drysuit in hot shed...

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Bowers

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
570
Reaction score
451
Location
Ohio
# of dives
1000 - 2499
So ive been storing my gear in two separate rooms of my house and running out of space fast... I finally found a good deal on an 8'x12' shed and converted it to a scuba shed! My learning experience from this was that with recent heatwaves here in Ohio, the temputures got VERY hot in my shed. I was storing my drysuit in there, then went to go diving last week in a deeper/colder quarry. By the time I was 10 min into the dive i felt "squishy" and by the end of a 40 min dive i came out as a bag of water . With a closer look I realized that a significant portion of my seems waterproof tape was loose and stitching was exposed. Apparently my shed got above the heat rating for the glue...
I just finished 2 days of using PB300 on all the seams and i'll be giving it a test run in the pool this week.
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Anyone elso ever had this happen? good success with regluing? My BC's and such are all fine bit does anyone have clever ideas to utilize the shed without overheating everything? im considering a window AC unit, but other ideas are welcome!
 
A drysuit doesn’t take up that much room. Just keep in the house.
 
the bc's are RF welded not glued, so they're more durable, but suits shouldn't be stored outside like that, especially drysuits where the seals will break down quickly. I'd let them dry and bring them inside somewhere, store everything else outside but it's a recipe for disaster.
 
Heat and humidity are two risk factors for aging. We use lots of polymers in the materials we use for dive gear. I would want anything that wasn't metal to be climate controlled. I have seen old get that was stored in a non-climate controlled barn survive pretty well stored in a sealed metal box. Much of the plastics and rubbers were shot. Some were still mostly ok. It apparently varies by the type of plastic but I'm also not sure how long various parts were climate controlled before they moved to the barn that I got them from. My client is a collector and has been bringing be boxes of old gear as he finds it in his barn. It won't live in my barn. I have a climate controlled unvented attic that is insulated at the roof line. That is a much better storage solution for many people than building a hot metal box in the back yard.
 
So ive been storing my gear in two separate rooms of my house and running out of space fast... I finally found a good deal on an 8'x12' shed and converted it to a scuba shed! My learning experience from this was that with recent heatwaves here in Ohio, the temputures got VERY hot in my shed. I was storing my drysuit in there, then went to go diving last week in a deeper/colder quarry. By the time I was 10 min into the dive i felt "squishy" and by the end of a 40 min dive i came out as a bag of water . With a closer look I realized that a significant portion of my seems waterproof tape was loose and stitching was exposed. Apparently my shed got above the heat rating for the glue...
I just finished 2 days of using PB300 on all the seams and i'll be giving it a test run in the pool this week.
View attachment 535980 View attachment 535979
Anyone elso ever had this happen? good success with regluing? My BC's and such are all fine bit does anyone have clever ideas to utilize the shed without overheating everything? im considering a window AC unit, but other ideas are welcome!

B...

Your shed was a big mistake...don't hold out much hope for your dry-suit...

Everything soft...all your ''rubber'' pieces/anything glued...all your electronics/batteries...are in severe danger of perishing in the level of heat that will be reached in that wooden shed...

Further...all your gear lubrication...silicone grease/oxygen compatible grease will melt/disolve and disappear...

Finally...your shed is a ''mouse hotel'' in the winter time...and what the temperature extremes don't destroy...the mice will...

It may also be time to part out and sell off gear that's spending its life being parked more than it's ever being used...

Bragging rights only apply to volume of parked Ferrari's...not volume of parked diving gear...

Good Luck...

Warren
 
B...

Your shed was a big mistake...don't hold out much hope for your dry-suit...

Everything soft...all your ''rubber'' pieces/anything glued...all your electronics/batteries...are in severe danger of perishing in the level of heat that will be reached in that wooden shed...

Further...all your gear lubrication...silicone grease/oxygen compatible grease will melt/disolve and disappear...

Finally...your shed is a ''mouse hotel'' in the winter time...and what the temperature extremes don't destroy...the mice will...

It may also be time to part out and sell off gear that's spending its life being parked more than it's ever being used...

Bragging rights only apply to volume of parked Ferrari's...not volume of parked diving gear...

Good Luck...

Warren
i have a mouse problem in my house more than in my shed, so apart from that do you think climate control (aka window ac unit) would solve my problem? or are there other issues with say cold that id need to consider?
my quantity of gear is for students so im hoping numbers go up not down and im out of room in my crowded house.
 
I'd put a temperature controlled exhaust fan in the top of the eave like an attic has which will at least help keep it closer to ambient temperature inside and keep the air moving.
Window unit is likely to generate ozone which is worse for seals than the heat.
 
i have a mouse problem in my house more than in my shed, so apart from that do you think climate control (aka window ac unit) would solve my problem? or are there other issues with say cold that id need to consider?
my quantity of gear is for students so im hoping numbers go up not down and im out of room in my crowded house.

B...

Insulation/drywall/caulking/ventilation/floor sealing/proper sealing insulated door(s)...full 12 month climate control...just like your house...if you really want to go that far...$$$...

You may want to consider an indoor rental storage locker...that is conveniently located...

What ever you decide...to maintain the integrity of all your gear...sooner is better than later...

I also suggest closely checking everything you have in your ''hot'' shed...as you current problem may be more wide-spread than your dry-suit...

As your shed is now...if a family of mice get in the shed this winter...everything you currently have piled on the floor...all your full mesh bags...will be chewed to pieces...

Best...

Warren
 
Kind of relevant, but relating to the drysuit seams, I've been told that moisture and sweat build-up on the interior of the drysuit can also rot the seals. I've taken to turning my suit inside out to dry the inside after each dive. Might want to consider it for your (next?) drysuit.
 
Kind of relevant, but relating to the drysuit seams, I've been told that moisture and sweat build-up on the interior of the drysuit can also rot the seals. I've taken to turning my suit inside out to dry the inside after each dive. Might want to consider it for your (next?) drysuit.

Dosen't hurt to turn your dry-suit inside out every once in a while...putting it in the bath tub...warm water...light detergent...and giving it a good bath...and clean water rinse...

I like dry-suits with sock feet for this reason...easy to turn fully inside out for proper drying/periodic cleaning...

Helps keep suit and all components like new...and not smelling like a mushroom farm...

W...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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