Best way to maintain or recondition latex seals

[tmassey]

Hello!

I have recently acquired an older drysuit. The seals are in OK shape: they're solid, but old. I've tried to research what I do to improve the condition and extend the life of these seals. There's a million threads on how to *replace* seals, but not much on what you can do to extend the life of latex seals. I'd rather maintain than replace!

I would like to hear whatever suggestions you have both for improving the current condition of the seals, as well as for maintaining their condition as long as possible.

Thank you very much!

 

[grf88]

I find Seal Saver to be very effective at extending their life. I have even used it to put life back into seals that have started to get a bit gummy.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Second on the seal saver by McNett.

 

[leftcoastjeff]

Gummy? oh no, IMHO their about done. Be very careful.

As far as I am concerned,Wash with mild soap, rinse, dry, then Corn starch (in a t-shirt bag)

Removing your skin oils from the latex will make them last longer. (your mileage may very)

UV and ozone also kills seals.

Seal saver is not my friend! Got to get it ALL off the whole suit to replace seals.

LCjeff

 

[D_B]

McNett UV Tech , It made my very dry and cracked wrist seals on my used/rental drysuit very pliable , it has no silicone, I use it on my zipper too (asked DUI and they say it's fine to use)
... or their Silicone Pump, it's 100% water soulble silicone (food grade) and will not affect any repairs if you wash it off with soap and water before hand

How old and cracked? well, when I got my suit, I could not move the zipper at all , and only after working it with Mcnett could I get it to move .. it did need a new zipper, but that's not McNett's fault

 

[tmassey]

Thank you for the info. The LDS sold me some McNett UV Tech Protectant and Rejuvenator. It looks like Armor All... I'll see about Seal Saver.

Any suggestions on reconditioning the zipper? I've got beeswax, but that's for lubrication, not so much reconditioning...

 

[Bubbletrubble]

When buying a used drysuit, one should expect to replace the latex seals. It's just something that needs to get figured into the cost of the suit.

Replacing the seals is very straightforward. Frankly, I think it's something that every drysuit diver should be taught to do. A new neck seal (or pair of wrist seals) costs about $30. Other items you'll need for the repair include: the proper adhesive for your drysuit material, sandpaper, some solvent, and a wallpaper seam roller. No big deal.

Others have mentioned the McNett Seal Saver product. I believe that Tribolube also has a product that works well. I don't use either of them. I just rinse with freshwater after the dive, air dry, and then dust with unscented talc.

Depending on the condition of the seal, one might be able to use duct tape to patch it together to get a few more dives in. As has already been mentioned, if the seal is getting gummy, it's time to replace it. Period.

For me, latex neck seals last about 1.5 years or 70-125 dives. My wrist seals tend to last longer. YMMV. Keep 'em way from ozone or else you'll be replacing latex seals more often.

For the zipper, I use nothing more than beeswax for lubrication. You can expect to get several hundred dives off of a new zipper. For a used drysuit, dryzipper replacement is probably the most expensive repair you'll encounter. Expect to pay about $300 for the repair ($120 zipper + labor costs).

What kind of used drysuit did you purchase? Sometimes used drysuits can be money pits...particularly if there are mystery leaks.

 

[D_B]

Thank you for the info. The LDS sold me some McNett UV Tech Protectant and Rejuvenator. It looks like Armor All... I'll see about Seal Saver.

Any suggestions on reconditioning the zipper? I've got beeswax, but that's for lubrication, not so much reconditioning...

Try the UV Tech, it will slide much better, and it will help the zipper seals ... but if there are chunks missing, or it's cracked .. your gonna need a new one ..like mine did


Neck/Wrist Seals?
If I need one, .. I'll just "zip" in a new one

 

[tmassey]

It seems that Seal Saver is 100% silicone. I've been told by lots of people that silicone makes it impossible to replace the seals, and that makes me nervous. I haven't heard of water-soluble silicone. That is an interesting possibility. More research!

 

[tmassey]

No cracks, tears, etc. The seals are solid--for now. The suit is old: it has not been dove in about 10 years, according to the previous owner. I was told that it is 100% dry (and I can get my money back if it's not). Of course, the seals are old, too. When stretched, the seals get grey, but not too badly. The zipper looks very nice.

It seems to me that there is some life left in this suit. It fits me very well, and it came with both fleece and quilted underwear. I think the deal is good, as long as I don't have to replace the seals immediately! I'm hoping to get a few dives out of it before then...

The seals are not gummy: they're not as dark and shiny as new seals, but they're very decent looking. I just want to do what I can to keep them that way.