O'Neill drysuit thoughts and questions

[*Floater*]

My girlfriend recently picked up a used O'Neill 7000X drysuit off ebay for a descent price - I think it's one of the older versions though. It has the kind of neoprene neck and wrist seals that you fold over to form the seal. The suit seems to fit pretty well for a stock size suit - the first time she had real problems doffing it, but on second try it came off easy. She uses size 4 O'Neill wetsuits, so at first we were afraid the size 6 drysuit might be too big (O'Neill doesn't make them in size 4 drysuits anymore), but it actually looks okay (no undersuit in these pics): http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l... 7mm Dry2/?action=view&current=1169073315.pbw

There's a little extra room around the zipper area and shoulder-upper arms area (but maybe she'll need it for the underclothes), and the zipper also makes the suit quite stiff there (which she complained about), but maybe it's to be expected with 7mm neoprene backzip drysuits. Anyway, she could do the basic stretches to reach the valves when I asked, it just took more force and effort than with wetsuits. The boots fit perfectly (well, little roomy with bare feet, but probably just right with thick socks), except the necks of the boots are pretty wide, so they'll probably end up trapping some gas and she'll need to go up one size in fins.

Questions:

The main problem I see with this suit is the dump valve. It's over at the bicep area and I don't think it'll be easy to make that the highest point of the suit without rolling sideways. Can a wrist dump be installed on a suit like this? What would it cost, approximately?

Also, if she wants to incorporate some sort of dry glove system later on, then what are her options with this suit?

What about maintenance of the neoprene seals? Should she put something on them?

Any other tips for this suit?

Also, for the zipper, we have both McNett zip care (liquid lube) and basic wax. We plan to use both, but in which order? Also how often should we brush the zipper teeth?

 

[dbulmer]

Floater,
That suit looks a little baggy for her. Perhaps saving up for a better fit would be a good idea in the long term.

I had a suit which was too big and I could do all the stretching for valve drills etc except my buoyancy was useless because gas would be trapped in the folds of the material. Did she try the stretches with an undersuit/base layer on? From the photos it looked a little baggy but my inital comment didn't take undersuit into consideration so it might be a better fit than I thought.

On Q1 I cannot give an answer (but an autodump on the shoulder might be a better option (get the Sitec dump or the older Apeks High profile) as maybe it'll be less likely to let water in through the neoprene. I'm guessing/speculating here BTW)

Q2 drysuit gloves might fit over the neoprene but 5mm neoprene gloves might be ok. BTW Try Northern diver 5mm gloves - it's probably worth buying as they are flexible and will go well with the neoprene. I know you're in the US but try http://godive.net/gdacce.htm for price. I found that getting the right gloves was the hardest purchase for me.

Q3 No maintenance just soak the suit after salt dives - if she holes the neoprene then use some neoprene cement on the inside.

Q4 Personally I'd choose one or the other not both. I found over time that bees wax can clog if you use too much- (a small toothbrush to remove excess wax can help)
If you store the drysuit, then apply the wax etc. I usually lube the zipper prior to diving and if it's being stored. A parafin based lube works better for me.

 

[*Floater*]

Floater,
That suit looks a little baggy for her. Perhaps saving up for a better fit would be a good idea in the long term.

I had a suit which was too big and I could do all the stretching for valve drills etc except my buoyancy was useless because gas would be trapped in the folds of the material. Did she try the stretches with an undersuit/base layer on? From the photos it looked a little baggy but my inital comment didn't take undersuit into consideration so it might be a better fit than I thought.

I hear you, but O'Neill drysuits have the slimmest cut I know of and size 6 is currently the smallest one they make. (They used to have size 4 also). I think the lower body is fine, but there's extra room at the upper body, shoulders and upper arms. She hasn't tried it on with underclothes yet so we thought the extra room might be needed when she adds those. Ultimately a custom cut trilam may be the way to go, but those are in a completely different price range than this $200 used suit, plus they require thicker, more expensive underwear. I guess this is just a starter or practice suit that can later serve as a backup.

On Q1 I cannot give an answer (but an autodump on the shoulder might be a better option (get the Sitec dump or the older Apeks High profile) as maybe it'll be less likely to let water in through the neoprene. I'm guessing/speculating here BTW)

The zipper is such that you cannot put the dump on the shoulder - I guess that's why it's at the bicep to begin with... That's why I'm thinking a cuff dump might be an alternative.

Q2 drysuit gloves might fit over the neoprene but 5mm neoprene gloves might be ok. BTW Try Northern diver 5mm gloves - it's probably worth buying as they are flexible and will go well with the neoprene. I know you're in the US but try http://godive.net/gdacce.htm for price. I found that getting the right gloves was the hardest purchase for me.

Those NDiver Latex Seal Neoprene Drygloves look pretty sweet. Of course they would probably be impossible to put on without help (the second glove at least), but she'll need someone to zip her up anyway.... or maybe you could somehow put them on the suit before pushing your hands through... but then you'd probably need help folding the neck seal...

Q3 No maintenance just soak the suit after salt dives - if she holes the neoprene then use some neoprene cement on the inside.

Good to know. (The suit didn't come with a manual).

Q4 Personally I'd choose one or the other not both. I found over time that bees wax can clog if you use too much- (a small toothbrush to remove excess wax can help)
If you store the drysuit, then apply the wax etc. I usually lube the zipper prior to diving and if it's being stored. A parafin based lube works better for me.

Any reason why we shouldn't use both? (I've seen some people recommend using both).

Thanks for the help.

 

[dbulmer]

Floater,
I was thinking of the 5mm wetgloves - seriously they are that good. Unless your girlfriend is getting into serious deco they'll be good, honestly!

I know of many folks with back entry zippers who have autodumps on the shoulder - with this suit I'd be tempted to go for the cheapest option which may,indeed, be the cuff dump as you said but don't invest too much in this suit. (in my original post I just kept thinking that the cuff dump over the neoprene might be more likely to leak than the shoulder dump) I hope you can see where I'm coming from on this? ie if it's going to cost too much to get the suit to the point where she's happy then saving for a new suit over time might be better. The current suit might get her in the water but may not be the optimal way to go particularly if you have valve drills and deco in mind in the short term. (the GUE 6 min ascent in a poorly fitting suit is very,very very hard).

My reason on Q4 is (and I've done it BTW) is that the wax often works better initially but sometimes we're less than perfect in applying it. If you end up with too much wax on the extremities of the zipper you end up having to remove some of the surplus wax ie you clog up the zipper with wax rather than providing a means of lubrication. The benefit of the McNett stuff is that it's easier to apply and if you put on too much, it just washes away. The parafin based lube tends to last longer and is just as easy to apply. The second reason is why pay for 2 methods when 1 method will do?

To look after your zipper is not just lubing - it's making sure you don't get the zipper trapped on the undersuit material and/or you pull the zip too violently ie your responsibilty as her buddy - with front entry it's different mate Although opinions might differ, you need to avoid unnecessary stress on the zip at all times including storage ie keep the suit unzippered at all times and keep it well lubed.