New DUI Drysuit Gets Wet Inside

[K_girl]

OK - so the material breakdown is called delamination - thanks all.

Anyone else also hear of problems with DUI seams? PerroneFord - do you think the issues you heard of could also be this process of delamination due to age of the suit?

Perhaps improper storage can cause some of these problems? I know you should keep your suit out of heat and sun, would artificial light also cause damage? The dry suit was hanging on the rack in the store for a long time, I know it did not have exposure to heat or sun, but what about artificial light? I'm thinking the best place for it would be in a dark closet in my house, but hanging and loosely covered, rather than folded up and packed in a bag.

Scubado - I'm diving 48 to 52 degree water in Central and Northern California and I have to say, I love diving dry. Easier to get in and out of and definitely, definitely warmer - especially with my new DUI Polartech Superstretch 300. That undergarment is absolutely awesome and worth every penny! Even when my dry suit got wet after two dives - I couldn't tell! I used to dive crushed neoprene with a 150 undergarment. I have more flexibility in the trilaminate suit and I'm warmer with the new undergarment. Since it is not a big deal to get on and off (compared to a 7 mil wet suit) - I take a bathroom break just before every dive. So far - so good.

Even though I bought the suit at a significant discount because of the length of time on the rack, DUI is sending me a new suit, newer model and not asking for more money. They did not give me a hard time at all and made the decision to replace the suit once they had discovered the problem. I'm impressed that I did not have to ask. Even though it did take some persistence on my part regarding the problem, I'm happy with their customer service and their decision to replace the suit. You can bet that suit will be quickly and thoroughly tested in my pool once it arrives. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Karen

 

[PerroneFord]

The issues that I have heard off are not delamination issues. They seem to be the glue on the seams aging, and beginning to seep water. It's just their construction method. I have heard of delamination with other brands of suits, and especially with bi-laminate more so than tri-laminate suits. First I've ever heard of this with a DUI suit.

Glad they chose to make it right for you.

 

[K_girl]

PerroneFord - that is interesting because I personally thought the problem could have been the breakdown of the glue since the material was saturating under the glue line around the waist. I thought the only way to really fix the suit would be to deconstruct the glue and re-glue. That's probably not practical or cost-effective, or maybe not even do-able. Perhaps it is a combination of both, if the glue is breaking down and salt water is saturating the trimalinate material at an exposed portion of the cut for the seam, that could cause the material to breakdown.

 

[SteveAD]

Considering that DUI has a 7 year warrantee on their seams, I don't think the problem is caused by the way they construct their seams. It seems more likely to me that there was a bad batch of materials (either fabric or glue), but the important thing is that once the problem was IDd, they made you good in the best possible way. NEW suit gotta love it.

 

[Gombessa]

it appears that the problem is because the material is breaking down and is absorbing water. The water is seeping into the material at the glued seam at the waist-line. They said they could re-glue the seam, but the problem would start happening again somewhere else because of the material is breaking down.

Wow! I'm glad they recognized the problem and decided to send you a new suit rather than give it a temporary fix with a re-glue hoping you'd go away.

Good luck with the new suit!

 

[muddiver]

The force on a suit from a pressure test is in the opposite direction of the force exserted when submerged in water.

I have a Viking rubber dry suit that was pressure tested (blown up and dunked) by a reputable, certified repair shop. They found some small pin holes, patched them and sent the suit back to me.

I went diving at Catalina Island and both arms got wet from the elbows down. I though mybe the wrist seal (that had not been changed out) were leaking. So next trip off Point Fermin I install and wear dry gloves that mate up to the suit. Once again wet arms.

Turns out that the seam at the cuff of the suit sleeve is dry rotted right next to where the wrist seals are glued on. It did not come up in the pressure test because the tset pushes out ward and caused the cracked rubber on the outside of the suit to seal themselvs up. When diving the suit is primarily under pressure from the outside which wrinkles the material in a different manner and opens up the cracks so they leak.

With an older suit that has been unused it is very possible that the zipper (location of most stress) or any seam could be leaking on your suit.

 

[cummings66]

I don't know how true this is, but a LDS that used to sell DUI was told by DUI to repair the seams by injecting this glue they supplied into the seam.

I know this much, most DUI leaks are at the seams. Think about it, you have thousands of holes and then they repair it by gluing it together with seam tape. Look at the insides of a DUI suit that's been abused by being left in the sun too long, it'll be all brown and starting to peal apart where the seam tapes are. Not to slam DUI, other brands do the same thing and have similar problems. In fact if you want to see how the suits are in popularity DUI and BARE seem to be the top choices regardless of problems. DUI due to name, BARE due to price.

IMO the DUI CLx450 is the suit to own and the only one I've ever dove that was really dry from the start.

 

[SteveAD]

The force on a suit from a pressure test is in the opposite direction of the force exserted when submerged in water.

I have a Viking rubber dry suit that was pressure tested (blown up and dunked) by a reputable, certified repair shop. They found some small pin holes, patched them and sent the suit back to me.

I went diving at Catalina Island and both arms got wet from the elbows down. I though mybe the wrist seal (that had not been changed out) were leaking. So next trip off Point Fermin I install and wear dry gloves that mate up to the suit. Once again wet arms.

Turns out that the seam at the cuff of the suit sleeve is dry rotted right next to where the wrist seals are glued on. It did not come up in the pressure test because the tset pushes out ward and caused the cracked rubber on the outside of the suit to seal themselvs up. When diving the suit is primarily under pressure from the outside which wrinkles the material in a different manner and opens up the cracks so they leak.

With an older suit that has been unused it is very possible that the zipper (location of most stress) or any seam could be leaking on your suit.

DUIs pressure test is done with the suit inside out. Suit is inverted, wrist seals plugged, hose inserted thru neck seal, neck seal tied off around hose. Then the suit is inflated in a tub of water with a grate over the top to keep the entire suit under water. Any leaks are marked (on the inside of the suit) repairs are done. and the suit is re-tested.

 

[K_girl]

OK - I got my new dry suit from DUI and tested it today. No leaks! I'm happy now.

Karen

 

[scubadobadoo]

Excellent! Congrats!