Drysuit, Travel and Liveaboards - advice?

[Lorenzoid]

I'm taking my drysuit overseas for the first time and started thinking about how I'm going to pack it, what items I might take with me to care for it, how to mind it on the boat, etc. It's a Santi (trilam) suit with latex seals. If a seal tears, I think I'm hosed. (Yeah, yeah--next time I replace the seals I will opt for something user-replaceable like SmartSeals.) I found very little by doing a search on threads in which drysuits and liveaboard diving have been discussed together, so I thought I would start one.

As for protecting against damage in transit, I think I will put the suit in a thick plastic bag and then put the bag in my luggage, with the two suits (my wife's and mine), clothing, and other "soft stuff" in one checked bag, and our backplates, regs, and other "hard stuff" (plus liquid items) in the other checked bag. As for protecting against damage during the dive trip, in another thread someone recommended taking a proper drysuit hanger. That will be quite bulky in our bags, but I suppose there is no alternative--using thin wetsuit hangers that they will have on the liveaboard seems like an invitation to damage. An interesting recommendation I read was to take a neck scarf to use as a protector for the neck seal so that the seal is less likely to catch on something if a crew member slides it along the hanging rail. In one thread, someone said a protruding bit of hardware on the RIB tore a hole in his drysuit; hence the Aquaseal and Cotol. I'm not really sure how to repair a tear, though.

I also saw some sobering advice to take a wetsuit as backup. I did a test packing of my bag, including the backup 5mm wetsuit, and the weight limitation is going to present a serious challenge. I'm really ambivalent about taking a backup wetsuit.

What would you take to clean a p-valve? (Holding my bladder is not an option for me.) At home, I flush thoroughly with a vinegar and water solution. Taking a liquid is out of the question. Steramine tablets?

Advice, tips, or other thoughts appreciated.

 

[scubadiver888]

I'm looking into traveling with my drysuit as well.

I purchased a Pelican 1615 Air case. The airlines allow for 62" total (w+h+d) and this just fit that. The Air model is also a lot lighter. So I'm not paying for the weight of the luggage. It is a reasonable size. I can fit in my drysuit, undergarments, extra gloves, socks, etc. with plenty of room to spare. Like you, I plan on putting the drysuit and all the soft stuff in that one luggage.

All my other gear will go in my regular luggage. I have taken all my other gear (BP/W, regs, fins, etc.) in my regular luggage before. So I know that will go well.

My drysuit has built-in boots. So I used the drysuit hanger which lets me hang it from the boots, upside down with the zipper open. The hanger comes apart into two parts. This makes it less bulky. I take the hook out of the part that holds the boots and put it in with the rest of my hard gear.

I haven't tried using this yet. I'm going to Vancouver, Canada for work (I'm in Toronto, Canada). I was planning on using that to see how things went. If that goes well then I'll start using the same set up for international travel as well.

I'd be interested to hear what other people have to say as well.

Darrell

P.S. don't have a p-valve on my drysuit, yet. So keeping that clean isn't a concern yet.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you are going on a liveaboard, your problems might be solved automatically. Some liveaboards carry rental wetsuits. There is a good chance they will have vinegar on board. Ask them about both.

You cannot carry any liquids? Why not? If you took a bottle of an alcohol/vinegar solution for ears, it will work fine on your P-valve, too. You just need to bring enough for both.

Without any kind of a vinegar solution, a very thorough fresh water rinse for the P-valve should work for a week-long trip.

 

[SeaHorse81]

I've taken my drysuit on several week-long liveaboard trips without difficulty. As OP mentioned, I packed the suit in one bag containing only soft things, taking care to fold or roll it in such a manner that the seals wouldn't end up pressed up against anything hard on the suit itself.

My suit always dried fairly rapidly if I laid it out flat (out of the sun unless not possible to do so). During the day in between dives, I just left it laying out in the shade, away from everyone else's gear. Once it was dry after the last dive of the day--and once my roommate and I had gotten cleaned up for the evening--I'd carefully roll it up and store it for the night in the shower. That way, it was completely safe, out of the way, and handy for the first gearing up of the morning after breakfast.

I never had any issues that made me think the trouble of a backup wetsuit was the least bit necessary. I did have user-replaceable seals, however, and always had a full set with me, which I never needed.

No P-valve on mine, so I can't help you there. I'd be shocked if they lack either alcohol or vinegar on the boat, however.

Gear management at the end of the week was actually a lot easier for me than it was for all the wetsuit divers, who had tons of neoprene to try to dry out for hours before packing. My stuff was quickly dry, easy peasy.

 

[broncobowsher]

Any chance of stopping by a grocery store between the airport and the boat when you arrive? Buying a bottle of vinegar at a local market makes more sense they trying to travel with one. Give what's left to the crew when you leave.

My last trip was just a road trip with 2 days of diving. I just blew several syringes of hot tap water from the hotel through the valve and then blew air through it (via the big syringe). Called it good for the 2nd day. I was fine with using it again the next day, but would want a proper clean if it were to sit more then a night.

 

[AJ]

Did two liveaboards with drysuit in the Red Sea. The suit and backup are not a real problem in my opinion. Keeping your undergarment and suit inside dry is however. Depending on the deck space available on the boat it can be quite a challenge to keep everything dry during the trip.

For me it proofed too big a challenge last week, I'am going back to wetsuit next trip for this type of diving. It was'nt an advantage but a disadvantage. Only when a drysuit is really needed, I will take it with me again.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Couple of tips from me.

Like you I fretted and wished I'd got replaceable seals - something for the summer. Just be careful I don't know if there is anything you can take for temp repairs

I packed my DS in a sturdy dry bag (which it cam in) and turned the seals inside the suite for protection. I was V careful about folding/rolling and used a cheap luggage strap to hold it before I put it into the dry bag.

If you have time after you arrive, buy vinegar at the local store and kitchen towels to push inside your boots in case you get some condensation. If you don't have time, ask the operator nicely and they might pick it up for you

I'm sure you'll have packed suitable under garments. I've been teaching in mine for a week. Although I had a change of base layer, I didn't' for my warm layer, which growled and fought against going in the bag at the end of the week - despite it being dry and being aired each night

 

[Marie13]

If your suit has soft boots/socks, you can turn it inside out to dry if the inside gets really wet. I've done that myself.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I put my drysuit in a plastic trash bag inside my suitcase. The rest of my gear goes in a separate suitcase. Merry and I each have Waterproof suits with replaceable seals. They came in handy on our last trip when Merry tore her neck seal and a wrist seal. They take less than a minute to replace.

 

[elgoog]

Here's what I did on a couple of trips I flew somewhere with my drysuit - one was a liveaboard. Some/most of it falls in the "way more than needed" category in terms of safety for the gear but I baby my equipment and find that the extra effort is not really that much extra for the little more peace of mind it gives me.

1. For transit, I rolled up my drysuit and put in a cardboard shipping box and then put that in my suitcase. I have a soft suitcase with a rigid frame so it would probably have been OK just in the drysuit bag but I found a box that was pretty much the same size and it took the same amount of space with no additional weight and added a layer of protection.
2. On the boat, I turned the suit inside out and wiped the moisture with a paper towel. If you absolutely have nowhere to hang it to dry, this is passable - your boots will be damp. I tried silica dessicant packets for the boots but found they didn't really do much. Since you're on the Aggressor, you'll be in a cabin with a shower - ask for an extra towel and put it over the shower curtain rod, then drape the drysuit on it. Make sure the zipper is not folded over when you drape and hanging without any pressure on it. I saw a few divers do the same thing with a towel but on one of the outside boat railings. They secured it in place with bungee tie-downs cinched around the middle of the suit. They were confident enough in the towel protecting the suit from anything protruding from the railing. Also, there are plenty of spots on the railing that are smooth, just pick one of those.
3. For the P-valve, I use Steramine. Fill a mask box with water and drop in half a tablet (it takes a while to dissolve so do this ahead of time or take 2 mask boxes). Then I flush this through the P-valve with a large irrigation syringe (this one works really well). I use up the entire mask box with each flushing session. Then I use one of these nozzle thingamajigs attached to my BC hose to blow gas through it until I can't feel any more liquid escaping the P-valve. I did this every time I took the drysuit off and disconnected the P-valve (which was once in the afternoon and then at the end) - probably just the end of the day is fine but I'm OCD about cleaning this thing.
4. I always carry a pair of extra wrist seals and a neck seal but have never had to use them on a trip.