Sharkskin Hood Review

The Sharkskin Hood offers a comfortable fit for warm water diving, but a missing crown vent and poor brand support make it a disappointing product I wouldn’t buy again.

By Tyler Allison · Updated July 2024
Sharkskin Titanium 2 Hood
Current role
Warm-water hood, modified with a crown vent
Still in my kit
Yes

The Short Version

The Sharkskin Hood is comfortable and functional once modified, but the missing crown vent is a serious oversight. Combined with my loss of trust in the brand, I would not purchase this hood again.

Would I buy it again? No, due to both the design flaw and lack of brand support.

What Works

  • Comfortable and well-designed fit
  • Ideal for warm water dives

What Doesn't

  • No vent on crown traps air and creates a cone head
  • Brand has lost my trust
  • Required DIY modification to fix flaw

Why I Chose the Sharkskin Hood

This was an easy choice when I wanted a lightweight hood for warm water diving that still offered full coverage. The fit is excellent, and the overall comfort level is high, with no tugging or restriction. It was the right tool for the job.

However, after my experience with the Sharkskin Titanium suit and poor customer service, I no longer support the brand and would not purchase Sharkskin products again.

Who It Makes Sense For

This item is best suited for:

  • Warm water divers who want a soft, comfortable hood
  • People willing to modify gear to correct manufacturing oversights
  • Divers who need lightweight coverage without bulk

It may not be ideal for:

  • Divers who expect vented hoods to work out of the box
  • Anyone concerned about Sharkskin's product support or quality control

What It Is Like to Dive

The hood performs reasonably well for warm water dives, but it has a significant design flaw: it lacks a vent on the crown of the head. This causes air to become trapped inside the hood while diving, creating a noticeable cone head effect. My wife had to sew a buttonhole into the top of the hood to allow air to escape. A product at this price point should not require DIY fixes to be usable.

Ownership and Value

The materials appear solid, but the missing crown vent undermined the product's usefulness until it was modified. I do not think that kind of fix should be necessary at this price. My experience with Sharkskin product quality and customer support also prevents me from buying it again.