You wouldn’t think that just a hood would warrant a review of its own. However, if you think that, then you’ve never used an Otter Bay 12mm hood in ice cold water.
This hood really rocks! I ordered it based on a recommendation from Peter C, TSandM, Camerone, dannobee, limeyx, and hoyden. Thanks, guys.
The hood is custom cut, based on specific measurements that the owner (Cricket) requests. She walked me through the measurements over the phone as my wife measured my head (extra long measuring tape
). Discounting the week they were closed for the holidays, it took about a week to get it. Cost including shipping was $80.00
Detailed instructions for wearing in, and preping the hood were emailed to me prior to the hoods arrival.
The first thing I noticed was the unusual shape of the hood. Being a custom cut, it is shaped much more like a face/skull than the normal, one-shape-fits-all, off the rack hood. The area around the face is a thinner material – 5mm I‘m guessing. The bulk around the head is the 12mm.
And wow is that thick. After all, 12mm is almost half an inch!
I tried it on, and the thing fit like a second skin. And very comfortable - much more comfortable than I thought something that tight and that thick would be. I carefully cut the face opening per Cricket’s instructions.
I took it for a test dive today. Air temp was 28 degrees, and water temp was 39 degrees. Once I had the hood on, it was difficult to hear what my buddies were saying – a definite advantage
. My buddy said that the hood looked like a helmet on me. I was also surprised to discover how warm the hood was out of the water.
But it was under water that this thing really rocked. As I submerged, I never felt the usual inflow of freezing water that I do with my other hood. In fact, during the dive, I wondered if the hood was so tight that my hair was staying dry. It wasn’t. My hair was wet after the dive. But my head stayed so warm that I never noticed a difference in or out of the water.
I’m guessing that both my buddies will place orders soon.
One thing is for sure, I’ll have to give this hood a vacation when summer comes and the water warms up. It'll be just too hot.
Bottom line, if you dive water below 50 degrees (and we all know that keeping the head warm is vital to the body staying warm), you won’t regret buying a custom 12mm hood from Otter Bay Wetsuits!
This hood really rocks! I ordered it based on a recommendation from Peter C, TSandM, Camerone, dannobee, limeyx, and hoyden. Thanks, guys.
The hood is custom cut, based on specific measurements that the owner (Cricket) requests. She walked me through the measurements over the phone as my wife measured my head (extra long measuring tape
). Discounting the week they were closed for the holidays, it took about a week to get it. Cost including shipping was $80.00Detailed instructions for wearing in, and preping the hood were emailed to me prior to the hoods arrival.
The first thing I noticed was the unusual shape of the hood. Being a custom cut, it is shaped much more like a face/skull than the normal, one-shape-fits-all, off the rack hood. The area around the face is a thinner material – 5mm I‘m guessing. The bulk around the head is the 12mm.
And wow is that thick. After all, 12mm is almost half an inch!
I tried it on, and the thing fit like a second skin. And very comfortable - much more comfortable than I thought something that tight and that thick would be. I carefully cut the face opening per Cricket’s instructions.
I took it for a test dive today. Air temp was 28 degrees, and water temp was 39 degrees. Once I had the hood on, it was difficult to hear what my buddies were saying – a definite advantage
. My buddy said that the hood looked like a helmet on me. I was also surprised to discover how warm the hood was out of the water.But it was under water that this thing really rocked. As I submerged, I never felt the usual inflow of freezing water that I do with my other hood. In fact, during the dive, I wondered if the hood was so tight that my hair was staying dry. It wasn’t. My hair was wet after the dive. But my head stayed so warm that I never noticed a difference in or out of the water.
I’m guessing that both my buddies will place orders soon.
One thing is for sure, I’ll have to give this hood a vacation when summer comes and the water warms up. It'll be just too hot.
Bottom line, if you dive water below 50 degrees (and we all know that keeping the head warm is vital to the body staying warm), you won’t regret buying a custom 12mm hood from Otter Bay Wetsuits!
