Latex seal question

[hantzu701]

A wrist latex seal on my 2002 Whites Nexus suit failed after about 100 dives. The seal around the wrist was fine. However, the part which mates with the drysuit showed some dry rot. There was some cracking on the other wrist seal as well. The neck seal seems ok.

Anyone have any idea of what causes this? I haven't used talc because I didn't think it was necessary.

Charles

 

[Diver0001]

A wrist latex seal on my 2002 Whites Nexus suit failed after about 100 dives. The seal around the wrist was fine. However, the part which mates with the drysuit showed some dry rot. There was some cracking on the other wrist seal as well. The neck seal seems ok.

Anyone have any idea of what causes this? I haven't used talc because I didn't think it was necessary.

Charles

Good rinsing, good drying, talc. Keep it out of the sun.

My first guess would be that you stored it wet for a long period of time.... Second guess is that it hangs in the sun.

R..

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Dusting the suit seals with talc really helps extend the life of the seals both by making the seals slide on better and by protecting them from the environment during storage.

You also want to keep the suit out of the sun and away from any potential ozone sources including a gas furnace or water heater. Once my suit is thoroughly dry I will store it in it's bag to minimize contact with light and air. When storing it for the summer season, I will go one step farther and enclose the suit in a garbage bag and then store it in it's regular bag.

I have gotten at least 5 years from every set of seals I have owned using this approach and my suits get used pretty heavily.

The good news for you is that wrist seals at least are easy to replace as a DIY project. Neck seals are much, much harder to replace, so I would consider amending your preventive maintainence and storage procedures while that seal is still in good shape.

 

[hantzu701]

Thanks. Sounds like the seal failure was due to poor maint.

I normally hang my drysuit up in my garage to dry, but I've been diving so much the last week, that I've left the drysuit in my trunk folded up and wet in the bag. I've also been lax about rinsing it out as I dive in quarries, so I guess it serves me right.

 

[Mike Newman]

I've also been lax about rinsing it out as I dive in quarries....

I feel for you - I have a Nexus with latex seals - but I've been fastidious about care. (Don't want to lose the investment any faster than I possibly can!)

Can I just put two cents worth in on care and quarry diving. I don't know what your site is like, but the one I dive a lot is full of algae most times.

It's really quite important to get the crud out of valves and off the suit when you finish for the day. A tech I respect greatly has shown me just how much this stuff builds up in valves and other mechanical parts - it's scary - and worst case - it's going to cause a malfunction one day - even though, externally, everything looks fine.

There is a reason why all the manufacturers and training orgs emphasise fresh, clean water rinsing for all gear.

 

[Bob3]

In addition to the above items regarding talc, sun & ozone, the oil from your skin can build up if you don't wash/clean your suit regularly. Thorough rinsing after any exposure to soap is a necessity, as oil + soap = something that eats latex.
Not all latex parts are created equal. Next time they need replacement, see that a heavier seal is used.