opinions on brass vs plastic dry suit zipper

[rick00001967]

i was going to post this in the Bare forum but it looks like there is very little activity there.
i recently had to replace the rear entry zip on my dry suit. i was told ALL bare suits now use the plastic type and that is what would be installed. the suit came back in pristine condition and the new zip seems to work just fine. easier to close and open. lighter. far more flexible. all seems ok.
however i recently found out that Bare actually still does offer the brass zippers. they are a bit more expensive but are avail. so i was not pleased to hear that i was given incorrect info.
more importantly though was that i was told recently that the new plastic type zips only last a short time. as little as 50 dives. i find this a bit hard to believe but thought i would ask anyone here if they have thoughts on this. good or bad.
thx

 

[Rred]

I would think the maker counts more than the material. Just as in clothing and luggage zippers, where a YKK toothed or helicoil may last fifty years, while a no-name look-a-like bursts open every month until you trash it. If the zipper pull has no brand or mark on it...someone didn't want to "sign their work".

Can't see any reason that plastic would wear out in 50 uses. A good plastic, from a good brand, should wear as well as brass.

 

[Stoo]

My SANTI came with a T-zip. I began to have issues around 30 dives, and replaced it at maybe 50. They put in a YKK. It has been better, but with maybe another 80 dives on the suit, it's also failing.

My suit is front entry, but if I had a back entry, I would be sticking with brass.

 

[shurite7]

Hm, many of the guys here use the newer plastic zipper with no issues. Several have well over a hundred dives with the original zipper. Three of the guys here have used their drysuit in the Antarctica on two separate trips.

Bare does offer both the metal and plastic zipper. It is odd that you were only offered one option.

 

[Stoo]

In my experience, both the T-zips and possibly the YKKs are either great or they aren't. Not much middle ground... They fail after 40 - 60 dives or they last for hundreds of dives.

I should have mentioned that Mrs. Stoo has a newer Bare suit... Tzip was leaking after maybe 30 dives. She stuck with for the remainder of the season, but it's back with them now... It's being replaced under warranty, so I suppose we get what we get. It's also a front entry.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I have well over 100 dives on a TiZip mated to a NexGen and no issues yet. My experience with brass zippers on this same suit was 25 to 30 dives and it would fail. Bare replaced the first one under warranty and the second they only charged me for the zip.

 

[Stoo]

My experience with brass zippers on this same suit was 25 to 30 dives and it would fail.

Really? Was that on a front zip? I ask because in my previous 5 suits, all were brass and all were back entry. I never replaced a zipper. The suit would be pooched before the zipper. This was the case with all my friends too...

 

[Aqua-Andy]

No it was a Back zip Bare NexGen. It seems to be a thing "or was a thing" with this line of suits. What would happen is the zipper would break between the teeth about six inches from one of the ends. I don't know why it would happen on this suit, I know people with Back zip TLS350's which is a much more flexible fabric and they last for years and 100's of dives.

 

[Blue_Jay]

I have a Santi EMotion+ Front Entry Dry Suit with the TZip. I clean and lubricate the stop after every dive. Works great, is lightweight and is much easier to open/close by myself than a YKK zipper. Nothing last forever.....

 

[broncobowsher]

Just bought a new suit. Did tons of research. Lot of reading between the lines when looking at the data. What it looks like to me...

Plastic tends to work better on a front zip where the zip bends over the shoulder more but isn't pulled on as much.
Metal tends to work better on a back zip where it doesn't bend as much.

I went front zip in plastic. 7 dives and happy with it. More comfortable then the old suit with the front brass zip. Probably a few years until I can really answer any durability questions, at least that is what I am counting on.