How dry is your drysuit?

[cyklon_300]

is from the seals, I've pressure tested it...the suit, valves, and zipper are fine.

I can't feel any water entering the suit unless I swivel my head vigorously or when doing valve drills, then I'll feel a slight trickle down the back of my neck. I'm comfortable while finning, but at deco stops when I'm not moving much, I notice my front upper torso becoming slightly chilled. I dive the suit pretty compressed, but adding additional gas doesn't seem to help the thermal issue much.

Positioning the neck seal lower on my neck has provided the most improvement on dryness, moving the wrist seals up and down my arm doesn't seem to help anything.

I'm wearing a polypropylene shirt under 200 wt Polartec undergarments. The front and wrists of the polypro shirt are slightly damp after a dive. It's not horribly uncomfortable, but I wouldn't want to be doing any extended hangs this way.

The latex seals have less than 20 dives on them and I'm just trying to get a little mileage out of them before replacing...wondered if others are staying bone dry or if some minor leakage was fairly commonplace. As I suspected, it sounds like most folks are in the dry and toasty dept.

 

[Uncle Pug]

A "wrist band" of 1/8" skin neoprene under the latex works wonders.http://comdive.com/cuffs.zip

...for use with one of my suits to forstall a new neckseal. If I tip my head back on the second dive (don't know why second dive makes a difference) I get a thorough sloshing. I just haven't *found* any 1/8" skin neoprene laying around.

 

[Bob3]

I just haven't *found* any 1/8" skin neoprene

As usual, I have sheets of the stuff... all about 1200 miles away securely buttoned up in airtight containers in one of my "dive lockers".
Hey, I have some 1/16 x 1" tape here, skin 1, no nylon. The set I made werea good 3" wide 'cuz I wanted a little extra insulation under those chilly latex cuffs.
Dang tape is expensive as heck though.

 

[Genesis]

Almost none. I occasionally get a bit damp right around the wrists if I'm spearing - I have scrawny wrists and when I cock the gun there's a lot of tension on those tendons, so I can get a bit of a seep there.

Other than that, typically nothing other than perspiration.

If my suit was leaking more than that I'd fix it, because I HATE being cold, and wet = cold!

 

[LUBOLD8431]

With Latex seals, I dont get wet at all, stay nice and dry. With Neoprene seals, sometimes get a little damp...

 

[String]

There is a product "Apollo Bioseals" that apparently work well under latex and improve the seal. They arent expensive but i havent found any supplier for them here to try.

 

[cyklon_300]

but they were almost the same price as new seals...plus, if you read the description, the mfg states they contain oils that will degrade the latex seal.


You can order them online here:
http://www.apollosportsusa.com/drysuit.html

 

[Bob3]

but they were almost the same price as new seals...plus, if you read the description, the mfg states they contain oils that will degrade the latex seal.

You can order them online here:
http://www.apollosportsusa.com/drysuit.html

$50 - $75 !!! DANG!!! I'll have to have some of my goodies shipped out here & start making neoprene bands, they only take a buck or two's worth of materials & about 5 minutes to make, including waiting for the glue to flash off.

Those things are almost twice the price of new seals, BTW.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I sewed a neoprene neck warmer out of some 1/8 inch neoprene that a wet suit company used to protect folded suits from their own ankle zippers during shipping. In addition to adding insulation between the suit and the hood, the neck warmer also helps keep the seal in place if you bend your neck too far forward.

 

[String]

but they were almost the same price as new seals...plus, if you read the description, the mfg states they contain oils that will degrade the latex seal.


You can order them online here:
http://www.apollosportsusa.com/drysuit.html

New seals arent the issue with me - ive got a "standard" and brand new seal fitted - it still leaks. My neck must be thin and/or an odd shape.
As for the oils, i cant see a problem given my drysuit is washed inside and out in freshwater in the bath after every days diving.