Neoprene neckseal issues

[butrflyleslie]

I'm trying to get a neoprene neckseal on my drysuit but DUI says that in order to fit my small neck the seal won't fit over my head. Has anyone else had this problem? I really really really wanted to get a neoprene neckseal.

 

[tkdgodess]

it's a tight squeeze for my head to fit, i get a really good grip, and push/pull. Easier with dry hair to put it on, lots of hair pulling. I got stuck once...trying it on after baby#2, had 15 pounds of baby weight to go, & nearly had to take the kids to the neighbors to help me out... whew that would have been embarrassing!

 

[Rainer]

Lol, many of your female dive buddies (Claudette, Nicole, Jen, etc) were initially told the same thing. All have functional neoprene neck seals (sure, it's a tight fit, but plenty comfortable and totally dry). None had DUI do their installs.

 

[ligersandtions]

Leslie, I was just about to call you back, but I'll respond here instead.

I haven't had DUI do my neck seal, so I can't be positive in this response....

That said, if they have a relatively stretchy neoprene, it's really not that bad. Sure, I have to stretch it to get it over my head, but then it fits nicely around my neck. I have Gamble make it an inch (maybe an inch and a half) or so smaller than my neck circumference. As long as the neoprene is stretchy enough, it's not an issue to get it over my head. Gamble once used a less stretchy neoprene and I couldn't get it to stretch over my head without cutting it scary large (it did leak a little), but he took care of it for me right away.

I'm inclined to say that the neoprene would probably work fine for you....but I'm also a bit hesitant with your Fundies class coming up so soon. If you had had time to send it to Gamble, I know he's already got the pattern made for my drysuit, and I imagine yours would be the same since we dive twin drysuits

Ask DUI what kind of turn around time they'd have if the seal did not fit you (also make sure that they would not charge you to replace something that does not work...). If it would be sufficiently quick (like you could drive it down to SD and have them fix it in a few hours....and then let it cure for a day or two before you tried it on), I'd recommend trying the neoprene. If not, maybe stick with latex this time and send it to Gamble later on.

 

[butrflyleslie]

Nicole, Mind if I ask what your neck versus head measurements are? Mine is 13 1/4" and 22 1/4". Is that just oddly abnormal?

I hadn't even originally planned to have the neck seal replaced right now but they told me it has a lot of stress fractures and could rip easily. I certainly don't want it to rip in the middle of Fundies. It'd be a tight squeeze to send it back if it didn't work. It's supposed to be done next Thursday so I'm going to pick it up on Friday with plans to dive Saturday and Sunday.

I was going to send it off to Gamble at first but he shop was closed while he was moving and then I would have had to pay rush shipping both ways to get it back in time. Shipping was almost more than the seals themselves.
Did Gamble require a leak test? I could always just leave it as is for now and send it off to Gamble when the seal craps out.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

I'm trying to get a neoprene neckseal on my drysuit but DUI says that in order to fit my small neck the seal won't fit over my head. Has anyone else had this problem? I really really really wanted to get a neoprene neckseal.

Hi Leslie,




Claudette's Chassis specs:

• Hat size: 7 1/4 (Big head, 23.5 inches, circ.)
  .
• Neck circumference: 13.5 inches (pencil neck)
  .
• DUI 50/50 Flex d.s., originally had latex neck seal which I changed out immediately.
  .
• Mark Owens (Superior Drysuit Repair) installed a neoprene neck seal "...using the exact DUI pattern for your measurements and your suit." It was so loose that I was soaked on all dives and I returned the suit to Mark and called him on the phone.
  .
• Mark remade the seal based on my description and validation of my measurements. No charge. He altered the official pattern from DUI as it had not worked at all.
• PERFECT seal, PERFECT fit. :banana::banana:

There is some resistance to getting the seal over my big-phat-head, so I now spray my hair and forehead with 50/50 hair conditioner/water before donning the suit. ("Head Lube", makes the Otter Bay Helmet slide on easily, too.)
This makes it very easy and 150 dives later the seal still fits perfectly.

BTW, my original BARE drysuit suit came with a custom BARE-manufactured neoprene neck seal that fit perfectly for 500 dives, and was replaced by Mark Owens with another perfect-fit neo neck seal that has 300 dives on it and still works (my back-up suit.)

Your head/neck configuration may not be in the DUI playbook, but you can absolutely have a perfect-fit neoprene neck seal built for you.

Then find a handy spray bottle for Head Lube and take it with you to the dive sites.

It's worth search until you get the right fit.

~~~~
Claudette

 

[ligersandtions]

Nicole, Mind if I ask what your neck versus head measurements are? Mine is 13 1/4" and 22 1/4". Is that just oddly abnormal?

I hadn't even originally planned to have the neck seal replaced right now but they told me it has a lot of stress fractures and could rip easily. I certainly don't want it to rip in the middle of Fundies. It'd be a tight squeeze to send it back if it didn't work. It's supposed to be done next Thursday so I'm going to pick it up on Friday with plans to dive Saturday and Sunday.

I was going to send it off to Gamble at first but he shop was closed while he was moving and then I would have had to pay rush shipping both ways to get it back in time. Shipping was almost more than the seals themselves.
Did Gamble require a leak test? I could always just leave it as is for now and send it off to Gamble when the seal craps out.

My neck measurement is 11 3/4" and my head is about 20 1/2"....so it looks like my head to neck ratio is about as disproportionate as yours

So anyways, it can be done....unfortunately, Claudette, Jen, and I (plus Cody and maybe Chris) did not have well fitting neck seals on the first try....some by Mark, some by Gamble (all have since been fixed free of charge). So take that how you will.

As for Gamble, he hasn't charged me for a leak test....he does one to ensure that the neck seal seals, but hasn't charged me for it. In fact, it turned out I had a sizable leak in my right heel last time and he let me know after he fixed it, free of charge.

 

[butrflyleslie]

Thanks for the replies Claudette and Nicole. That is very helpful! I get the impression that DUI has preset seal sizes, as she referred to my neck as a size small. Since I had not originally planned on getting the neck seal done I may just wait and send it to one of the other guys once the latex seal poops out. I just can't see spending $100 on another latex seal. Now, I just have to keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't poop out in the middle of fundies.

The good news is that they were able to add on turbosoles to my neoprene boots, which no one else could do. So now I don't have to sport my super ugly psychedelic converse anymore. AND...there will be two Halcyon super cool pockets attached. ; )

 

[TSandM]

Well, I'm going to weigh in on the other side. I had Superior put a neoprene seal on my Mobby's. It fit my neck well and didn't leak, but it was so hard to get on that I was wrenching my neck on a regular basis. When I had it made larger, so that I could get it on more easily, it lasted a couple of months and then began to leak like crazy. I went back to latex.

 

[jenth]

My 2 cents:

My neck ratio's worse than yours. I just did a rough measurement and my head's around 22" and neck just over 12". Slipping the neo neck seal over my head's usually not an issue, but getting it off requires stretching it the right way and slowly pulling it off. You should've seen me when I first got mine back with the less stretchy neoprene (just as Nicole, Chris or Marc). I do love the neo neck seal...and highly recommend that you send it to Gamble.

Yeah, if I were you, I might wear your current latex out a little longer. Then when it really craps out (after Fundies), send it to Gamble. If you find that it's starting to stretch and let water in, you can always wear a bio seal with it now and just speed up the process. Or you can do what Chris did to Cody and duct tape it.