Best Hood that doesn't squeeze my head like a ripe melon

[flymolo]

K01 hoods are pretty comfortable. 5mm and 8mm.

+1 for K01

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I use the 8mm K01 for cold water dives. Like 38 degree water temps and my head is toasty. It also fits well.
And at $140 for a hood, I'd be upset if it didn't!

 

[Viper12161]

Just an update, I ended up going with the Waterproof H1. Was going to go the custom route, but I really wanted to be able to try on and see how it fit. My LDS had the H1...dove with it the other day...man SOOOOO comfy!!!!!! Thanks to everyone for the input!!

 

[Storker]

Waterproof brand.

Seconded.

IMO Waterproof's hoods are the bee's knees, the wasp's nipples, the entire set of erogenous zones of every major flying insect of the Western world. I have one 7/5 mil and one 10/5 mil. The 10/5 is my winter diving hood and snug enough that my jaw muscles get a little sore after a couple hours wearing it. Which is as it should be when the water is ~4C and you want minimal water circulation inside the hood. The 7/5 is half a size larger and is the one I'm using most of the year.

I've sold my Waterproof drysuit, but the hoods you'll have to pry from my cold, dead hands.

 

[Steve_C]

Are you sure the size is correct. Head size is not the same as suit size. I wear LS or L in wetsuits. I weat an XL in a hood. Same with hats. Many hats are too small for me.

 

[Degenerate]

Seconded.

IMO Waterproof's hoods are the bee's knees, the wasp's nipples, the entire set of erogenous zones of every major flying insect of the Western world. I have one 7/5 mil and one 10/5 mil. The 10/5 is my winter diving hood and snug enough that my jaw muscles get a little sore after a couple hours wearing it. Which is as it should be when the water is ~4C and you want minimal water circulation inside the hood. The 7/5 is half a size larger and is the one I'm using most of the year.

I've sold my Waterproof drysuit, but the hoods you'll have to pry from my cold, dead hands.

I'll second this, the H1 7/5mil is a great hood, I've used mine down to 4C (39F) for dives ranging 30-50 mins and it was fine.
Maybe a 10/5 would have been slightly better, but my head didn't freeze.
If I suddenly were to misplace mine I would be coming for your cold dead hands to pry away yours, it truly is that great.

 

[stuartv]

I have heard great things about the K01, but I haven't tried it. Yet.

I have hoods from ScubaPro, Bare, Seasoft, and Fourth Element. All of my hoods are the drysuit style, so there is no skirt to futz with or try to tuck into my wetsuit.

The Bare Ultrawarmth 7/5 drysuit hood is my favorite, by far. It is so stretchy it is super comfortable. It seals well yet it's the only hood I have that does not give me jaw fatigue.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

I have heard great things about the K01, but I haven't tried it. Yet.

I have hoods from ScubaPro, Bare, Seasoft, and Fourth Element. All of my hoods are the drysuit style, so there is no skirt to futz with or try to tuck into my wetsuit.

The Bare Ultrawarmth 7/5 drysuit hood is my favorite, by far. It is so stretchy it is super comfortable. It seals well yet it's the only hood I have that does not give me jaw fatigue.

Good point. OP, decide whether you want bib or bibless. Personally I don't like or need a bib, but maybe that's just me ( and @stuartv ). Often see people with bibs flipped up adding zero thermal protection and just getting in the way.

 

[stuartv]

Good point. OP, decide whether you want bib or bibless. Personally I don't like or need a bib, but maybe that's just me ( and @stuartv ). Often see people with bibs flipped up adding zero thermal protection and just getting in the way.

Yes, I recently also got a Bare Ultrawarmth hooded vest. If I want more than just a hood (with no bib/skirt), I put that on over my wetsuit. But, really, I have only used it once so far and that was only because I was diving a lake where some dives were only going to be above the thermocline where it was quite warm, so I wanted to wear a thinner wetsuit, but then I knew I'd do at least one dive where we went down and hung around below the thermocline (where it was mid-50s temp). Using the hooded vest made it feasible to use one wetsuit all day and be comfortable for all my dives.

Normally, though, a day's diving is going to either be warm or cold and I just wear the right wetsuit or drysuit, with a hood as needed, and don't really have a need for the hooded vest.

 

[davehicks]

Didn't see this mentioned so I will give a shout out for Zippered Hoods. My wife has a lot of hair and it works much better for her to be able more easily pull on the hood and zip it up snug after.