Hoods, is there an alternative??

[Faith26]

I am currently doing my OW training and in my pool sessions I did well, really enjoyed the experience and I was looking forward to getting out there into the open water, but when I did I had one hell of a shock!
We had done a small session in the pool wearing a dry suit which I took to pretty well, but when I put the hood on for a trial I started to feel uncomfortable, but I thought it was just the heat of the pool and I would be o.k. at the open water site which was a quarry and would be cold, but as soon as I put the hood on at the OW site I started to feel really restricted and began to panic, my divemaster was fantastic and managed to talk me down and I managed to complete the exercises and finish the first two dives.
I feel really angry at myself because I know I can do the exercises and that the hood shouldn't make any difference, but I hate the thought of wearing it again because I'm afraid I will start to panic, like i did last time.
I am just wondering if there is any alternative to the hood in cold water or if anyone can give me some tips on coping with this stupid fear I seem to have picked up. I would be grateful if anyone could give me some advice please.

 

[The Kraken]

Sounds as if the hood may have been a bit too tight.

There are beanies available, but they don't provide any protection to the neck or jaw areas.

the K

 

[SelkieDVM]

Don't feel angry with yourself. A hood, in fact, can make a lot of difference. This is particularly true if it does not fit correctly or if it is just not comfortable. It can even be dangerous if it is too restrictive, especially in the neck. Many of us would prefer not to wear one, but exposure protection for the head is just a necessary evil for the type of diving that we do. Try several if you can and see if there is one that feels better. You might consider one with a zipper or even a custom made hood. Wear it around the house with your mask to get used to it. I'll bet that within a few dives you'll be good to go. If the waters are not too cold, then a beanie might be a more comfortable alternative. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Lilla

 

[newman_diver]

I had a similar problem when I first started diving. It's just something you're not used to. A well fitting hood will make a difference but for me, it was something I had to get used to.

After a few dives it stated to get more comfortable. Now I don't even notice it. I wouldn't dive without a hood as you will lose the majority of your body heat and won't enjoy the dive.

 

[Blackwood]

Alternative? Yah, being cold

 

[tiggrr]

Or even try a more stretchy hood.

The first one I wore had NO give and gave me the same feeling of being constricted.

Now, I layer hoods that have more stretch and have no issues.

 

[rstofer]

There are some very stretchy hoods like Henderson 7/5mm Hyperstretch Hood See if they are more comfortable.

Richard

 

[Damselfish]

A hood is a necessary evil in cold water. (Where are you anyway, how cold is the water?)

It's hard to say if you just have a low tolerance to the constrictive feeling (I know I do) or actually have a hood that's too tight. In the short term for your last training dives you could try the next size up, a thinner hood, a different hood - whatever they have might available - as long as it won't be too cold.

Rental hoods won't generally be the nicest ones, you should be able to buy something more comfortable. If you have time before your next dives I'd look into it. They make some wetsuits and hoods out of very stretchy neoprene (look for names like "hyperstretch" that you might do better with. There's also some that have thicker neoprene in some areas than others that could help with the comfort.

 

[bleeb]

Some good suggestions here.

I just wanted to add another faint possibility so that you're aware of it. A small fraction of people just have trouble tolerating hoods. They just make them very uncomfortable and anxious. It might be related to claustrophobia. An overly tight hood would make things worse, but it's sort of like swimming, diving, or wetsuits: Some people just don't like it, and you only start to find out when you first try it. Lots of people find they don't like the squeezing feeling you get from wet suits.

That being said, being aware that it might just be a dislike may help you work through it. The motivation of being able to dive is a big one for most people here on ScubaBoard.

And if you find that you just really dislike the constricting feeling around your head, and compromise may be to find warmer climes to dive in. Not the most ideal, but you're still diving.

 

[Dr Neil]

Go to a dive shop that has an assortment of hoods. Try on more than one.

Also, once you have one that fits to your liking, you can trim the face hole. Just remember, you have to live with the trimmed hood.