Drysuit seal tackyness?

[Jaksonbrown]

Has anyone ever had their neck seal on their drysuit get suddenly tacky and want to stick together? I only have about 50 dives in my new DC drysuit and suddenly the neck seal is all tacky and feels really bad on my neck.

Anyone know of a good LDS that does neck seal replacement in the North Seattle area.

Thanks..

Cory

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, that's how my neck seals die -- they get flabby, sticky, and then they tear. I've had lots of suggestions on how to prevent it -- seal saver, washing the seal with detergent after every dive, avoiding storage where there is ozone or sunlight. But nothing really changes the fact that I get about 70 dives off a seal.

Matt at NWSD does a very nice job of neck seals, does it quickly, and isn't terribly expensive.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hey Cory ... welcome to ScubaBoard ...

50 dives isn't a lot for a neck seal, but what you describe is indicative of a latex breakdown that is going to require a replacement.

Gotta think about why it's dying that quickly. There's a few things that latex really doesn't get along with. Make sure you're cleaning and storing that suit properly ... not too close to a gas appliance that emits ozone, for example ... not where direct sunlight can catch it ... and definitely not anywhere you're storing gasoline, or where it's exposed to gas fumes.

Gonna have to get this one replaced ... but it's a good idea to find the cause of the breakdown and address it so you don't have to do it again in another 50 dives ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[grf88]

A couple of years ago the neckseal on my NexGen got tacky and started sticking to itself. I gave it a very liberal application of Seal Saver and it was still fine up unti I replaced my suit last fall. The NexGen is now a backup but I still have not had to replace the seal and I have loaned it out since then.

 

[boulderjohn]

Check out this thread for more information.

 

[Jaksonbrown]

Thanks for the replys. Im not sure why it is failing so quickly. It gets a good soak and rinse after every dive and is then hung up to dry. Anyway.. I guess it is gonna have to go. I am thinking about going to Neoprene neck seal. Can anyone recomend a good LDS that does the Neoprene seals? I know NWSD does not.

Thankyou.

 

[Dragon Eye]

do you use talc?

 

[Jaksonbrown]

do you use talc?

No...Never had it bother me until it started getting tacky... now it rips the crap out of my neck. Had to go to the old standby drysuit this weekend. My good old $600 buck Typhoon. Love that darn thing... If I had it to do over again,.. I never would have purchased my "custom fit" $1800 drysuit. The old Typhoon works just fine now that I am a more accomplished diver that can handle the extra volume the Typhoon has.

 

[TSandM]

Cory, I sent my suit back to Superior Drysuit Repair for the neoprene neck seal. I know Steve Gamble in Florida does them, too.

The thing with neoprene seals is that they really have to be sized correctly, because they do stretch significantly with use. If they're too tight, you can't get them on over your head; if they're too loose, then you won't get very many dives on them before they begin to leak.

I have the frequent neck seal replacement issue with latex, and tried neoprene, and I'm back to latex and just budgeting replacement three or four times a year. I, too, have tried everything recommended to lengthen the life of a seal, and nothing has made a difference (which is liberating, because now I don't do any of it any more ) I'm waiting for some reviews on the silicone seals and zip-type system to come out, and if they really work, that's my next try.

 

[Randy43068]

Has anyone ever had their neck seal on their drysuit get suddenly tacky and want to stick together? I only have about 50 dives in my new DC drysuit and suddenly the neck seal is all tacky and feels really bad on my neck.

Anyone know of a good LDS that does neck seal replacement in the North Seattle area.

Thanks..

Cory

It's going bad, sorry to say. Time for a new seal(s) ASAP