latex hood? what and how?

[sterlingMarineService]

I have been looking into the OTS guardian FFM, and came across a latex hood that my LDS sells. it says its only compatible with latex drysuit seals and can be worn with or with out the FFM...

my questions is how does it work????? do you glue it to your drysuit or what? does it actually seal all around?

thanks

 

[David Wilson]

There are two types of separate latex hood for use with a drysuit.

Type 1

Type 2

Type 1 hoods come with a flange which must be taped and glued to the drysuit. After installation, it remains permanently attached to the suit, replacing any existing neck seal.

Type 2 hoods are not permanently attached to the drysuit. They seal over existing drysuit neck seals in the same way as simple latex drygloves seal over latex drysuit cuff seals and latex drysocks seal over latex drysuit ankle seals. This kind of hood, like the gloves and the socks, is narrow fitting at the point of entry, which stretches when the hood is put on.

A fabric liner is normally worn under latex hoods to separate the hood from the ears when equalising.

 

[sterlingMarineService]

Are they comfortable?! Do they keep your dry?!

 

[David Wilson]

Are they comfortable?! Do they keep your dry?!

So that you "know where I'm coming from", I'm a vintage equipment snorkeller, not a scuba diver. I've worn a latex hood now for five years when I go snorkelling with a vintage-style seamless, valveless two-piece waist-seal drysuit. My first such drysuit had a neck seal and a separate hood. My subsequent one has a built-in hood. Both kinds of hood work satisfactorily for me in terms of comfort and watertightness. When I remove my hooded suit, my hair is always completely dry.

With latex hoods, fit matters. Nobody's head and neck are the same size as everybody else's, so I would treat with suspicion any product claiming to be "universal size". After all, drygloves and drysocks come in at least three sizes, so why not hoods? There will always be something of a trade-off between comfort and dryness. Overtight hoods will keep water out, but will be harder to put on and may cause jaw-ache. Overloose hoods will be more comfortable but may leak if they don't seal properly against the face. The best advice is to try hoods on for size before purchase. The hood modelled in the second image in my initial response to you is available in six different sizes. Latex hoods are sometimes sold without a facial aperture, allowing purchasers to customise how much material they cut out at the front to accommodate their facial dimensions.

You can also trim hood face seals which are too tight, but you can't replace the material if you take too much off!

I'm not going to make your mind up for you when it comes to latex hoods. I happen to prefer them to neoprene hoods, which, in my experience, can be a little too warm in summertime and a little too inflexible when surface swimming. I went snorkelling with mine a couple of days ago in the cold North Sea and I was very happy with my dip. But hey, that's just me. All I can say is: try the hood out for yourself and see.