Itchy line up my side that follows my suit seam?

[Ampex]

I'm a kayaker, not diver (though give me some time, I'll get there) who ordered an Aquaflite suit upon the recommendations of this site. I couldn't be happier with the suit, but two days later after an extended wear, I have a thin itchy "rash" up the inside and outside of both legs (it stopped where I wore a rash guard/shirt) where my suit seam was.

To a give a little more detail, because of distance to our paddling destination and the lack of suitable changing areas, I put the suit on around 8 am in the morning after drying off from a shower and didn't take it off until I got home around 6 pm. Our location was a cold stream that feeds a flood control lake; the water was quit clear chilly. I hopped into the shower and flushed the suit out with the shower head before removing and then sprayed it off after doffing.

I was only in the water briefly up to my thighs to pull my boat to a gravel bar; we landed for a stretch/lunch in what turned out to be a stinky mud pit and I wanted to rinse the mud off before entering my boat. Crossing the stream accomplished this, but of course a little water seeped up my leg.

I've worn the suit a few times before with no problems, but never this long. I've never *washed* the suit, but it always gets a good rinse, is made of "Oceanliner" (similar to henderson's "Gold Core") which is supposed to be antibacterial and there's no odor whatsoever beyond normal neoprene.

Any ideas? I felt fine the day of, had somewhat of an itch the next day and now, about 48 hours later, I have a faint red, itchy line that clearly follows the seam of my suit.

Did I get some weird mud bacteria seeping up the seems? Is it common to have biologics grow in a seam? Could I be having a reaction to the seam sealer (dark color. seam grip?)? I'm not allergic to latex or anything else I can think of.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Ampex

 

[do it easy]

My guess is that it's the combination of being wet and the seam irritating your skin.

How long do you typically wear a wetsuit for? This sounds like it was an endurance record for you.

 

[Ampex]

My guess is that it's the combination of being wet and the seam irritating your skin.

How long do you typically wear a wetsuit for? This sounds like it was an endurance record for you.

5 - 6 hours is my normal max. The suit is blind stitched and never leaves lines on my skin. I thought about regular seam irritation, but it took almost two days to show up. Is that normal?

In retrospect, the lake/stream had recently experienced record rains and was 3 to 4 feet higher in the recent past. The boat ramp parking lot was covered in dry mud and driftwood. Lake levels were normal by the time we got there (this past Saturday), but I wonder what kind of disgusting run-off was in that water? The mud we stood in smelled like dead fish.

maybe this is swimmer's itch?

Ampex

 

[Rick Inman]

Have you washed the inside of the suit? Maybe there was some kind of chemical or something left over from the manufacture.

 

[Ampex]

I'll definately wash it thoroughly now. Is there anything around the house i can use to clean it?

 

[do it easy]

Mild soap or baby shampoo, and I've even heard of Woolite.

 

[Hoosier]

Why don't you put some duck tape on the seam before wearing it?

Soak the suit with the mouthwash for 5~10 min and rinse it. It kills all bacteria....

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Ampex,

You indicate, "...two days later after an extended wear, I have a thin itchy "rash" up the inside and outside of both legs (it stopped where I wore a rash guard/shirt) where my suit seam was."

Given the very limited and distinct distribution of the rash (i.e., only the leg suit seams), it is highly unlikely to be swimmer's itch or other dermatitis related to a living creature or chemical pollutants in the water. A rash guard would not protect against any of these irritants. And, obviously an unhygienic wetsuit is in contact with the entire body, not just along the seams of the legs.

What is described is quite consistent with a skin reaction to adhesives used in the closing of seams. I have seen a number of cases. It is very likely that a dive skin or rash guard that covers the lower extremities will prevent a recurrence.

If you wish to freshen the suit, you might find the following article informative:

How Do I Clean A Smelly Wetsuit?
http://www.awoosh.com/Doc Vikingo's Resource Page/Cleaning_Smelly_Wetsuits.htm

BTW, while certain mouthwashes (e.g., Listerine), but not all, do have a notable bactericidal effect, a 5-10 min wash in one of these likely will not do as good a job as a 24 hr soak in one of the enzyme-based wetsuit cleaners (e.g., Sink the Stink).

Helpful?

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[ReneeC]

I'll second DocVikingo's comments. It would appear to me that this might be a case of (latex?) reaction to the glue in the seams. You could try covering the seams with ducktape but over time I think you will have other sticky issues. Might have to wear that rashguard.

 

[Ampex]

Thanks for the information. I have an appointment with my G.P. for today (I have no current dermatologist and I want this looked at ASAP).

A bit more info...

It appears that I do have diffuse itchy areas up my torso just above where the suit seams met my rash-guard (shirt), they're just not visibly broken out and annoying as the lines up my legs. My friend did wade into the same water I did briefly up to his ankles and describes that area of his body as "kind of itchy", but not rashed.

I indicated that compared to past Saturday's stint, I've only briefly worn the suit on a few occasions (it's rather new). I also admitted I've never fully washed the suit, just rinsed it. My most recent use was the first time I actually went into water with it; is it possible that stewing in sweat and questionable lake water for 10 hours released residue from the seam seal that I didn't wash out? Would a long soak in a mild detergent help this? My old mass produced NRS wetsuit had seam sealer on it and not once did it cause any rash. However NRS used a clear adhesive where Aquaflite used a black substance. One could assume the adhesive on my old NRS suit had much more time to cure that the custom suit.

I'm a thin person and my body is essentially a giant heat radiator; to that end, I had the suit custom made "skin in" style to minimise water exchange. 3mm of neoprene is what stands between me and +/- 50 degree water (for kayaking, remember). I'd very much like to avoid having to put any layer between me and the suit that could aid water exchange. If the suit adhesive turns out to be the culprit, I'd rather have the seams taped than have to deal with another piece of equipment. Could I depend on the seam tape to protect me and not cause irritation on it's own?


Thanks for the info,

Ampex

Thanks