What's the argument AGAINST wearing your mask under your hood?

[diver_doug]

I'm kinda embarassed to admit this (because it's totally stupid) but for a while I didn't wear my mask under my hood because I thought: "Man, it's hard enough putting my hood on, I can't imagine trying to put it on OVER the mask" (ugh...so stupid). So anyway, one day I had the earth-shattering epiphany that I could pull the hood back, put on the mask, and then pull the hood back up. Since I've done this, I can't imagine going back to wearing my mask on the outside of my hood. Inside the hood offers better protection against surf, surge, leaks, and losing your mask if the strap breaks. Plus you can safely put your mask on your forehead, and there's no need to readjust the strap if you go from hood to no-hood. I have noticed that having the strap inside allows for a little more water exchange than when the strap is outside...but for me that's a small price to pay for all the benefits. So my question is, for those of you who wear the strap on the outside, what's the logic?

 

[Hockeynut]

It lets cold ass water in right by your temple and that kinda sucks.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Mask strap getting tangled up in hair (which is relieved by mask strap on outside of hood).

That said, if there were a reason I thought I would want to remove a hood mid-dive, I might come up with another solution for the hair.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I would imagine the tugging and pulling out of hair and the cold water past the temples is enough of a reason for most. In more than twenty years of diving I've never had a strap break, nor have I had my mask off under water since my OW class.

 

[diver_doug]

Mask strap getting tangled up in hair (which is relieved by mask strap on outside of hood).

That said, if there were a reason I thought I would want to remove a hood mid-dive, I might come up with another solution for the hair.

I would imagine the tugging and pulling out of hair and the cold water past the temples is enough of a reason for most. In more than twenty years of diving I've never had a strap break, nor have I had my mask off under water since my OW class.

No hair-pulling issues with one of these:

But I can see how cold water coming in could be a big deal for some people (especially in really cold water).

 

[mikecotrone]

I'm kinda embarassed to admit this (because it's totally stupid) but for a while I didn't wear my mask under my hood because I thought: "Man, it's hard enough putting my hood on, I can't imagine trying to put it on OVER the mask" (ugh...so stupid). So anyway, one day I had the earth-shattering epiphany that I could pull the hood back, put on the mask, and then pull the hood back up. Since I've done this, I can't imagine going back to wearing my mask on the outside of my hood. Inside the hood offers better protection against surf, surge, leaks, and losing your mask if the strap breaks. Plus you can safely put your mask on your forehead, and there's no need to readjust the strap if you go from hood to no-hood. I have noticed that having the strap inside allows for a little more water exchange than when the strap is outside...but for me that's a small price to pay for all the benefits. So my question is, for those of you who wear the strap on the outside, what's the logic?

I wear my mask on the outside of my hood also, but I found a very good "PRO" in the case of when John Ormsby knocked Sally Wahrmann so hard it knocked her another 30-40 feet down while she was already at 200 and something feet already. I noticed with this story (Deep Descent by Kevin MacMurray) that she had her mask on under her hood and she was able to keep it on. Her mask flooded, but was still on her head instead of laying on the bottom of the bitch black Andrea Doria. Granted the majority of us won't be diving the Doria or be put into a Tec Diving scenario, but I just thought it would be nice to not have to perform search and recovery for your mask without a mask if you collide with another diver at depth.

 

[diver 85]

uhhh---what did you say??



(self pic here)

(me taken by another diver)

 

[Blue Sparkle]

No hair-pulling issues with one of these:

Actually, I have one of those, and use it all the time. But hair still gets caught in the little clippy adjustor things where the mast strap joins the mask.
Next I'm going to try the type that completely replaces the mask strap with a neoprene patch and velcro straps.

Still though, the neoprene pad is kind of slippery on hair and makes the mask seem less secure. For example if I don't hold the back of the strap during a giant stride, it will slip off in back (plain rubber strap did not do that). Mask strap over hood eliminates that for me, and also eliminates general hair disarray when diving. Since I have not (yet) had a need to remove the hood mid-dive, there hasn't been a downside for my particular situation in having the strap outside a hood.

The hair situation when not diving with a hood remains to be completely solved. I now have a neoprene beanie to try.

I'm not saying no-one should wear the mask under the hood; just that the OP asked for reasons why people might not do it that way.

 

[diver_doug]

Actually, I have one of those, and use it all the time. But hair still gets caught in the little clippy adjustor things where the mast strap joins the mask.
Next I'm going to try the type that completely replaces the mask strap with a neoprene patch and velcro straps.

Still though, the neoprene pad is kind of slippery on hair and makes the mask seem less secure. For example if I don't hold the back of the strap during a giant stride, it will slip off in back (plain rubber strap did not do that). Mask strap over hood eliminates that for me, and also eliminates general hair disarray when diving. Since I have not (yet) had a need to remove the hood mid-dive, there hasn't been a downside for my particular situation in having the strap outside a hood.

The hair situation when not diving with a hood remains to be completely solved. I now have a neoprene beanie to try.

I'm not saying no-one should wear the mask under the hood; just that the OP asked for reasons why people might not do it that way.

Touché...I guess it would depend on how long/thick you're hair is; strap with neoprene pad is totally secure with short hair.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I don't think it's a big deal whether a diver chooses to wear the mask strap over or under the hood...so long as he/she can: (1) clear it in the event it gets fogged up or flooded and (2) replace with a backup mask in the event the original mask breaks.

For the most part, the people I've encountered who wear their mask under the hood are deathly afraid of taking off their mask underwater. I don't see that as a "healthy" reason. Practice mask remove/replace and mask clearing skills regardless of how you choose to wear your mask.