Hard to find drysuit leak - likely in the inflator valve

[MaxBottomtime]

Get in your suit and step into a bathtub. Inflate the suit as much as you can and submerge portions of the suit into the water. You should see bubbles and possibly feel water entering the suit where the leak is.

 

[mmerriman]

i did this to find a stubborn leak - put on hospital scrubs (or similar), don suit. get in a pool. take off suit. find the wet spot.

 

[raftingtigger]

Get in your suit and step into a bathtub. Inflate the suit as much as you can and submerge portions of the suit into the water. You should see bubbles and possibly feel water entering the suit where the leak is.

Jacuzzi works better. I can get completely submerged. Husband says no bubbles.

 

[raftingtigger]

i did this to find a stubborn leak - put on hospital scrubs (or similar), don suit. get in a pool. take off suit. find the wet spot.

Thanks, done essentially that. It is from the chest area.

For all. I think it probably is the SiTech neck ring. There is a spot on the outside of the suit where the ring is loose, but my Aquaseal bead on the inside looks good. Wasn't getting any leaks from that area on all my testing, but think there is something about wearing the suit and pushing on the inflate button that shifts things to allow a leak. It makes sense. I have now re-glued that section and put a sealing bead around the perimeter of the ring on the outside also. As soon as it cures I'll do another California Spa dive and test it out. Fingers crossed I will stay dry.

Again thanks for all the troubleshooting help, it has made a difference.

 

[rsingler]

Can't wait to hear, tigger!

 

[raftingtigger]

Update: While I have not yet tested my repair I'm pretty certain of the cause now. As suggested it really looks like it is with the SiTech neck ring.

I have 3 suits, all of which I have installed the neck rings on. If you install the ring OVER the suit, then over time it will start to peel off the suit (ring is stiff, suit is flexible). I ran into this problem before and moved the ring to the inside of the suit. Pressure tends to force the ring into the seal. That was years ago and I had forgotten about it.

When I looked at the seal on my leaking suit I saw that the ring near my chest was starting to come loose, but it had a great aquaseal bead on the inside. It just dawned on me that the great inside seal is from a different install and had nothing at all to do with (or seal) the current install. So here is a picture of my fix. First I re-glued the loose part; Second I ran a bead of McNett SeamSeal (just pre-thinned Aquaseal) around the perimeter; Third, glued a nylon bias tape around the perimeter join; Fourth, applied SeamSeal over the fabric to make it all really stick and be airtight. It should never peel up again.

 

[divezonescuba]

For reference purposes.

Another way to test a drysuit is to turn it inside out, plug the wrists and neck, and put water into the now inside out drysuit. You have to manufacture a hose fitting in one of the plugs. I use a small plastic flower pot for the plugs.

THis method more closely replicates what actually happens when you have a leak. Water comes in from the outside. Of course, the inside of the drysuit which is now on the outside must be completely dry.

I used this method to successfully find a leak that I could not detect by inflating and using bubbles.

 

[raftingtigger]

For reference purposes.

Another way to test a drysuit is to turn it inside out, plug the wrists and neck, and put water into the now inside out drysuit. You have to manufacture a hose fitting in one of the plugs. I use a small plastic flower pot for the plugs.

THis method more closely replicates what actually happens when you have a leak. Water comes in from the outside. Of course, the inside of the drysuit which is now on the outside must be completely dry.

I used this method to successfully find a leak that I could not detect by inflating and using bubbles.

Yes that is a very good method. I do that second (still water conservation in California), after the fill with air method. The water method finds things the air method will not. It was the water method that found the pinhole leak in the neck seal. I was hoping that was the problem before going to Catalina - NOT.

The only thing I can think of is the neck ring sealed EXCEPT when deflected by my pushing on the inflation valve. That is why neither leak detection technique showed the leak.

 

[raftingtigger]

Jump to the end of the story - looks like my suit is now dry.

A bad weekend to go diving - glad I did not. First, older son comes in to our bedroom at 10:30pm to say that our younger son (who lives on his own) is OK, but was in a rollover single car accident. Long story short he and GF/SO were returning from a comedy club. He had a couple of drinks so GF was driving her car. No drugs, no alcohol, no excessive speed, just over controlled a near collision. Her car, a Subaru Forrester, rolled at least 2 times and ended up upside down. Both get out under their own power and are thoroughly checked at the ER. I wish I looked that good after a tough dive - SEAT BELTS save lives. On top of that older son's car died of old age and needs replacement so he can get to school. So after seeing that younger son is OK (in person) we head out for car shopping. Older son is emotionally and socially slow - so this is a real adulting adventure. Back to the ER this morning since GF is vomiting - now out and she is OK after another complete going over. Return from that and take a spa dive to leak check. #@@$ if is still leaking, but it is clear it isn't from the neck seal - my t-shirt is soaked but not the collar. Check the suit and valve -- the $@%$# valve is loose. Tighten it and dry everything and re spa dive and it now looks like it is dry.

I'm really nitrogen deficient, but it will have to wait a week. I think I'm ready to end the weekend and go back to my quiet little urgent care center. I'm just waiting for the whole thing it emotionally hit. Again seat belts save lives, and I am feeling very blessed right now. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Couv]

Tigger, the like I gave you above is for your update and the grace under fire you displayed. NOT for the tribulations forced upon you.

Sorted the kids-fixed the dry suit leaks. Well done on both fronts.