DIY Zipper Repair Questions

[rob.mwpropane]

So I have finally come to the point where my zipper is letting go and it's about time to start looking into how to replace it. The suit itself is only 7 years old and I think I have around 100-120 dives on it, but it was bought used, so throw another few on top. It is a Northern Diver neoprene drysuit with a BDM brass zip on the back. The length of the zip is 91cm.

I have tackled installing dry glove rings and a P valve into this suit, so I understand the gluing process... but has anyone done this? Backzip on a neo suit? Do you have pictures to share? Has anyone swapped from a brass BDM to plastic YKK zipper? Something tells me I should stick with brass, but that's just a hunch and maybe I can switch to plastic.. I really don't know. Seaskin still only sells the backzip with BDM brass, so there has to be something to that... I would think anyway.

Or maybe TiZip has worked out all of it's issues and they're good to go again?? I know they had a lot of problems a few years ago?

From what the YKK plastic zip it says that it has to be heat sealed, but I've watched videos where they glue and then just tape? This is from Seaskin; "The surface of these zips is designed to be sealed using hot-melt tape rather than neoprene tape and cold adhesive". What I would like to do is glue the zipper in and reinforce with tape
(if I went with a plastic YKK). If brass it's just glue and tape.. no other recommendations.

Just looking for any feedback.. maybe there's something I don't know to ask. Again I have done dry glove rings and the P valve, so I feel pretty confident I can do this.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

So here is some of what I have found out.. TiZip seems to have made a lot of progress since the earlier issues. Both TiZip and YKK are plastic, but YKK is supposed to be sewed in and heat sealed, but the heat seal can be applied with an iron (but I've been told neither of these is really needed, just need to reinforce with tape of the seams). TiZip on the other hand has 3 variations that I can find.. there's the regular stuff, masterseal, and superseal. I know that superseal is the best, but not sure if that means anything for what we do or would technically be "better".​

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YKK also makes the BDM brass zipper.​

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Now someone had linked a post by DRiS from a few years ago that stated that all the previous issues with plastic have been resolved.. but it was from like 2017, so I don't know what's changed since then. I need to find that link.​

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Interesting rabbit hole to fall down so far. If I was to swap out with a TiZip or BDM that seems easy enough... the YKK plastic looks a little more daunting.​

 

[tursiops]

Now someone had linked a post by DRiS from a few years ago that stated that all the previous issues with plastic have been resolved.. but it was from like 2017, so I don't know what's changed since then. I need to find that link.

Is this the link?

History of YKK plastic dry suit zipper problems?

scubaboard.com

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Is this the link?

History of YKK plastic dry suit zipper problems?

scubaboard.com

It's what Mike said but I had seen the thread that that excerpt came from. Lots of good info in there, although some confusion as well.

I need to read through all the other threads that were linked.

 

[tursiops]

I had seen the thread that that excerpt came from.

opinions on brass vs plastic dry suit zipper

Mrs Stoo and I both got new drysuits in the past couple of years... SANTI and Bare. Between the two of us, we have gone through four plastic zippers in about 170 and 60 dives respectively. By contrast, all of my previous 6 drysuits (over say, 40 years of diving dry) had brass back zips and in...

scubaboard.com

 

[joebob24]

So here is some of what I have found out.. TiZip seems to have made a lot of progress since the earlier issues. Both TiZip and YKK are plastic, but YKK is supposed to be sewed in and heat sealed, but the heat seal can be applied with an iron (but I've been told neither of these is really needed, just need to reinforce with tape of the seams). TiZip on the other hand has 3 variations that I can find.. there's the regular stuff, masterseal, and superseal. I know that superseal is the best, but not sure if that means anything for what we do or would technically be "better".​

Can anyone verify that the plastic YKK zipper needs to be hot melted in place? I tried to glue one in place a few weeks ago with the 'Drysuit glue' from dive right in and it completely fell out after 3 dives. I just reglued it a few minutes ago thinking that I just didn't prepare the surface well enough the first time around. Now I am worried I am going to be very wet again on my next dive.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Can anyone verify that the plastic YKK zipper needs to be hot melted in place? I tried to glue one in place a few weeks ago with the 'Drysuit glue' from dive right in and it completely fell out after 3 dives. I just reglued it a few minutes ago thinking that I just didn't prepare the surface well enough the first time around. Now I am worried I am going to be very wet again on my next dive.

I do not have experience with gluing a zipper (but I do with glue in general). I've just been told that they dont need to be heat shrink. Just use glue and tape the seams.

Did you clean and layer the glue multiple times? What type of suit? Tape the seams?

 

[Curious_George]

A couple of my group have just started testing some of these zippers from KIN. 10# TPU is less than $30 for a 34" and shipping for a box of zips is $30. Delivery took about a week and I bought 5 zips. After roughing up the surface, they seem to stick just fine with 3M weldwood contact cement (similar to DRIS contact cement at 1/4th the cost) and sealed with aquaseal. Less than 20 dives so far but no signs of separating from the suit. The KIN seems a little more slippery and rubbery than the YKK.

I have a YKK plastic zip sewn in my DUI and taped from the factory.

Unless a person has the heavy duty heat tape machine, I wouldn’t trust heat tape for my seams.

 

[Tracy]

A couple of my group have just started testing some of these zippers from KIN. 10# TPU is less than $30 for a 34" and shipping for a box of zips is $30. Delivery took about a week and I bought 5 zips. After roughing up the surface, they seem to stick just fine with 3M weldwood contact cement (similar to DRIS contact cement at 1/4th the cost) and sealed with aquaseal. Less than 20 dives so far but no signs of separating from the suit. The KIN seems a little more slippery and rubbery than the YKK.

I have a YKK plastic zip sewn in my DUI and taped from the factory.

Unless a person has the heavy duty heat tape machine, I wouldn’t trust heat tape for my seams.

As an FYI. Weldwood gets very stiff in cold temperatures. Try Pliobond 25 next time if you dive in sub freezing temperatures. It works the same, but doesn't change with temp.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

As an FYI. Weldwood gets very stiff in cold temperatures. Try Pliobond 25 next time if you dive in sub freezing temperatures. It works the same, but doesn't change with temp.

Can you get that easily like weldwood?