Drysuit care

[Yoyoguy]

I have read many different threads on drysuit care and how to store the drysuit. Some is good info while others seem almost conflicting. I am getting a second hand bare trilam hd drysuit with latex seals (currently has about 80 dives on it from old owner and appears in good/great condition...only minor, not major, fading of the black in the suit itself...no dry rot or cracking of the seals). Looking for what most will do for care and maintenance. I already purchased some of the UV protector from piranha scuba. I have read to ONLY apply this to the seals and not the suit itself. Is this true? Also heard to use talc on the seals. Is there anything that should be applied to the suit material itself? I do have the wax stuff for the zipper as well. Thanks all.

 

[Doc]

A bit off base, but I stashed one in a film vault used for preservation of motion picture reels. It's hermetically sealed and flooded with an inert gas. Still pliable after 15 years, so I sold it and moved to Roatan where it's predictably 82 degrees.

 

[victorzamora]

I like using the McNett seal reconditioner stuff. Should help your seals be a little safer (longevity-wise). Seal lube wouldn't hurt, either if you're afraid of them tearing. I wouldn't hit the suit itself with anything, though. Maybe call Bare if you're really worried.

 

[macado]

After diving I rinse my suit and all seals with fresh water. Sometimes I will use little bit of hand soap to remove any grease or contaminants from seals but that's usually not needed.

Let the suit dry thoroughly before storing (otherwise you could get mold and bacteria) and then I apply talc to wrist and neck seals. Nothing else needs to be done for the material on the suit provided you rinse it with fresh water.

Make sure you inspect the zipper and that there is no salt deposits, dirt or sand on it and then clean, lube/wax, if appropriate. I store suit with zipper open as recommended by most manufacturers. This will help dry the suit inside and also prevent more wear and tear on the zipper by opening and closing an additional cycle.

Make sure to keep the suit directly out of the sun; It will damage the latex seals. Direct sunlight (UV) is the enemy of latex and break down the seals.

Try to store somewhere climate controlled. If you're storing in basement, fumes from the furnace or ozone from appliances will also break down seals too.

 

[Yoyoguy]

I like using the McNett seal reconditioner stuff. Should help your seals be a little safer (longevity-wise). Seal lube wouldn't hurt, either if you're afraid of them tearing. I wouldn't hit the suit itself with anything, though. Maybe call Bare if you're really worried.

thanks! One other question, I know seals and the zipper will eventually need to be replaced...even if you take super care of them...how long will a trilam suit itself last, not including fading or rips/tares? Does the trilam material itself breakdown OR as long as you do proper drying and storage will like last years upon years...maybe decades? Just curious as the suit I got second hand is from the 2006-2009 time frame, has only had 80 or so dives on it. Just a touch faded and seals look great. Hopefully it will last me at least 3 years. The reason I ask is, when the neck seal fails, if this suit will last me a long time....id pay to have the sitech neck ring installed but if the suits themselves don't last then id just start saving for a new suit.

 

[rivers]

learn to replace your own seals. it's dead easy and fairly inexpensive. my wrist seals took me a grand total of 1:20. My neck seal took maybe 90 minutes. i'm not super crazy about drysuit care. if i've been sea diving, it gets a fresh water soak when i get home, then it stays put and dries in the bath tub until the following week. if i've been in freshwater, i just put it, along with the rest of my kit, in the bathtub to dry. i dive every week though

 

[eelnoraa]

learn to replace your own seals. it's dead easy and fairly inexpensive. my wrist seals took me a grand total of 1:20. My neck seal took maybe 90 minutes. i'm not super crazy about drysuit care. if i've been sea diving, it gets a fresh water soak when i get home, then it stays put and dries in the bath tub until the following week. if i've been in freshwater, i just put it, along with the rest of my kit, in the bathtub to dry. i dive every week though

Most definitely. No matter how good you are to latex seal, they lose tension/stretchiness over time. In my case, it happens more often on neck seal. I think oil from body degrade latex. Over the 4 year period I have gone through 2 neck seals, but still on first pair of wrist seal. I heard to minimize this, it is to use dish soap to clean seal after use. I haven't tried it tho.

Also, take care of the zipper. Clean it after dive and wax.

 

[Yoyoguy]

learn to replace your own seals. it's dead easy and fairly inexpensive. my wrist seals took me a grand total of 1:20. My neck seal took maybe 90 minutes. i'm not super crazy about drysuit care. if i've been sea diving, it gets a fresh water soak when i get home, then it stays put and dries in the bath tub until the following week. if i've been in freshwater, i just put it, along with the rest of my kit, in the bathtub to dry. i dive every week though

ive watched some videos about this and read some threads. does not seem terribly complex but does make me a bit nervous of damaging the suit, however, since this is already a used suit that I got pretty dang cheap, it is probably best to practice on this and by the time I can buy a full custom I will be a pro at replacing seals!

 

[Herb-alaska]

Dry suit care can be as hard as you want to make it. The Key is to rinse certain areas specially. Rinse the inflator and the dump valves. Exercise the valves and rinse again to make sure the salt is washed away. Rinse the zipper to keep is moving freely. On a metal zipper keep it waxed, you will feel it drag that means it is time to wax. My work suit gets abused and won't last as long as it could but it will last many years. I sometimes don't take the time to rinse like I should which risks a gummed up valve. One of the best ways to rinse the suit is just climb in the shower with it on. Rinse it with good fresh warm water and every once in awhile if it gets stinky use a wet suit shampoo and give it a in and out bath and then let it dry. When i do the inside wash I turn it inside out to dry then turn it out again to finish. When drying the suit use a wide hanger that supports the suit and does not pull on the zipper or the neck seal. I built a easy one out of 2 inch abs pipe.

The key is rinse as soon as possible and keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Do not store it in a furnace room where it will have hydro carbons on it as it will have the seals eaten in short order.

 

[Yoyoguy]

Dry suit care can be as hard as you want to make it. The Key is to rinse certain areas specially. Rinse the inflator and the dump valves. Exercise the valves and rinse again to make sure the salt is washed away. Rinse the zipper to keep is moving freely. On a metal zipper keep it waxed, you will feel it drag that means it is time to wax. My work suit gets abused and won't last as long as it could but it will last many years. I sometimes don't take the time to rinse like I should which risks a gummed up valve. One of the best ways to rinse the suit is just climb in the shower with it on. Rinse it with good fresh warm water and every once in awhile if it gets stinky use a wet suit shampoo and give it a in and out bath and then let it dry. When i do the inside wash I turn it inside out to dry then turn it out again to finish. When drying the suit use a wide hanger that supports the suit and does not pull on the zipper or the neck seal. I built a easy one out of 2 inch abs pipe.

The key is rinse as soon as possible and keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Do not store it in a furnace room where it will have hydro carbons on it as it will have the seals eaten in short order.

thanks Herb-Alaska!

---------- Post added July 10th, 2015 at 02:34 PM ----------

learn to replace your own seals. it's dead easy and fairly inexpensive. my wrist seals took me a grand total of 1:20. My neck seal took maybe 90 minutes. i'm not super crazy about drysuit care. if i've been sea diving, it gets a fresh water soak when i get home, then it stays put and dries in the bath tub until the following week. if i've been in freshwater, i just put it, along with the rest of my kit, in the bathtub to dry. i dive every week though

I was thinking I might install the permanent si tech neck and wrist parts which will make changing seals easier. You ever do this? Is it worth it? I don't dive as much as other's here and I will dive dry even less (deep colder quarry dives and maybe eventually ice diving). I would say total drysuit dive's a year for the next few years will be about 10-20 per year until I get into serious tech diving which who knows how long that will be.