Venting a Hood

[undefined]

I am rather new to diving a hooded wetsuit, so this may be an obvious issue/question that has an easy resolution.

Last weekend I went out in my new Bare velocity semi-dry and had some issues with the integrated hood. Basically, the hood had a tendency to fill with air while at depth. The hood is 'vented' by three holes in the outer layer of neoprene, with an interior patch having three corresponding holes. I am assuming the two sets of holes (including the inner patch) are designed to prevent water penetration yet to allow air to pass out of the hood. Unfortunately, the speed at which the air exited the hood was not sufficient to expel the air before it had built to an intolerable level. My wetsuit hood was resembling a used prophylactic more often than not, and the added gas volume was enough to interfere with my buoyancy.

My question is what is the best way to increase the ventilation capacity properly? I'm reluctant to start poking additional holes in the wetsuit without reaching out to others who may know the best approach to do so without causing other issues in the process. While looking like "cone-head" might be amusing to my dive buddy, this is definitely not what I had in mind when switching to a hooded setsuit!

Other than this issue, the wetsuit performed quite well. I was down right toasty warm in 62F water, and I feel confident I could handle water well into the 50s without hesitation.

 

[diveandclimb]

I cut a few slits in the top of my hood and that did the trick although doing that might be a bit more painful with a several hundred dollar suit than it was for me with a $70 hooded vest.

 

[Teamcasa]

Heat a nail, push it through the hood. Two or three holes should do the trick.

 

[RJP]

Heat a nail, push it through the hood. Two or three holes should do the trick.

+1

Yup

 

[Dsix36]

soldering iron works even better!

 

[diver 85]

Heat a nail, push it through the hood. Two or three holes should do the trick.

Would a standard soldering iron(or gun) work the same??.....I did that when I burned a couple holes in my wing to put a couple sex bolts on my plate.....

 

[undefined]

OK. Soldering iron or hot nail seems to make sense. The other issue is that there are two layers (sort of an internal patch, and the external layer). Should the holes in the two layers match up directly, or would it be better to put holes in each layer separately and at an offset so that water does not penetrate as easily?