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Gear: Hoods & Gloves

Shamus' Patented Wetsuit Fitting Technique

• Determine the type of hood you want to get. There are hoods with bibs that fit under the wetsuit, hoods attached to the wetsuit, and hoods that do not cover the neck.
• Thin gloves allow for great dexterity and feel, but do not provide much warmth. Thicker gloves keep your hands warmer, but make it difficult to manipulate small objects.

Jump in the pool to get a feel for how the hood will affect your equalizing and how gloves will affect your finger dexterity.

• Gloves should fit like a wetsuit, second-skin tight without cutting off circulation.
• Make sure you can flex your fingers and that the seam between each of the fingers fits snugly in the web of your fingers.

Other things to consider:

• Some gloves have protective pads of kevlar or other materials on the palms of the hands to help protect your hands while hunting lobster.
• Hoods can sometimes make equalizing difficult by covering the ear too tightly.
• Burb your hood if you get a buildup of air inside of it.
• Look for a hood that has a 'vent' in the top to release air buildups.

Care and feeding:

• Rinse your hood and gloves in clean, fresh water after every use.
• Use a 'stink remover' like Sink the Stink or Mirazyme to keep your equipment smelling good.
• You can wash your equipment in the washing machine (with some Mirazyme or Slosh cleaner) on the delicate cycle...Don't put it in the dryer though!
• Use Zip Care to lubricate your zippers every few dives.