I'm looking to replace my old manual drysuit exhaust valve. I'd appreciate opinions on the value of different valves, especially the Apeks and the SiTech ones.
Thanks
Thanks
Question: Any opinions on the Apeks or the SiTech automatic drysuit exhaust valves
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PfcAJ
Contributor
I've had lots of problems with the sitech valves, they tend to leak. The apeks high profile is more reliable, imo.
I have a sitech valve installed on my suit. It seems I can never find a good setting. To hold any gas my valve needs to be 3 clicks from fully closed, but at that point it's too far closed to vent any air without manually pressing it. If the need ever comes for a new suit I'm going to try something different.
OP
Thanks, other forums love the SiTech and hate the Apeks (2008 & 2009 vintage posts), later posts on this thread also like the SiTech. It's leaving me confused - may be "luck of the draw" and both manufacturers have good ones and duds. Anyone have feelings on the SiTech neck ring system?
Last edited:
bs63366
Contributor
I have the Si-Tech neck ring system and I love it, so easy to change out a neck seal, never had any problems with it leaking and it lets you put a silicon neck seal on the suit as well.
I was advised in a similar manner, (AFTER I bought my suit). My suit has the lo-profile sitech valves and I have no issues. I was told that the earlier valves all leaked like sieves, but that they were changed and now DUI, (and others), assure everyone they are perfected.
Not quite. They still leak, however, if you have one that is watertight, (like mine), you're good to go and don't mess with it. If you have a leaker, send it in.
The wife and I have "His and Hers TLS350s", though they were bought a few months apart, (mine is older). My valve is tight as a drum, hers leaks. Hers is going back to get fixed.
When I get a new suit, I'm specifying the hi-profile valve. I can claim ignorance the first time, but not now.
Felipe Telles
Registered
My fiancee has sitech valves. She doesn't complain about it. I have a whites fusion with Apeks valve. It works great for me. Never leaked for me.
ajduplessis
Contributor
Both valves are great as long as you look after then. They start to leak if not cleaned/maintained properly.
Bob3
Contributor
A few years back Apeks did have a couple-few batches of funky valves that leaked like the blazes, especially when cranked all the way out. DUI shortly stepped up to the plate & started replacing the problematic ones installed on their suits.
Lately, within the past few years, there haven't been any "mass incidents" of Apeks exhaust leakage problems reported.
There's nothing like a good half-hour vinegar soak followed by rinse & a hefty blast of silicone spray (white milky looking food grade in a manual pump spray, not aerosol) to keep your valves clean & working the way they're supposed to.
Within the past 10 years we've started using a non-silicone spray, McNett's "UV Tech" with very good results.
Removing your valves is a LOT easier if your suit comes with "valve ports", a rubber mounting base plate, instead of being glued on with silicone bathtub caulk.
Quality of valves: SI Tech invented the adjustable exhaust valve, they've been in business the longest & overall have been the least problematic & most reliable valves. They're also the more expensive, with some of that being due to the exchange rates between a UK company vs the Scandinavian ones, who have much more robust economies & stronger currencies.
The single best exhaust valve out there is the Viking Hazmat exhaust which has an extra check valve inside. You can hold the button in all the way for an extended period of time & they still won't leak.
SI Tech makes them exclusively for Viking. They're also our #1 seller, with the vast majority being installed on DUI suits.
Lately, within the past few years, there haven't been any "mass incidents" of Apeks exhaust leakage problems reported.
There's nothing like a good half-hour vinegar soak followed by rinse & a hefty blast of silicone spray (white milky looking food grade in a manual pump spray, not aerosol) to keep your valves clean & working the way they're supposed to.
Within the past 10 years we've started using a non-silicone spray, McNett's "UV Tech" with very good results.
Removing your valves is a LOT easier if your suit comes with "valve ports", a rubber mounting base plate, instead of being glued on with silicone bathtub caulk.
Quality of valves: SI Tech invented the adjustable exhaust valve, they've been in business the longest & overall have been the least problematic & most reliable valves. They're also the more expensive, with some of that being due to the exchange rates between a UK company vs the Scandinavian ones, who have much more robust economies & stronger currencies.
The single best exhaust valve out there is the Viking Hazmat exhaust which has an extra check valve inside. You can hold the button in all the way for an extended period of time & they still won't leak.
SI Tech makes them exclusively for Viking. They're also our #1 seller, with the vast majority being installed on DUI suits.
My first drysuit was bought in 1999 and had a SiTech dump valve which never caused me any problems. I replaced the suit this year, my new suit had an Apeks low profile valve which leaked slightly and didn't dump air quickly enough (I don't use the suit for buoyancy and run it pretty tight, so it doesn't have to dump huge volumes of gas). I've replaced it with another SiTech valve which works completely unobtrusively. The high profile Apeks valves are reputed to be better than the low profile ones
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