Pack Mates & Neoprene

[Damselfish]

If your hood is new, you may possibly learn something. If it's old, already showing wear, the cells may already be bad? Any unneeded compresion is going to do damage.

It was old, but not a lot of dives on it and I think it was still pretty happy. But a moot point, since I can't find it.

 

[kelpmermaid]

I use something called a "Space Bag" for my drysuit undies, but I never thought of using it for neoprene. Interesting thought...could it really be that much worse than what goes on inside luggage anyway? It is compression, but what if you roll the suit up first? Hmmm...

 

[DandyDon]

I think he's right on here...

In my open water course they told us not to store the wetsuits with anything ontop of them because it will destroy the cellular structure of the neopreme. Vaccum sealed would be about the same as something sitting on your wetsuit for extended time. I have a 5mm hood that my BC sat on for 3 months over the winter that has 2 spots that are extremly thin. I don't think it will recover but should be able to use it anyway.

For more information, call your suit's manufacturer.

 

[Phaethon]

I am not sure that the pressures maintained within the package are going to be all that great, it's more about limiting the airspaces between layers, folded or rolled. On reflection and with some practice packings, you'd have to go to some serious extremes to actually compress the neoprene itself. I'm more worried about creasing. Rolling produces an awkwards shape for most bag sizes, so maybe it will have to be packed with other items to fill the rest of the bag.

One advantage may be that if the TSA decide to open the case the firm transparent bags will repack more easily than dozens of individual rolled socks, undies, shirts, shorts etc. and of course the suit itself. If TSA, however, decide to unpack the Pack Mates (they're transparent, but you never know..) then they are unlikely to take the same care repacking them as I would like.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there who would say "Yes I tried it and it all went horribly wrong..."

I've emailed Bodyglove for their thoughts.

Cheers,

K.

 

[BuoyantC]

If you think about it, you are only pulling a vaccuum with a maximum of 1 ATA difference. That couldn't be any worse than the compression at 33ft. I can't believe the flight time would cause serious damage to neoprene. A single dive to 100ft. would crush the neoprene much more.
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D.C.C.