Neo seal vs Latex

[SubMariner]

How often do neoprene seals need to be replaced on average?

Frankly, it depends on how much wear & tear you put on them. IMHO they withstand more abuse over a much longer period of time than latex: they are simply tougher.

I've only heard that they need to be replaced/repaired by the factory
but not what actually causes them to tear. Do they only tear or get damaged after many many cycles of use?

You can repair/replace them yourself. For repairs all it usually takes is some aquaseal. I've never had to replace them.

Have fun,

 

[Snowbear]

Any comments gratefully received.

Sounds like whoever you bought the ebay special from has a bigger neck than you.

If the seal is too big, it's pretty much guaranteed to leak whether it's latex or neoprene. Needless to say, it will get worse as it stretches You should be able to get it replaced with one that fits you better... When I had KME do my first suit, they made the seal based on my scrawny neck measurement.

 

[dbulmer]

Snowbear,
Thanks for replying earlier.

 

[jonahfab]

It also doesn't leave my neck looking like a suicide attempt by hanging or murder attempt by ligature (yes I was asked :11: )

How tight were you wearing it? If latex seals are cut properly they are great, very comfortable and good seal. The one disadvantage to them though is that they are not as durable.

 

[Snowbear]

How tight were you wearing it?

Not as tight as the current one.
It has to do with irritation from the salt water.
If I use SealSaver rather than talc to lubricate the seal EVERY dive, it's not so bad.

 

[jim T.]

Thanks Submariner for your response and info.
Jim

 

[oldpeanut]

Unlike the others I'm not happy with my neoprene neck seal. My suit was an ebay special (but brand new) Bare Trilam HD. It has fold under neoprene neck and wrist seals.

The wrist seals are just about ok unless I do so extreme excursions with my hands/wrists.

However the neck is a different story. I've done a grand total of 5 drysuit dives ( 3 outdoors and 2 pool dives), and every time I've got wet, primarily water running down my back. The problem seems to have become worse as the seal has stretched a bit.

Note that I didn't do anything to overstretch the seal, and I followed the donning instructions to the letter.

In particular I notice that when I tip my head forward (usually to look at my SPG, which is clipped to the left D ring on my Transpac), I get a shot of water down the back of my neck.

I've come to the conclusion that skinny people and these seals don't seem to mix too well (I'm 6' and 175 lbs). At the moment the only things I can think of are either changing it out for a latex seal or cutting a chunk out of the neck seal and rebonding it to tighten it up. I've read of some people using bungee or shock cord to tighten the seal, but that seems a bit dangerous to me (if the cord fails).

Any comments gratefully received.

I have dove with a neoprene drysuit with neoprene neck seal (fold in) and wrist seals (push thru) for about 250 dives. The neoprene neck seal although warm and comfortable had never really kept me totally dry, especially when I turned my head upward or sideward. When my neoprene wrist seals worn out, I replaced my neck seal, wrist seals with latex ones. I have done about 50 dives with latex seals and they are perfect to keep me dry even with a lot of head movement (shooting u/w pictures with upward angles).

Terry

 

[captndale]

I have been diving dry since 1978. I have used both neoprene and laytex neck seals on many different suits on many hundreds of dives.

Laytex seals do a better job of sealing out water but do not last as long. Laytex seals are usually made somewhat conical in shape and are fitted for the individual by trimming to the proper diameter. They usually fail by tearing, which means a repair before diving the suit again.

Neoprene seals tend not to be as watertight as laytex but are more comfortable to wear both in and out of the water. Neoprene seals are usually fitted by stretching them out over something like a tank until they fit the user. They stretch more over time. Usually the failure mode is stretching so much that they no longer are very watertight. Since this is gradual, you usually will not miss a dive from it, but you may be very damp for many dives before you decide to do something about it. Replacing a neoprene seal can be put off by making the seal smaller. You simply cut out a "v" shaped section and glue it back together with neoprene cement to make it smaller. Replacing a neoprene seal is a bit more difficult than replacing one made of laytex.

Overall, I prefer laytex seals because they are drier. But then, I have a back-up suit, and I can change my own seals overnight if I have to.

 

[TSandM]

Usually the failure mode is stretching so much that they no longer are very watertight. Since this is gradual, you usually will not miss a dive from it, but you may be very damp for many dives before you decide to do something about it.

This is the precise description of what has happened to my latex neck seal.

Those who say neoprene neck seals leak more, what kind of conformation do you have? In other words, is this more likely to happen with a scrawny neck or a heavier one, or is there any difference? I have a scrawny neck with prominent tendons, and I do have to say that my latex seal kept me quite dry for the first 20 dives or so . . . it's been downhill from there.