene size up, is when I determined which hood to wear. Just recently I conducted an investigation for our local Sheriff's Office, and a woman had called 911 and said her car was in the water. Long story short it had been in the water for 3 hours prior to calling 911. She tried to sink it and collect insurance money. Problem was it stopped in 3 feet of water and bottomed out. In this case where I simply walk in to 3 feet of water and hook a chain to the vehicle, I chose not to wear the Sea Soft hood and went with the OS System custom hood. I simply wore it for warmth and nothing else.

As far as communication goes, I have yet to have an issue with receiving (hearing) transmissions while wearing a hood. The biggest issue I have had, is divers just can't talk. Especially since most of ours are volunteer (FIREMAN, and yes I am a FIREMAN also so I feel comfortable picking on them). I was trained how to properly speak on the radio when I was in Law Enforcement, but most of our Fire Departments here are volunteer and most are not properly trained on how to communicate, and most get excited and scream into the mic.

I do have 1 of my Under Water Criminal Investigators who cut his hood so that the mask would seal against his skin and the hood would sit up against the skirt. This seams to work great for him, mainly because of his facial features. He was even able to hem the hood and make it look factory. All in all, I prefer to seal the mask on top of the hood, but whatever works for the individual diver that is what he should do, as long as it does not hinder him / her from removing and replacing the mask if the need arises or cause any malfunctions such as a free flow.


Here are some pictures and a video of some of our team members in action wearing the Full Face Mask and hoods.




[video=youtube;VrYBY9OXHOU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrYBY9OXHOU&list=PL4PpMS5GFUw3YY487mdcfEsM XFfjpCwJZ&index=3[/video]

 

[kwinter]

Any issues with a communication system and hood? We use the OTS hardwire system and have found neoprene hoods greatly reduce the ability to hear. Any better luck with the Viking suit with latex hood?

I guess that depends on how thick the neoprene hood is and how acute your hearing is. When there is a lot of ambient noise, I have been known to remove the earpieces from their little soft bags and place them under my hood. But do that off your ear or it will be way too loud. I've never had to do that with the latex hood and beanie.

 

[g1138]

I have 3 hoods. One I trimmed back fully so I can fit the Guardian cleanly. The others are a lycra and a custom-fitted hooded vest which I don't want to trim.
With those I put my Guardian on and then pull the edges of my hood over the skirt. Same way as with a regular mask.

 

[pisoiu]

In personal use, I use the Ocean Reef standard Neptune Space G-Diver. With a custom hood (OS-Systems) I don't have an issue with getting a seal on top of the hood down to around 20 feet. Any deeper and I get to much compression on the neoprene and the mask begins to free flow.

I use a similar setup (with neptune 2 nira mask, an older model) but I've not entered in deep waters yet, so your statement concerns me a bit. Tightening the straps won't solve the issue?

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

pisoiu, several reason I think the hood compresses so much below 20 feet are because of Boyle's Law (Pressure / Volume), and the fact that the thicker the neoprene, the more effect you have. I have tried tightening the straps of the mask (even to the point of discomfort), and it still leaks below 20 feet. The thicker neoprene hoods (5mm and 7mm), have larger air cells and between 0-33 ft (sw), 0-34 ft (fw), or 0-10 meters you will have the biggest volume loss, and the hood will compress causing the mask to become loose. Now I do suppose you could tighten the mask under water as this occurs, but you would have to constantly adjust the mask on your way back up. Now this is not the end of the world, but we always want to minimize having to do to much work under water, whether its constantly adjusting your mask or any other problems. The fact they have other options is a no brainier for me, and this is why I have different mask for different situations. Next week I will be covering the North Carolina Special Olympics Polar Plunge put on by the Hickory City Police Department here in North Carolina. Each year we supply Public Safety Divers and Under Water Criminal Investigators for rescue purposes. I will be wearing my 7 mm custom hood from OS Systems and my personal Ocean Reef Full Face Mask. We always do a cleaning sweep of the jump area, max depth 10 feet, and then standby in the water while the jumpers take the plunge. Since the majority of the 4 hours I will be in the water will be spent at the surface, I will not worry about my hood compressing. Though Sea Soft makes a great product, my custom hood from OS Systems is custom for a reason (it fits me like a glove, and is zippered for easy donning).

My suggestion would be to go diving with your mask and hood configuration as much as possible and see what works for you. Some simple options would be, have a pre-designated hood for the full face mask. You could possibly find one (and I'm thing Scuba Max makes one that has the glide skin on the interior portion of the hood) that is reversible and have it as a dual purpose hood. Simply turn it inside out when you use a full face mask. You could of course cut a hood to fit up against the mask skirt as others have mentioned. And lastly, spend the money and get a custom hood built strictly for the full face mask. I'm sure there are companies out there that are starving for business and will happily work with you. Happy Diving.

 

[rwkosh]

rwkosh,

I like the beanie idea. What water temps do you normally dive in?

Southern California, so winter water is normally 50-52 degrees at depth. I can wear a beanie down to about 58 or so before I switch to a hood. This year has been a mild El Nino year, so the water is still a balmy 62 or so at depth.

After reading this thread, I'm thinking of maybe trying to get one of those SeaSoft hoods and trying the mask over the hood . . .

 

[Herb-alaska]

When I am diving a FFM either rec or for PSD I always have the mask seal on skin and pull the hood over the skirt Unless I am in a contaminated environment and diving a viking vulcanized suit with a ( dry) integrated hood then the mask seals to the hood. I find that my guardian seal much easier than my team supplied aga.
Herb

 

[SubAquatix]

When I started diving FFM and HH 30 years ago, Viking had a Neck ring called the combi, similar to what they do now. The difference is it goes on UNDER the existing Neck seal and works with ANY neck system. I still have several and use them today. Put on the dry suit, then put on the ring (it is split to put around the neck), pull the Neck seal over the ring so that that you now have a rigid ring inside the neck seal bellows. At his point, you put on your hood liner and then pull on the latex hood. The hood stretches over the ring and a clamp or large ziptie holds it in place. Works great without having to modify the suit at all.

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

We decided that this is a great topic to discuss, so we shot a video about using a Full Face Mask and a Hood. You can watch it here or go to our Youtube channel, LakeHickoryScuba - YouTube.


[video=youtube;K6uY9O_FZf4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6uY9O_FZf4&feature=youtu.be[/video]