Who dives dry with an integrated hood?

[RDP]

I am curious how many dry divers use integrated hoods. I understand why Public Safety people use them, but don't know why anyone else would use them. My suit has a built-in latex hood. It restricts my neck movement dramatically.

What I am looking for is a reason not to cut the hood off.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I'm anxious to see what others say. I've only used bibbed hoods in the past, and I don't like them. I've two brands, and on both I had a hard time getting the bib to lay flat enough to maintain the neck seal.

I think any water cold enough to warrant a full suit is cold enough to warrant a hood, due to the fact that you loose a lot of heat through your head. But I'm thinking of going with attached hoods in the future.

 

[vikingdrydiver]

I have a Viking suit with an attached hood and it's the only drysuit that I have ever used. Personally, I love the attached hood - it's lightweight and keeps me dry for the most part (especially when I use a ffm). It takes a little getting used to, but I was sooo glad to get rid of my heavy wet suit hood. I don't find that the hood restricts my head movement, actually I find it easier and less restrictive and I can hear people topside without taking my hood off.
It's also nice to be able to slide it back between dives and not be choked or have to pull it off entirely like I had to do with my wet hood.
I know it's a personal preference for some people, but all the divers I dive with have not cut theirs off (though one will use a neoprene hood sometimes b/c he gets cold easily - he just slides back the latex hood and uses a neo drysuit hood with no bib).

 

[aquaoren]

My old dry suit had an attached hood and neoprene neck seal (Poseidon Unisuit Exclusive). It was a pain in the butt. Always in the way when arranging the neck seal and not much warmer if at all than my new dry suit which has latex seals and a separate hood.