Hooded vest over wetsuit?

[MeanGuy]

All that you're gaining by the stepin, rather than just a hooded vest, is covering your backside and upper thighs. When I start to get cold, I feel it in the upper body, around my core area, not my rear end or legs. A hooded vest under a full wetsuit fits very snuggly and doesn't move and allow water to flood in from kicking or moving your body around.
If you get that cold though, maybe consider a dry suit?

makes sense, however i do like the zipper, which makes it alot easier to be removed.
however i do have another question. does it really matter if i get 7 mm or 5mm hooded vest? i know 5 mm is enough for me, but what if i go with 7mm ?

and sadly, dry suits are out of the question for now, too expensive ^^ and the water i dive in is like 22-28 c. sometimes i dont need a hooded vest.

thank you

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I wear a hooded chicken vest (under my suit) and I like it. XL is normally my size for suits, gloves, etc. I bought a 2X for the hooded chicken vest to get it off easier, and since it UNDER my suit, it compresses well. If you go out and purchase your hooded vest, and you need to get it OVER your suit, you may want to try them on with the 'tight' wetsuit that you are using. One or even two larger sizes seem to be in order. Thermally, it will keep you warmer under your wetsuit. But overtop would be the next best thing.

It's good to keep your torso warm during your dive. But you lose more heat from your head than anywhere else. More than once I've had to take a guy back out of depth in our Quarry, (it is cold at depth) since they didn't bring a hood. So, by using your hooded vest over your suit, it will add to your thermal comfort. Then, in the future, and you want to buy a new wetsuit, you can just get the proper size with the hooded vest on underneath. If you are one or two sizes too big (you're not going to see a MAJOR difference), it will compress, and you shouldn't see a big difference.

 

[billtodive]

I put a 5 mil hood over a 3 mm full and the difference is amazing. Hard to get it off by myself, though. I might suggest a zipper.

 

[T Can Dive]

It wil help you a bit, but as said by alot of people here already it wont be as effective. Go for it though!

 

[MeanGuy]

ok then, its decided ^^ thank you guys for clearing that. however, no one answered the question of should i go with 5mm ? or 7mm? true that 7mm is more expensive, but not by alot. but it wouldn't hurt to get a 7 mm. or would i regret it? since i would probably have to add more weight to my weight belt.

 

[parzdiver]

ok then, its decided ^^ thank you guys for clearing that. however, no one answered the question of should i go with 5mm ? or 7mm? true that 7mm is more expensive, but not by alot. but it wouldn't hurt to get a 7 mm. or would i regret it? since i would probably have to add more weight to my weight belt.

I believe most hooded vest, and it is true for Pinnacle, are actually just 3mm vests, the 3/5/7 numbers generally relate to the hood part. If you get a 7, it could be too warm, it all depends on the conditions you are diving. My biggest issue with my 7mm hood is how much it cuts down on hearing. A hooded vest, even with a 7mm hood shouldn't add more than a couple pounds of buoyancy. You can easily test it by taking a couple small weights and see exactly what it takes to sink it.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

ok then, its decided ^^ thank you guys for clearing that. however, no one answered the question of should i go with 5mm ? or 7mm? true that 7mm is more expensive, but not by alot. but it wouldn't hurt to get a 7 mm. or would i regret it? since i would probably have to add more weight to my weight belt.

Since you say you are a skinny guy, and get cold easy, I would suggest the 7MM. Just adjust your weight for the extra neoprene, and the thicker material will give you the maximum thermal comfort.

Sounds like the Crown Royal idea after your diving day is done is something to consider too!

Safe diving.

 

[MeanGuy]

thanks alot guys, you helped out alot. now im gonna go order the 7 mm shorties with the zipper .

 

[Hank49]

Meanguy, I don't know what would be best regarding 5 or 7 mil. I have a 2 with a short 8 or 10 inch zipper on the lower right side. It's hard to get on and off and after about 100 dives is showing a few signs of wear...like a small tear under the chin. But once on, it's warm and snug.
I get lazy and instead of pulling the whole thing up my torso and over my head, I stick my left hand in through arm hole. Easier to get off but it stretches it pretty hard.
Over or under your wetsuit, it will surely keep you warmer. 5 or 7 ? Not sure.

 

[ligersandtions]

ok then, its decided ^^ thank you guys for clearing that. however, no one answered the question of should i go with 5mm ? or 7mm? true that 7mm is more expensive, but not by alot. but it wouldn't hurt to get a 7 mm. or would i regret it? since i would probably have to add more weight to my weight belt.

It's damn near impossible to get too hot in a wetsuit....as you can always pull the seals away from your body and flush some water in. If you're the kind of person that gets cold, get the 7mm (or even better, skip that and go straight to a drysuit! It can be a big investment, but if I have it my way, I will never dive a wetsuit again....not even in the tropics).