DUI CF200 average lifespan?

[NORTHEAST]

Hey guys here's my overall question. If you take care of your dui cf200 crushed neoprene Drysuit what is it average lifespan? Why am I asking this question? I've been hearing guys at my lds talk about "de lamination". When the fabric seperates from the neoprene. Is this true? Has anyone had this happen or know of someone this has happened to just from the age of the suit? I mean I still see guys using very old cf200's on the deep wrecks off nj. As for my Drysuit it's manufacture date is 2003. By looking at my suit it looks like it's in great shape. No fading, no tears, etc. the only things I can say about my suit is there is some fraying on the fabric of the zipper(if anyone knows what I should do about that please chime in) and I had to put some Aqua seal on the corners of my knee pads where they were lifting a little bit from the suit. Please guys if you have any info please share it. I paid a good penny for my suit used 2 years ago and if something catastrophic happenens to my suit I won't be able to afford Nother Drysuit for a while.

 

[rhwestfall]

mine (bought new by me) is from 2002, and still on the original latex seals, and the original zipper....

Having compared it to "newer" suites, I think the materials were better from the "old" era......

I expect no issues going forward with this suit for many years to come (seals are nearing their time - regrettably I believe the materials now being utilized are inferior)....

 

[oly5050user]

Got 16 years out of my first cf200, 16 heavy use years. Material delaminated.

 

[NORTHEAST]

Got 16 years out of my first cf200, 16 heavy use years. Material delaminated.

wow sounds pretty good. So what were the signs the suit was coming to the end of its life? If any. What happens when it de laminates? And what causes it? Is it heavy use or just age?

---------- Post added July 8th, 2015 at 09:23 PM ----------

And rhwestfall thank you. I'll sleep a little better tonight. What should I do about my fraying zipper? And if and when my zipper goes how much is the cost to replace it?

 

[rhwestfall]

DUI lists their pricing online, and many others do too. That gives you a starting point. I too am getting some fraying on the backing of the zipper, but still feel substantial time remains

 

[NORTHEAST]

Wel thanks for your input I really appreciate it and I hope my suit last for a long time.

 

[eelnoraa]

My first suit is a used CF200 from the 90s I think. There is no lamination in CF200 material, so there is nothing do de-laminate. Material is very tough, much more so than any tri-lam material. It is a bit stretchy too, so it is usually cut tighter than tri-lam suit. The main disadvantage is it is very heavy especially when wet. So it is not a very good travel suit. If you need the toughness, it is hard to beat. If you don't the toughness, a tri-lam will be more confortable and more versatile.

 

[rhwestfall]

There is no lamination in CF200 material, so there is nothing do de-laminate.

This is a key point ^^^^^^

 

[oly5050user]

This is a key point ^^^^^^

Nylon is laminated on the crushed neoprene...inside and outside of suit..it seperates over time and use. Nothing lasts forever.

 

[rhwestfall]

I agree, but the nylon is not the waterproofing like the tri-laminate material, which is a thinner more "fragile" configuration.