Seal Maintenance

[boulderjohn]

In the past, Whites has been very clear about latex seal maintenance: use Seal Saver regularly.

I have heard that this advice has recently changed to a liberal use of talc instead.

Can I get an official response on this.

 

[Dogfish Doug]

Hey John, we do still promote the use of seal saver on a regular basis when it comes to latex seals for a couple of reasons. First using seal saver will help maintain and extend the life of your seals by allowing it to stay flexible. Plus it is a lot less measy and easier to apply than talc. Secondly it makes donning and doffing the suit easier by lubricating the seals making it easier to slide through the sticking points on the wrists and neck, also helping to avoid the dreaded rolling effect.
Hope this helps John.
Thanks Doug.

 

[tomdell]

How Seal Saver interacts with Apollo BioSeals?
I one used Seal Saver on my latex seals (on DUI drysuit) and they virtually disintegrated. So since I stick with baby powder.
How often you have to use SEal Saver on latex seals?
Thanks a lot.

 

[Dogfish Doug]

Hey tomdell,
I can't speak regarding other seals on the market as I am personally not familiar with them. However on my own suit (Fusion Tech)I use seal saver after every second or third dive before the suit goes away for storage, allowing the seal saver to soak in, applying it before the dive will diminish the desired effect. Eventually they do wear out, I have just over 300 dives on mine and have replaced the seals once. I also use my suit for some commercial work so the water I dive in is not always pleasant and any pollutants in the water will wreak havok on them.
Hope this helps.
Doug.

 

[divedry1956]

Hey Tomdell,
Whites doesn't use a traditional latex seal on their suits, but a polyurethane U.V. resistance latex that has when new a tear resistant like property. They are longer lasting, seal saver loving and don't go gummy and break down after 6 months when properly store and looked after. To answer your question about Apollo bio seal I can't answer for Apollos recommendations on treating bio seals with seal saver but they are however made of a soft, super-stretchy polyurethane based material which would lead me to believe you could use it safely. Check with Apollo to be sure. Apollo Sports: Dive Gear

Cheers,

 

[boulderjohn]

I asked my question for a reason.

I bought a Fusion when they first became available, before the dive shop with which I am associated (now a Whites dealer) had their first suits in stock. I knew little about things, and I did little to preserve my seals for the first year (nearly) that I owned the suit. My chief influence was a DUI owner who said that at our altitude (way more ozone), you need to replace seals pretty much annually.

Near the end of my first year of ownership, my seals were not looking all that good. I was then that I got the gospel according to Seal Saver. I started dosing my seals regularly. I had to send in my suit for some other repairs, and the wrist seals were replaced, although I am not sure they needed it. They looked OK to me. I have been dosing them since they were replaced, and they look as good as new. My neck seal, which is the original one, has been dosed with Seal Saver many times, and it looks better now than it did when I first got the word, which was more than a year ago.

I have learned that the talc message to which I referred originated with a Whites rep who suggested it our shop personnel as a way of dealing with the dry rot they were experiencing with their stock, especially with the hazmat suits.

 

[divedry1956]

Hey Boulderjohn,
You bring up a very valid and often debated question. If you talk to anyone at Whites head office they will preach to use seal saver because of the type of seals and seam construction we use on our suits. If you talk to older generation dry suit reps or other manufactures whom are used to seeing 100% latex seals and a glued seam/constructed suit they will almost always preach talc, and to never use products that are silicone based. One because it reacts with some latex and quite often the glues that hold the suit together. With Whites Seam Fusion Technology and the polyurethane materials used we don't run into such issues. Using talc on a seal will keep it from sticking to itself but doesn't really do anything to condition the seal and protect it against things like the oils from your skin, U.V., Ozone and common things seen to break down and shorten the life of your seals. Also after your first dive and getting ready for your second dive talc gets messy and is difficult to reapply, seal saver once applied pre dive will usually last and stay slick for a couple of dives. I hope this helps!

Cheers,
-Eric-

 

[jridg]

I have nearly 100 dives on my fusion and one of the wrist seals is starting to degrade (I plan on replacing this week) - I use seal saver after every outing, yet still experienced some degradation. Granted, I have had the suit for over 18 months and I actually look forward to the replacement as I want to see how easy it is to do with the White's products.

How do you feel about Tribolube SC (as recommended by DRIS)?

 

[tomdell]

Thanks a lot, guys.
Jridg, could you please, write up on DIY seal replacement. I sent my Fusion for seals replacement to Melbourne (I live in Australia) , it costed me 250 dolars with my own seals and I am not looking forward to do it again. I asked Whites to enlighten me but did not get a reply. Unfortunately, my 64-bit Internet does not support flash player so I cannot watch flash videos .
All the best.

 

[jridg]

I just finished replacing one of my wrist seals - I ordered these:

Dry Adhesive Drysuit Latex Wrist Seals - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

Mike was very helpful in allaying my fears.

Step 1 - ensure you have some MEK, an iron, a roller (I used a wallpaper seam roller), a heat gun (I have a Wagner heat gun with med and high settings - I used med), a form to keep the sleeve filled while you work (I was able to use a steel water bottle) and some sharp scissors.

Step 2 - turn the sleeve inside out - trim the old seal down to about 1/2 inch remaining. insert the form and pull the neoprene 'sleeve' from the end down along the form so it doesn't get in the way.

Step 3 - plug in the iron and set it to medium. Clean the remaining old seal and area the tape will contact with MEK - use a lint free cloth - then clean the tape as well (I trimmed the tape so that just a small area would overlap - they provide plenty to ensure you have enough). Use the paper backing that comes with the tape and iron the tape onto the old seal area. I did a fairly good job of keeping the tape on something (the old seal or the factory tape) work slowly - as you go, the tape adheres to the suit and it get easier - make sure you ONLY iron on the backing paper so you don't mess up the tape. You can use the roller to ensure it's mostly adhered - remember you will re-heat when you apply the seal, so it'll be ok.

Step 4 - wait at least 10 minutes -then clean the new seal where it will adhere (remember it's inside out) - clean the tape where it will adhere as well. Then place the seal over the tape on the form (my water bottle, your whatever). It will stay in place fairly well, just don't mess with it too much.

Step 5 - I got my heat gun and set it to medium - use a circular motion so you don't burn the seal - heat it up a bit at a time - I used the roller fairly often to ensure things were seating together well. I slowly worked my way around the entire seal - using the roller every couple of inches. Then I went around again - and then again - I really wanted to ensure I had a good seal.

Step 6 - put everything away - let the seal cool - wait 10 minutes or so - turn it all rightside in and check the seal. I put it on and used a bucket full of water to ensure no leaks.

Total time - perhaps 30-45 minutes

I also ordered wrist seals that were appropriate for my wrists - so I don't have to trim! Bonus!

Final step - use some tribolube SC and keep using it (or seal saver or whatever you use to preserve).