Stretching a hood

[Ross19966]

I got a Waterproof H1 5/10 in 2X and it is a little tight, just to the point of being a little uncomfortable. Wondering if anyone has had any luck stretching a hood to gain just whisker of room. I'd just exchange it for a 3X if they had it, but 2X is the largest they make. It's a really nice hood, works pretty good with my FFM and I'd like to make it work.

I thought maybe find an inflatable ball a little bigger than my head and inflate it inside the hood. Maybe soak the hood in hot water to loosen up the neo. If you have had any luck doing this, can you share how you did it? I ask because once I go down this road, I can't return it. I thought about diving it and just seeing if getting wet would help it to stretch out, but same issue. Once it is wet, I can't return it.

 

[Bigbella]

I got a Waterproof H1 5/10 in 2X and it is a little tight, just to the point of being a little uncomfortable. Wondering if anyone has had any luck stretching a hood to gain just whisker of room. I'd just exchange it for a 3X if they had it, but 2X is the largest they make. It's a really nice hood, works pretty good with my FFM and I'd like to make it work.

I had the same issue with a hood for a FFM, also purchased in XL, though still a bit on the tighter side, having originally ordered an L, that was ridiculously small (what's the deal with European sizing?), that my girlfriend currently enjoys.

I found that just getting it wet and put to some use seemed to stretch things a bit; gave it a bit more give . . .

 

[Doc]

Neoprene snaps back from stretching.

I have carefully trimmed openings in hoods, but you could go the opposite route….

 

[Cthippo]

I had to stretch mine for literally months over a bicycle helmet to het it reasonably comfortable. 8" diameter tank might also work if you have one.

 

[happy-diver]

Get a bigger bicycle helmet, yeah over an 8" tank is good, and it won't ever snap back

So check it often then more often than that

Just did a semidry neckseal tailor made by imbeciles for two days, any more, a new seal or lots of McDonald's

Yes I also did a hood six months ago made by another imbecile twice, in a cool climate for five days, No hope

 

[Jcp2]

I have a MTM seaskin hood that was difficult to don, so I got it wet in the shower, got it on, put on my mask and traced the mask outline on the seal as a guide to trimming the seal. I essentially cut halfway between the mask line and the edge of the existing seal. That relieved a lot of the pressure and now the hood fits fine and the seal works great over the edge of the mask.

 

[Ross19966]

I got this particular hood because the FFM was supposed to seal well over the hood, and it does. I think the best option here is to return this H1, find one that fits and trim the hood around the mask.

 

[NorCalDM]

My wife stuffs a soccer ball in the hood of her wetsuit. She will put it in when she is done rinsing the suit and then pulls it out before she puts it on, seems to work pretty good.

 

[divezonescuba]

Basketball.

 

[gmerick]

If it's the ears/face area that's tight, an old fashioned dodge ball (the grade school terror ball) can be pumped up inside the hood. I have a hood that had a neck that was too tight. I have three nesting soup kettles in my kitchen, the largest almost fits me like a hat. I rolled the neck over the soup kettle , and placed the pot upside down over the gas ring. I placed a digital temperature probe between the neck and the pot. I let things heat up to about 120 and shut the gas off. After it cooled down and sat for a couple days, that XXL hood finally fit my 22" neck. It was either that or shell out for a custom job.