Question about wetsuit hood
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Spg01
Contributor
A farmer john is a 2 layered wetsuit. You have one layer that looks like overalls and one layer that looks like a shorty that fits over it. Then you have 14mm over your "core", and 7mm over your legs and arms. You are a brave man to take a 7mm wetsuit into 40F water. After a few boat dives in my full 7mm suit it starts getting cold.
I have a couple of hoods, one for use with wet suits and one for dry suits. A wet suit hood has a sizeable fringe around the enck that is tucked under the neck of the wet suit. A dry suit hood has no real fringe because you can't do that.
My wet suit hood is a 5 mm Henderson Hyperstretch. I don't generally recommend Hyperstretch because of durability issues, and I think it is even going out of production. I like it in the hood, though, because it is so very comfortable.
A key feature is at least one vent in the top to let out trapped air. Otherwise you will get a bubble on the top of the head. My Henderson works well in that regard.
My dry suit hood is a Whites Heat, and it is just plain excellent. It is thicker than 5 mm, but it has a fairly complex design (not just a neoprene bag) that makes it very comfortable. It has three vents, from the top to the neck.
You may also think about a hooded vest. If so, I recommend a stretchy material so that you don't end up in a situation such as is described in this thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/near-misses-lessons-learned/140626-close-call-dressing-room.html
boat sju
Contributor
My new drysuit hood has a built in vent. Once I poked half a dozen more holes in it with a hot nail it works great.
jridg
Contributor
mk-ultra
Registered
Heh. I guess it really comes down to your own tolerance for cold. I routinely dive in 55 degree water with a 7mm farmer john + hood (and I'm a skinny SOB with little built-in insulation). If anything, I feel overheated unless I'm at depth with this wetsuit.
Dressing in layers applies to SCUBA too. I've got a full-body rash guard that I can put on under my farmer john for really chilly water, and it's a great way to keep warm without going the dry-suit route.
Dressing in layers applies to SCUBA too. I've got a full-body rash guard that I can put on under my farmer john for really chilly water, and it's a great way to keep warm without going the dry-suit route.
CraigCarter
New
I suspect opinions will vary on this topic. I had an instructor say the same the same thing and I believe there is an element of truth with the potential difficulty equalizing with a tight,thick hood. I've notice that some hoods have small vent holes; my hood doesn't and occasionally I need to pull the sides of hood to relieve the pressure...hood acts an like external ear plug trapping air in the ear canal. By comparison, I don't we would recommend earplugs for the same reason, unless they were vented. Check the DAN website on the topic for a medical expert opinion. I'm not a doctor, I just play one in my dreams. Congratulations on your certification...now go out and dive.
halocline
Contributor
If the water temps are really down into the 40s-low 50s, no wetsuit in the world will make you comfortable for long. If you want to dive regularly in water that cold, you want a drysuit. It's a big expense, but any cold water diver will tell you that it's worth it. Meanwhile you can use your 3 mil suits to dive in the caribbean; if you're recently certified this will be a great way to get some confidence and experience as well as have a great time.
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