Putting on thick wetsuit - oil?

[kimbalabala]

I think I asked a similar question here before - please forgive me if this is terribly redundant.

Now that it's October I am going to be forced to finally wear my new 8/7 semi-dry suit. Every time I try to put it on I nearly collapse with exhaustion (slight exaggeration). Today I tried slathering on baby shampoo and getting the suit wet - with mixed results.

Has anyone tried spray-on cooking oil? When I googled neoprene I read accolades of neoprene being oil and gas resistant, etc, so I'm assuming it wouldn't do any damage to my wetsuit. I know I'm just being a whiner but I am SO dreading putting on this thing - and WORSE, having to pee after I have it on!!!

Thanks in advance.

 

[rongoodman]

Why not try baby shampoo cut with water in a spray bottle? It works like a charm for my dry suit seals.

 

[ScubaSteve]

IMO all you need is a dive skin. I got one and it made a world of difference in how my old 7mm wetsuit would go on. I would rather that than constantly lathering up in stuff and exposing the environment to it all the time.

 

[muddiver]

Commercial divers typically use cream rinse. It is thicker than baby shampoo and slicker.

Oil is bad for neoprene. I would not reccomend going there.

 

[Super0233]

Place a plastic Walmart bag over your feet and hands as you insert them into the suit. Remove once it comes through.

 

[SeaHorse81]

I cast another vote for just wearing a dive skin; that seems to do it for me with my 7mm, with no additional chemicals to add to the ocean once I'm in. I also make a point of starting out trying to purposely get the ankles and knees higher than I think I'll need them to be, which generally lands them in the right place when I'm done. Trying to pull the legs higher once the suit is on is impossible, I think.

Agreed, it is physically tiring to muscle one of these things on. I also find it tiring to just move around in mine for the first day or two of a dive trip until I get used to it, then all is well (and warm).

 

[Queequeg]

Yeah...ditto on the dive skin. You can get a lycra dive skin pretty cheap, less than $50.

 

[merxlin]

I would do the hair conditioner (cut 50% with water) in a spray bottle. Works great. The plastic bag trick works great too for most people. There is also a product called "Suit Juice" that works really well. I normally don't have a problem but used it (I got it free as a promo reward) when I was diving on a liveaboard as it also works as a lubricant so no abrasions from diving for 7 straight days in a wetsuit that never got to dry between dive days. Really made the suit easy off & on.

 

[spectrum]

Suit snot & technique are what it takes. If it's still exhausting you have the wrong suit. The long versuit of the answer is here

 

[Mr.X]

Some of the old time divers used to wear pantyhose. It's cheaper and thinner than a lycra skin + you can ditch it after the dive. The hard part is suiting up in front of people and looking like a drag queen.

My favorite was watching a heavily muscle-bound guy, with full moustache, bald get into his 7mm Farmer john. He took a lot of abuse, but got into his suit in a jiff...excuse whiff!


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