Otter bay hood with/without neck skirt?

Hi all,

I am finally going to order my otterbay hood but have just one question before I do. I use the DUI 7mm hood with neck warmer. The original DUI hood was 7mm in the head and skirt, a lot of divers didn't like the dificulty in tucking in 7mm into the neck seal.

With the revision from DUI because of so much feedback to make a better one, they made the skirt 3mm while keeping the hood a comfortable 7mm with a really nice soft elastiprene.

Having said that I've been very happy with my hood up until I started diving doulbes. I've been feeling just a little colder than usual and spoke about it to my diving friends. They suggested the Otter hood which I'm happy to get.

Is there any feedback to any divers out there that have tried neck hood warmer vs no neck warmer with traditional hoods?

I'm trying to see if the massive 12mm on the head will keep me warm enough to avoid the cold draft that hits a lot of divers on their necks. I have spoken to a lot that talk about this cold draft, they don't have neck seal warmer hoods.

They only pain is having to ask your buddy to tuck in the neck warmer. No big deal but it's sometimes really nice to see the otterbay team get ready and never require assistance for the hood.

I really do appreciate the feedback before I order my hood.

Thanks,

MG

i saw a couple of these things this weekend and they appear to be super warm. maybe too warm for me. I just ordered a custom nitrogen blown hood from another manufacturer. perhaps when I get mine we can compare notes.

the new santi double hoods look neat as well.

The other bay does actually wind up being long enough to flare a bit at the base, so it isn't like your neck is bare

ok since wetwear saw this I figure I'll post an update
hood came today. pretty sure I ordered this thing last thursday and it's here already lol

I had them lower the forehead a tad from what they normally do. I'm pretty happy with that. it should overlap my mask skirt like my dui does



seems to fit pretty good. that g-231 neoprene is serious business! the neck might be a tad long. i may have cocked up that measurement. I'll dive it this weekend or next and see how it does

Litehead,

Thanks for sharing your pic and please give use an update...

My Otterbay 12mm hood doesn't tuck in. But it's long enough so I rarely notice any cold on my neck.

this one was the short neck version. but I think perhaps it may not be quite short enough. we'll see how it does in the water

I don't know of anyone who has the Otter Bay with the flared neck option. I have seen numerous DUI hoods do a "shakespearean ruffle" by the end of a dive though (and know of a few people who have trimmed the neck warmer off their DUI hood).

I just got my first Otter Bay as well, it's sitting in my dive box awaiting its first dive.

Edit: the neck of the non-skirt version is actually quite long, a centimeter or so longer than the length of my actual neck in fact. I've had to help buddies "untuck" the neck after donning on a few occasions, so I don't think I'll be suffering from inadequate neck protection.

No flare, not necessary. Cricket builds the dry hoods properly, your neck won't have a cold spot with the standard dryhood neck.

Gombessa:

I don't know of anyone who has the Otter Bay with the flared neck option. I have seen numerous DUI hoods do a "shakespearean ruffle" by the end of a dive though (and know of a few people who have trimmed the neck warmer off their DUI hood).

Click to expand...

I trimmed off my DUI neck warmer; all it did was get in the way.