Light hood/cap for Carib diving

[DolphinWannabe]

Newbie here with so far little equipment of my own.

I've dived in the Caribbean before, but only on cruise stops. In December, for the first time I'll be going on a dive trip to Cozumel, where I'll be diving multiple dives, several days in succession.

Previously I've dived quite comfortably in just a dive skin, but I've been warned that this sort of diving requires more heat protection, so I'm planning on renting a shortie. I've also had it suggested to me that a cap or hood would be a good idea.

Suggestions? I've found everything from .5 mm caps up to 3mm. I'm generally a pretty easy to stay warm kind of guy, so I don't want to go overboard, but OTOH I don't want to waste money on something too lightweight to do me any good.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I seen a guy with a neoprene ball cap on once. I dove as his buddy the first time he dove with it. Needless to say it came off when we descended. It was shallow and he was looking for it on the bottom. I swam over to him and pointed up he found it on the surface.

Try a hooded vest if the water is in the high 70' or low 80's then you should be ok.

 

[Scuba-QC]

Me and my girlfriend always wear a full 3mm suit with a hood in the caribean. At the beginning of the week everybody had funny toughts about us on the boat...but after 2 days we could've sold our hoods 3 times what we paid for to other divers!

http://www.diversdirect.com/item/Evo%20-%203mm%20Hood_ID32798

 

[Damselfish]

I see lots of people wearing beanies (a cap with a chinstrap) for tropical diving. I rarely see actual hoods. I wear a 3mm beanie and it's a good thing. I think this is one item where a little thicker is better - it's easy warmth, and a thicker beanie will slide neatly on your head and you won't notice the thickness. It can also help keep hair out of your mask. Something thinner may actually be more trouble. (I have a lycra hood that is an annoying squirmy thing.) Just make sure you adjust your mask for it.

I'm a wetsuit hater and use a lycra or 1mm skin in the Caribbean even when doing many dives. I have a 3mm vest I sometimes wear on top, say if it's below 80F. People vary a lot in what they need to stay warm.