Lavacore hooded vest vs hooded LS shirt vs neoprene hooded vest?

[stuartv]

Short Version:

Should I buy a Lavacore hooded vest ($64), Lavacore hooded long sleeve shirt ($75), or a Neosport X-span 5/3 hooded vest ($50)?

Long Version:

My LDS has all their Lavacore gear on Clearance. I already bought a Farmer John and socks.

I then bought an Oceanic Ultra 5/3 hooded vest (3mm vest, 5mm hood) for $30 from LeisurePro.

My expectation was that the LC FJ plus the vest would be my setup for getting warmer under whatever wetsuit I was using. But, the Oceanic hooded vest just wasn't the quality I wanted, to I returned it. The next most expensive hooded vest is a Neosport X-span 5/3 at $50.

Now, I KNOW that a 5/3 hooded neoprene vest is going to be warmer than a Lavacore hooded vest. That is not my question.

The LC hooded vest is on Clearance at my LDS for $64. The hooded long sleeve shirt is $75. With the Neosport hooded vest already being at $50, prices are close enough that it doesn't really matter to my budget. So, I'm considering getting one of the LC options instead of the Neosport.

Here is what I am thinking, and I would appreciate any voice of wisdom or experience that can tell me I'm thinking correctly or where I'm thinking wrong.

I think that either of the LC options would be more comfortable to wear (not talking about warmth, just fit and movement) than the Neosport. Especially the hood. I wore a skirted hood for my OW quarry dives and it was a bit tight around the neck when pulled up over my head and uncomfortably tight around my neck when pulled down.

I *think* that any hood is way better than no hood and making the hood thicker is a marginal improvement. So, a 5mm hood would not be twice as warm as a Lavacore hood (which seem to be generally regarded as equivalent to 2 - 2.5 mm of neoprene, for warmth).

My OW quarry dives were in 52 degree water. I wore Lavacore FJ and socks, 5mm boots, a 7mm Oceanic Ultra suit (i.e. cheap), and a 5mm hood with a skirt that tucked into the wetsuit. I was totally comfortable. I *think* I would be just as comfortable (warmth-wise) if I traded that skirted neoprene hood for the Lavacore hooded vest. Does this sound reasonable, or will the thinner hood really be a lot colder?

If I'm thinking along the right lines, then I'm led to buy Lavacore, instead of the Neosport. In which case, the question is: With sleeves or without?

I'm thinking that having sleeves would make my suit feel tighter and more restrictive for arm and shoulder movement.

But, sleeves would keep me a bit warmer. So, how much difference do sleeves really make to warmth?

Will dry Lavacore sleeves make it easier, harder, or the same, to don a dry wetsuit as compared to bare arms?

What if the LC and wetsuit are both wet (i.e. just before a repetitive dive)? Easier or harder to put on wetsuit versus bare arms (which would probably be dry)?

Any other general thoughts on using a Lavacore hooded vest vs a Lavacore hooded long sleeve shirt?

If I'm in 52 degree water and wearing a 7mm wetsuit, will the Lavacore hood on the vest or shirt be enough, or will I really need a thicker neoprene hood for that?

I'm leaning towards buying Lavacore. I just can't decide which one to buy. And I am still open to just buying a neoprene hooded vest, instead.

Oh, and I just finished my OW cert, so I'm a newb. I just bought my first actual wetsuit - a ScubaPro EverFlex 3/2. So, my wetsuit will be the thing I expect to always wear. The other stuff will go under it when I need more warmth. I figure the 3/2 plus the other gear will keep me at least as warm as a 5mm suit. So, when I need something even warmer, I will eventually buy a 7 (or 7/5) mm suit and then use the same under garmets under that for even more warmth, thus pretty much covering me for all water temps from the warmest down to where I need a dry suit.

 

[lamarpaulski]

For some reason I always find a hooded vest to be less neck constricting than most regular hoods with skirts. I also like the extra insulation in the core and the lack of cold water down your back. I have only used Lavacore fabric "shirts" in tropical waters and that material, while very comfy, didn't seem remotely close to handling 52F water..,maybe they have newer stuff that's better insulation ? I think a flexible neoprene (probably 5mm or greater) hooded vest would be best. 52f...imo that's darn cold and you did well to tolerate it in a wetsuit so i wouldn't change too much of your original set up.

 

[stuartv]

For some reason I always find a hooded vest to be less neck constricting than most regular hoods with skirts. I also like the extra insulation in the core and the lack of cold water down your back. I have only used Lavacore fabric "shirts" in tropical waters and that material, while very comfy, didn't seem remotely close to handling 52F water..,maybe they have newer stuff that's better insulation ? I think a flexible neoprene (probably 5mm or greater) hooded vest would be best. 52f...imo that's darn cold and you did well to tolerate it in a wetsuit so i wouldn't change too much of your original set up.

Well, I had on Lavacore from the shoulders down to my toes under the 7mm wetsuit. And on my last dive, I actually went without the hood at all. When I first got in, it felt almost like brain freeze (when you drink a really cold drink too fast) on my head. After a minute or two, that went away and it was okay. Under water, my head was definitely cold without the hood. I'm just wondering whether the Lavacore hood would feel close to as warm as the hood I had been wearing (which I think was 5mm, and did not have a vest)? Or would it feel more like when I had on no hood at all?

My motorcycling experience is that keeping your core warmer helps your extremities to stay warmer, too. So, I'm also wondering if replacing a 5mm hood-only with a 2-2.5mm (i.e. Lavacore) hooded vest or hooded LS shirt would keep me roughly as warm, considering the extra insulation I'd be adding to my core versus the original setup that was just the hood.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Both my wife and I have tried Lavacore vests underneath our full suits to boost insulation a bit, and we have concluded they don't do very much for us. I ended up getting a 3 mm Neosport X-span vest and hardly bother with the Lavacore vest anymore.

"If I'm in 52 degree water and wearing a 7mm wetsuit, will the Lavacore hood on the vest or shirt be enough, or will I really need a thicker neoprene hood for that?"

I cannot imagine relying on a Lavacore hooded vest alone to keep my head warm in 52 degree water, but I get cold easily. For me, the Lavacore hood by itself would be enough to keep my head warm in the range of about 72-78F. Above 78, no hood needed. Below 72, I need at least 5 mm of neoprene. I don't know how long your dives have been, but keep in mind that you'll get a lot colder after an hour in the water than after 30 minutes. For a 1-hour dive in 72F water, I use a 5 mm hood, and my wife wears a 5 mm hood OVER the hood of her Lavacore vest. If I were diving in 52 degree water, I'd want all the neoprene I can manage. Come to think of it, I wouldn't do a 1-hour dive in 52 degree water without a drysuit.

 

[stuartv]

Thanks, Lorenzoid!

And what do you think of the Neosport quality? I see it for $50 and then I see other 5/3mm hooded vests for $100 and up and wonder what I'd be missing out on by going with the Neosport. Is the X-span material really nice and super-stretchy? The Oceanic Ultra hooded vest I tried was definitely NOT super stretchy. Just plain old stretchy. I could get in and out of it okay, but stretchy like the Quantum Stretch suit I tried would have been a lot nicer.

Is the face seal on the Neosport made where it would be easy to trim for minimal or no overlap with my mask?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Great question. I ordered both a Neosport X-span vest and a more expensive Henderson vest from Leisurepro, thinking I would try both of them on, choose one, and return the other. And guess what? To my amazement, I far preferred the less expensive Neosport X-span. It really IS stretchy and comfortable to don and doff, whereas the more expensive Henderson vest was, well, just what you'd expect from neoprene. Now, it is entirely possible that there is a tradeoff with thermal insulation ability that I couldn't detect by merely trying these on in my living room. But the stretchiness and comfort had me sold. And it's still warmer than the Lavacore vest, which is all I really hoped to achieve. I was pleased to return the more expensive Henderson vest and keep the Neosport X-span vest.

If I recall, I didn't trim the face seal, and it doesn't interfere with my mask. There might be a few millimeters of overlap, but I just make sure to check that the hood isn't trapped beneath the mask before entering the water.

 

[stuartv]

Awesome info. Thanks!