Diving hood Waterproof H1 - review

Recently, we got our hands on Waterproof’s flagship hood – the H1. The model has several variants, depending on what type of diving, in what conditions and with what equipment configuration (dry/wet) we would like to use it. We had the opportunity to get to know the H1 5/7 mm, which seems to be most suitable for the conditions prevailing in Poland.

-- Advertisement --

During every dive, even in the warmest waters, our body gets chilled. Thanks to appropriately selected equipment, we are able to minimise the loss of heat, which makes our dives longer and more comfortable. On the map of our body, the head plays an extremely important role, as the comfort and time in which the rest of the body cools down largely depends on its thermal comfort. Therefore, it is important for us to have a well-chosen hood which, apart from being comfortable, will provide us with proper insulation.

When you take it out of the box (which in itself is already quite a well-thought-out and well-made product), two things immediately catch your eye. The first is the high quality of the neoprene used. If you have been working in the diving world for a few good years, you will surely know what I am writing about. Pleasant to the touch, flexible, but giving the impression of durability. The second is the crowning glory in the form of a great finish.

I haven’t had too much experience with Waterproof products, apart from just the hoods. Always solid, comfortable and well finished. They stood out from the competition and if it wasn’t for the fact that price was a priority at the time, I’d probably have at least one well-worn piece behind me today.

All variants of the H1 hood have the same, double HAVS – Hood Air Venting System. Depending on the thermal conditions in which we will dive, we can choose from 4 versions of the hood. For warm waters 3/5 mm, a very versatile 5/7 mm, 5/10 mm for very cold waters and the H1 Ice Hood acting in fact as an ice mask. The dimensions of the hood’s thickness are broken down to the fact that the face is thinner than the rest of the hood in order to increase our comfort even more.

In each model you will find the same high quality finish. The collar and face piece have a smooth finish on the inside, which significantly increases comfort, both when dressing and when using the hood. The whole thing is topped off with a reflective Waterproof logo with the well-known walrus.

The hood was tested in various conditions. It travelled an interesting path between the Masurian lakes, diving in the Baltic Sea and the Swedish Tuna Hastberg mine. Everywhere it performed as expected, with no problems in water temperatures of 5-6ºC.

H1 5/10mm Polar Evoluted

Extremely warm hood dedicated to Arctic zones with extremely cold water. Very comfortable due to the extremely flexible neoprene.

– Anatomical 3-D shape
– Smooth seal
– HAVS ventilation system
– Highly flexible I-Span neoprene
– Reflective logo

Available sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL

H1 3/5mm and 5/7mm with flange

– Anatomical 3-D shape
– Smooth seal
– HAVS ventilation system
– Highly flexible I-Span neoprene
– Reflective logo

Available sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL

H1 3/5 and 5/7mm without flange

– Anatomical 3-D shape
– Smooth seal
– HAVS ventilation system
– Highly flexible I-Span neoprene
– Reflective logo

Available sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL

H1 ICE HOOD

It is 2mm thick and comes in one universal size. It is very stretchy and flexible and protects, apart from the head, all parts of the body in contact with water. It has only holes for fitting the mask and mouthpiece of our automaton. Both holes can be trimmed according to the profile of our equipment.

– Anatomical 3-D shape
– Smooth seal
– HAVS ventilation system
– Highly flexible I-Span neoprene
– Reflective logo

Available sizes: Universal

Source: Manufacturer