Neosport 5/3mm Neoprene Scuba Diving Bibbed & Vented Hood

I purchased an entire set of Neosport wetsuit gear to use for surf fishing so I'm going to review all the pieces together for comfort, fit, and function under these conditions. I like to wade out in rough surf when fishing in winter and waders are dangerous because they can fill up.I'm not connected to the company in any way, I just bought the bottoms first, liked them, and decided to go with a matched set.***FIT***Me: I am 5 foot 7 inches tall, and 165 lbs. I wear 30 inch inseam and 30 inch waist in pants, but my chest is 42 inches and I need a 16 1/4 inch shirt for my neck. I've lifted weights off and on for many years so my arms and legs are somewhat large. I need a 9.5 or 10 wide in shoes, depending on the brand and fit.Neoprene 7/5mm Vented Bib Hood: I bought an extra large hood and it fits fine. Just measure your head and use the size guide. The neck fits good as well with no constriction. There is a little gapping at the temples - where your face naturally curves in a bit - but I don't think this can be avoided.Neoprene 5mm Waterman Wetsuit Jacket: I went with a large 5mm for a couple of reasons. (1) I tried a medium in a different brand and the biceps and shoulders were too tight. I know wetsuits are supposed to be pretty snug but this was uncomfortable. (2) I have shoulder problems and am not as flexible as I used to be. I want to be able to take this jacket off and on by myself without a real fight. I'm using this for surf fishing, not diving, so if I get hot I want to remove it and then be able to put it back on if I get cold. It fits well in the leg portion, chest, and shoulders. It is definitely baggy in the stomach area so I wear a belt to keep it snugged up. The arms are a good fit but the wrists are little loose and definitely let water in. Basically, I'm a large in most places but a medium at the waist and wrists. This was the right choice for me because I've put it off and on at the beach several times without a problem. The neck opening will definitely let in a lot of water without a cowl/hood.Neoprene 5mm Waterman John Wetsuit: Medium in 5mm. Fits me great, but I can see that if you are tall - or just long of torso - you might need to order a size up. There's room enough in the crotch and the leg length is good, but the shoulder strap is pretty snug on my chest - but not uncomfortabley so. The ankle cuffs are snug. Waist is a little baggy for my 30" but with a belt it's fine.3mm Neoprene Glove: Medium fit well. I normally wear medium gloves and these fit as expected.Neoprene 7mm Hi Top Zipper Boot: 7mm Hi Top Boots in size 10. I usually wear a 9.5 wide but sometimes need a 10. these didn't specify a width so I went with the 10. They are actually too big and my foot moves around a lot. My feet get cold very easily so I ordered 2mm liner socks and they fit perfect with those.2mm Premium Water Sock: Size 8. Yep, size 8. The reviews are correct, they run big. 8 fits well and works pefectly with my boots.***QUALITY***So far, so good - for all it. I've taken the suit to the beach several times with no issues. I even walk across pavement in my boots and they seem fine. The beach is full of tiny, sharp, shells, and I sit and/or kneel frequently but the knees and elbows look new. I do rinse the whole suit very well with fresh water when I get home and leave everything hanging to dry. I've sweated a few times but no smells at all.***COMFORT***Not bad for what it is. If the fishing is good then I'm moving around a lot, and if it's slow then I'm sitting. No chaffing, blisters, etc. I do wear a long sleeve rash guard and extra long boxer briefs under the suit to protect my skin. My longest time is the suit has been 8 hours - and while I was ready to get out and take a shower, I still felt fine. The hood is the least comfortable. Very hard to eat, drink, or talk with it on over your chin - but it is what it is and wouldn't work if it were looser. I usually pull it down around my neck periodically for a break the put it back when I get too cold.***WARMTH***This is hard to quantify. I live in Florida, but get cold easily. In winter, our water temp can be as low as 55 degrees, but the air temp wil be in the 40s. I was comfortable on a day where the air temp was 42 degrees and the water was 62 degrees until the wind kicked up. 10-15 knot winds made my feet, hands, and face, cold but the rest was okay. I was actually better in the water because it cut the wind out. With the full suit I have 7mm on my head, 10mm on my torso and upper thighs, 5mm on my arms and legs, 3mm on my hands, and 9mm on my feet. With air temp in the 60s I'll wear just the bottoms and a waterproof jacket. I know this sounds ridiculous to northerners but Floridians are very delicate in the cold :-).***FUNCTIONALITY***It works for me. As the name implies, you will get wet - but I don't mind it. I got wet trying waders, dry tops, etc., as well, but then I stayed cold. You don't get soaked either, but water comes in through certain areas and spreads to others. If I go in up to my chest and don't stay too long, only my feet get wet. The large top has enough room for me to cast without a problem. I can cut bait, use snap swivels, and cast my conventional reels, in the 3mm gloves without a problem. I wouldn't be able to knots, though, and I don't use spinning rods. If I get hot, I just go in and let water in to cool off.But there is one advantage that outweighs all the others. The beaches in Florida have people on them all year around. Even in the winter, you'll have people collecting shells, families going for walks, happy Canadians in the water swimmimg like it's August - and there you are three cups of coffee into the day. The bathrooms are 15 minutes away and you have all your gear set up. You can either try to wait for break in the beach traffic (which may never come), or risk offending people (and possible arrest) by just going. Neither of these are good options for a 50 year old man. In the wetsuit, you just go and it rinses away the next time you go in the water. If you think I'm gross - you might be right - but ask any diver and/or surfer - it's just the way it is. I clean my suit when I get home and there are no stains and/or odors.***OVERALL***I'm happy with my decision both to use a wetsuit for fishing and to go with this brand and these models. If anything comes up with quality, etc. I'll update my review.

Disclaimer: I hate being cold and therefore I prefer SCUBA diving in warm oceans (80-85F) or alternatively being fully covered in anything less than 80F waters so that I don't get cold. The ocean temps for the Revillagigedos Archipelago in April/May were going to be down to the low 70's F so I wanted to be fully covered. I wore this hood, gloves, and a 3mm wetsuit with a 5mm core, and I was comfy diving 4x/day on an 8 day trip with the exception of one dive at Roca Partida where I did get cold and the water was 70F at the surface. This is my first hood with a vent and I really like it - it warms up the water between your head and the top of the hood when you dive and if you want to cool off, you just press on the vent and the warm water squishes out. About half of the divers on my liveabord on this trip wore semi-dry suits and the other half of us wore wetsuits. I tried on a few other people's hoods for comparison and I liked my hood (this one) the best. I think anything colder than 70F I will need a semi-dry suit with an attached hood, but for 70-79F temps, this hood with a wetsuit worked great.

I bought the 7/5mm version in size Large, because I previously bought the 5/3mm in Large, and I am satisfied with the product's quality and sizing.The reason I purchased the 7/5 item was to have a 2nd hood which would be dry on my second dive in cold water/air temps; I truly don't enjoy putting on a cold wet hood for a second dive while wearing a drysuit...Anyways, I found the 7mm hood, though the same size as the 5mm, fits quite a bit tighter, almost uncomfortably on my first few dives. I know I do not have a overly large melon, as most hats I wear I must tighten up quite a bit. I'm willing to keep it, I believe the hood will stretch out a bit to eventually be comfortable.For the cost, the hood is fine. No frills, zippers, linings; just a thick warm hood.Just be cautious if you wear a size Large, you may want to order the XL, as the 7mm Large is very tight, at least with the product I received.

I've only worn beanies before, but was concerned about being cold on this recent dive trip. This bib seemed snug in the throat when dry and at home, but was very comfortable underwater. I'm so glad I had it! It prevented that cold water going down the back of the suit. I really attribute my comfort on this trip (I get cold very easily) to this 5/3 bib and my 2.5 vest under my wetsuit. My husband who doesn't get as cold wore the 3/2 bib and was also very comfortable and happy.I plan on wearing this on future dives. It's stretchy and fits well. The vent seemed to work, as it didn't seem to have a pocket of air on top of my head.

Bought this when I was in dive school I still use it now for work. Good quality. comfortable.

This is a great hood for the price. I'm an extremely petite female and I was in between the XS and S, decided to go with the S and it fits fine, maybe a little extra room for my hair. The neck, however, is really loose. I used it last weekend and turns out that although the neck is loose, it worked fine when tucked under my wetsuit. The face hole might be a tiny bit too large for my face, as some of my hairs like to escape through it and causes a tiny bit of water to come through, but for what I'm using it for, it doesn't bother me. Satisfied with my purchase. Also, thanks NeoSport for not using plastic when shipping your products! A nice bonus for the ocean-health-weary among us.

I'm a beginning diver, and don't want to spend a lot of money on equipment because I don't get to go very often. I dive in southern California, so it doesn't get too terribly cold, and this hood works great. Definitely keeps the warmth in. My only complaint is that it also tends to keep the air in. Every few minutes, I'll notice that my hood has a bubble in it, and the vent in the top doesn't seem to take care of it. Not too big of a deal, though; I just tap my head to force the air out and it's good to go.