Hood Recommendation?

[greg98072]

Have a dive trip coming up which will be in 40-42 deg water. Currently have no problem in 44 deg water for one dive with 5mm hood. This trip will include 3 boat dives in one day so want to stay warm for duration. Have shell drysuit with Pinnacle merino undergarment. Looking at Henderson 7/5mm with ice cap or Otter Bay 12mm. Suit has latex neck seal but no warm collar.

Thanks in advance
Greg

 

[Camerone]

The ice cap is overkill for 40 degree water; the bottom of Lake Washington is colder than that, and a 7mm hood was just fine, even with the compression at of the neoprene at 190'. On the other hand, the deco was warm, which helps

Frankly, you can't go wrong with the Otter Bay. I dive it up here now, as my stock hood, and it causes me to sweat. I've tried the ice cap with it (for my upcoming Antarctic trip) and it's bloody hot getting kitted up, even when the air temp is as cool and crisp as it's been the last couple of days here. I replaced my run-of-the-mill 7mm hood with it, and I'm loving every minute of it. I got a lot of years, and a lot of PNW dives out of the 7mm...and it was more than enough, even with lots of dives in a day.

Using the ice cap with another hood is a PITA, and you really don't need it unless you're going to be seeing significantly colder water temps than you're talking about.

 

[greg98072]

Called Otter Bay and she sent me an e-mail detailing the measurements needed. I will bring current hood and new one on trip.

Thanks
Greg

 

[Peter_C]

You can't go wrong with an Otter Bay hood.

 

[greg98072]

Just by talking to them, I got a good feeling about their business. It is not always that way in the scuba industry. Sad to say.

 

[Mo2vation]

I bought an OtterBay hood for a MoCal trip I did in May.

A couple of hundred dives later and I haven't taken it off yet.

You'll love it.

Jut your jaw out a bit when you measure it. Trust me on this.

---
Ken