the old hood argument

    i used to hate hoods but find myself wearing it more and more (but only in this time of coolesst water),,i still despise it for all the same reasons, it sets me out of sync with everything else, its constricting, it lets boats sneak up on ya, you cant hear ur comrades screamin at you(becasue of a nice fish or worse if something is wrong) etc, etc. but it really does keep ya warmer. one thing ive noticed though is that when ascending from 25 feet or deeper the hood sometimes sucks so tight that my ears wont equalize properly. ill reach the surface and all of a sudden hear like a huge whine in my ears as they decompress, at least i assume thats whats happpening. has anyone else experienced this? i dont want to compromise warmth by cutting holes in the ear areas

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

    Get a metal coat hanger, heat it up and poke holes in the hood were your ears would be. Of course remove it before you do it. This should solve your problem

    I don't like the hole by the ears thing. You'll get water shooting in and sloshing around. Just let some water in by lifting the hood around your mask.


    A hood definately helps many reports say as muuch as %50 of heat escapes trough your head.

    Davie Peguero

    yeah that has been my best option so far is just pushing a finger up around the mask and everything goes to normal,, it aint so bad,,
    another question do most of yous guys wear ur mask over the hood or under,, id like to wear it over the hood but i always get leaks in the mask that way

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

    Over the hood. When you put the mask on, run your finger all around the inside of the hood. This pulls it out from under the mask skirt. Poking holes in your hood is rookie shit. Let some water in by gently tugging on both sides.

    Quote from Mariner

    Over the hood. When you put the mask on, run your finger all around the inside of the hood. This pulls it out from under the mask skirt. Poking holes in your hood is rookie shit. Let some water in by gently tugging on both sides.


    x2.


    You'll get used to it after a while. Then, you will not want to dive without it. ;)

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

    They had us poke holes in our hood (ears) for the Performance Freedive clinic. With water temps in the 50's, I was absolutely miserable. Like someone squirting you in the ear with watergun filled with ice water. :angry5:


    Thankfully I'm a gear whore and always over-pack. I scrambled back onto the boat & changed my wetsuit top out. ;)




    I think a pin-hole might be acceptable in warmer water, but using a hanger (or that f'kin cauterizing pen one of my classmates used on my hood) seems to make too big a hole.

    I did FII with Martin one month ago and he had the holes. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I forgot the holes until my 50' dive, reverse block all the way up! I went hoodless for the remainder of the course. I now have the holes and everythings fine. However, my suit I just bought has no hood, and every hood I try rubs my neck raw. I need something super soft but haven't found anything that works.

    Quote from Macdyver

    I did FII with Martin one month ago and he had the holes. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I forgot the holes until my 50' dive, reverse block all the way up! I went hoodless for the remainder of the course. I now have the holes and everythings fine. However, my suit I just bought has no hood, and every hood I try rubs my neck raw. I need something super soft but haven't found anything that works.


    Ya... I'm not sure why you had that problem. :confused1:


    I've done 100ft dives before, during, & after the class without holes in my hood with no problems. I don't know the physiology of it, so I won't offer any advice... but after experiencing the discomfort described above, I'll keep my hoods as-is. Unless someone offers a compelling reason to alter them, of course.

    Quote from Macdyver

    I did FII with Martin one month ago and he had the holes. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I forgot the holes until my 50' dive, reverse block all the way up! I went hoodless for the remainder of the course. I now have the holes and everythings fine. However, my suit I just bought has no hood, and every hood I try rubs my neck raw. I need something super soft but haven't found anything that works.


    Martin is such a rookie i cant believe he does that:rolleyes1:

    Quote from miamidiver

    Martin is such a rookie i cant believe he does that:rolleyes1:


    That's okay, he'll learn one day... :rolleyes1:




    Your sarcastic attitude aside, for most spearfishing depths, flushing a bit of water into the ear portion of the hood is more than enough to compensate. I understand the rationale for putting holes in one's hood, but a few dives in 46-48deg water... and most divers would be cursing the decision to preforate their suit. We're not diving near the target depths that some of these freedivers do just for warm-up...


    There's a lot that doesn't translate between pure freediving and general spearfishing. This is likely one of them.

    Quote from miamidiver

    Martin is such a rookie i cant believe he does that:rolleyes1:



    :laughing1:


    I took Martin's class 3 years ago.


    If all you're going to do is go up and down a few times vs. being in the water for 6-8 hours then go ahead and poke holes in your hood.


    If this is such a problem,why don't wetsuit hoods come with holes already in them?:rolleyes1:

    Yeah but the man's got some Cool Dogs.:thumbsup2: want to see a pic with that ROTT wearing a hood.:@
    Just kidding hope he finds a good new home.
    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    it is too biig, it let that nasty growth on the top of your neck protrude out,, i think it might be your head.
    the working the seal of the hood loose momentrily thing works fine and my ears go right away,, its jsut a hastle with speargun in one hand and anchor in the other,, no big deal though,, a little inconvinence is alot better than holes in the sides i think

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

    Quote from miamidiver

    Martin is such a rookie i cant believe he does that:rolleyes1:


    Probably Maritin perforates his hood but neither Herbert Nitsch, Umerto Pelizzari or Carlos Coste (just to mention the first 3 that come into my mind) do it. So probably is just a thing of (M.S.) personal preference.... :rolleyes1:


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNaGscqcyc


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhyj2VZGcFw


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjBF3Tal8vA


    214 meters (706 feet) is a "little bit" more than 50'. ;)

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

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