Hooded vests

[Dogbowl]

This post is a spinoff of this thread:

Teach me about the hood

I did not want to hijack that thread so started a new one. People were recommending hooded vests and I got curious.

I heard hooded vests were good for added warmth over a 3, 5 or even 7mm wetsuit. How does sizing work? I’m assuming one needs to go up a size ? Like if I’m a size 10 in my full suit, I’d need to get a size 12 hooded vest, assuming I’m a woman (hence women’s sizing) and both suits were made from the same manufacturer, to accommodate the added thickness of the first full suit layer?

What thickness should this hooded vest be?

I also heard from a DM that hooded vests were horrible to get on and off. She always required someone else to struggle it off her. Has that been your experience?

 

[Scuba J7]

Sizing on you vest is going to depend on how you want to wear it. I’ve got enough stretch in my 7mm to wear it under the wetsuit and the sizing is the same for me (both medium). A dive buddy of mine had to go a size up with his vest and wear it on the outside. I’d recommend trying them on with your wetsuit.

Thickness is going to be preference mine is a 2/3 that I wear under a 7/5 wetsuit, if I need thicker, I’m just going to dive dry.

Yes sometimes they can be challenging to put on or remove, there is a thread around here about someone having a “close call” in a changing room with a hooded vest.

 

[Scuba J7]

Here’s the close call thread

Close call in the dressing room

 

[Dogbowl]

Here’s the close call thread

Close call in the dressing room

51 pages of hilariousness. Still reading...

 

[Dogbowl]

Maybe a front zipped hooded vest???

 

[MikeT73]

A properly fitting vest shouldn't be any more difficult to don/doff than your wetsuit. My wife owns one and prefers to wear it underneath her 7mm. She is cold natured and gets chilly after 40 minutes or so in our springs (72F). The vest and head protection make a big difference for her. If you have a good LDS, bring your current wetsuit with you and try on a few in your preferred configuration. If you do end up with some difficulty in the field, prepare in advance a small spray bottle with baby shampoo diluted with water to help ease it on. Best of luck.

 

[Trailboss123]

I have always worn mine underneath my wetsuits. I prefer the 3mm chest and 5mm hooded vest combo. I get the size that fits me best and have had no problem using it with my 3mm, 5mm or 7mm wetsuits. They all go over the vest without a problem. I don't have any problem getting out of mine, but there was a slight learning curve as to how to best do it. I do an initial pull up and get the vest from sticking to my torso and then I pull my right arm in and chicken wing the vest off. My wife has an Aqua Lung hooded vest made specifically for women and it has a zipper on the right side that runs from the bottom of the vest to about 1/2 way up the torso, which eases donning and doffing.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

I wear my 7/5 (hood/chest) hooded vest under my 7mm wetsuit as well, and that makes a world of difference in water in the low 50s/high 40s. If it were over the wetsuit, seems logical that cold water would have an easier time coming in the armholes and then making its way up to the back of my neck and then down my back. If the hooded vest is under the wetsuit, the path for cold water to get down my back is more difficult. I find this set up to be waaaaay better than wearing a 7mm hood with my 7mm wetsuit.

As for sizing, I haven't found that it changes the fit of the wetsuit any -- it squishes my less solid bits some, so I suspect I'm about the same size with it as without.

Yes, I find it difficult to get on by myself, but not too much of a struggle to get off. I usually have to ask some poor soul to pull it down over my sweaty back while I apologize for grossing them out. But I'm a man, so maybe body geometry would change things for you.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

I'll add that my only other wetsuits are a 3mm full and 3mm shorty. I haven't yet tried this, but if I were cold in my 3mm, I suspect using the 7/5 hooded vest with it would bridge the gap pretty well.

 

[Neilwood]

51 pages of hilariousness. Still reading...

There are some wonderful lessons to be learned in that thread!