Latex Versus Neoprene Neck Seal on Membrane Drysuit!

[ronanm98]

Hi,

looking for help and advice about neck seals on a membrane drysuit. I am going to order a new drysuit but am unsure about neck seals, one guy in my club says to get neoprene and the other says latex.

Help!

 

[DivingCRNA]

Neoprene is easier to put on and take off. Neoprene is repairable. Neoprene supposedly leaks more, but I do not have enough experience to know.

I dove a neoprene neck seal in the pool today and it did not leak. I have heard that you should not turn your head in a neoprene seal or it will leak. I did not have any trouble.

I hope this helps.

 

[oly5050user]

Hi,

looking for help and advice about neck seals on a membrane drysuit. I am going to order a new drysuit but am unsure about neck seals, one guy in my club says to get neoprene and the other says latex.

Help!

neoprene last much longer ..also warmer on neck than latex..as a instructor I prefer neoprene-do not want to cancel dive or hold it up because a latex seal blew out..never happens with neoprene..if given a choice its neoprene almost every time..

 

[mahjong]

I've worn both neoprene and latex neck seals--and now go with latex. I liked the durability and warmth of the neoprene, but I found it a bit more difficult to don and doff (as in needing to push and pull "much" harder--but with latex you do need to be more careful), and a bit less comfortable overall, if only because neoprene needs to get a stiffer and firmer grip around your neck if it's not going to leak (and my neoprene neck seal needed to be folded inward). A middle ground, perhaps, might be good heavy duty latex seals, which hold up better than the standard ones. In the end, it's a matter of personal preference. I would say that if you don't happen to mind the feeling of the neoprene neck grip then you are better off with neoprene.

 

[SwimJim]

I've worn both neoprene and latex neck seals--and now go with latex. I liked the durability and warmth of the neoprene, but I found it a bit more difficult to don and doff (as in needing to push and pull "much" harder--but with latex you do need to be more careful), and a bit less comfortable overall, if only because neoprene needs to get a stiffer and firmer grip around your neck if it's not going to leak (and my neoprene neck seal needed to be folded inward). A middle ground, perhaps, might be good heavy duty latex seals, which hold up better than the standard ones. In the end, it's a matter of personal preference. I would say that if you don't happen to mind the feeling of the neoprene neck grip then you are better off with neoprene.

I have also worn both and my experience mirrors the above post. Even after having a new neoprene neck seal put in my unisuit you had to be popeye to don and doff it. And it usually leaked. I now have a Dive Concepts Z-Flex which has latex. Easy on and off. I can see where neoprene is more durable and its warmer, but then again it has to be. My experience with latex is addmittedly short, but like anything else I think if you maintain it, ie keep it clean and use seal saver on it so it doesn't dry out, you probably get a ton of dives out of it before it goes south on you.

Jim

 

[Divedoggie]

I have had both, and I like both. If you bend your head way foreward, you can get the neoprene to leak.
My neoprene suit had neoprene seals.
My Tri-lam suit has latex. Seems to go with the suit better.